The capital cost of building a secure unit for children is estimated at £292,000 per bed, according to the report. The staffing of a six-bed unit would cost £500,000 per annum for 17 staff.
A "high support" unit, which would have fewer security features but which, nevertheless, would have some degree of security, would cost about £130,000 per bed to build. The staffing cost would be the same as for a secure unit.
Information provided by the eight regional health boards suggested that they want seven secure units and 12 "high support" units. The cost of building these units, Mr Laxton writes, would be £13.94 million, and the annual running cost £13 million.
In all, 42 children would be catered for in the secure units at any one time, at a cost of about £1,600 per child per week. The "high support" units would cater for 60 children at a time at a cost of £1,923 per week. The cost is higher because each "high support" unit would have five children per unit, compared with six in a secure unit, but would have the same number of staff.
Mr Laxton favours "high support" units rather than secure ones. He recommends that 15 "high support" units with six children each be provided at a capital cost of £2.1 million and an annual staffing cost of £7.5 million. They would cater for 90 children at a time, at a cost per child per week of £1,600.
In addition, he says, a scheme of professional foster carers should be introduced. Sixty nine such carers should be appointed, at a cost of £468 per carer per week.
The weekly allowance of about £60 for non-professional foster parents should be increased, he writes.