The Home Office is expected to announce details of a national dispersal scheme for teenage asylum seekers within weeks.

It comes as social services chiefs said Kent will not accept any unaccompanied child asylum seekers under the government’s resettlement plans for 20,000 Syrian refugees because of the existing pressure on the county.

The county council says it expects the number of young asylum seekers in its care to exceed 1,000 by the end of this week - a staggering 260% increase since April.

The news of a dispersal scheme - a voluntary one - has been welcomed by the council today.

Government officials are also expected to recommend that the amount of grant the government gives to KCC for child asylum seekers is increased to help KCC meet an £8m shortfall.

Cllr Peter Oakford, KCC's cabinet member for social care, said the news came after a meeting with officials yesterday.

"The Home Secretary will write to all councils regarding a central dispersal scheme, asking them to participate based on a new level of financial grant. We are waiting to see what the amount will be but our shortfall is about £8.1m as things stand."

Under the government’s programme to accept 20,000 refugees between now and 2020, Kent’s share would account for between 400 and 500.

Mr Oakford said the announcements were a rare piece of good news.

"This is the most positive news we have had from the Home Office in a very long time."

The council was now placing new arrivals outside Kent automatically because the authority had run out of foster families and space in three existing reception centres, he added.

A report discussed by councillors today says the council is willing to participate in the initiative but not if it “adds to the enormous burden it faces looking after the unprecedented numbers of unaccompanied asylum seeker children.”

It says the crisis is “causing severe strain on children’s services” and had forced the council to hire 23 more social workers on temporary contracts in recent weeks, mostly from agencies.

“Due to the extreme pressure on Kent’s children’s services, Kent cannot accommodate unaccompanied child asylum seekers through the Syrian refugee scheme”

“Due to the extreme pressure on Kent’s children’s services, Kent cannot accommodate unaccompanied child asylum seekers through the Syrian refugee scheme.”

The council says the estimated shortfall it faces because of the continuing influx of child asylum seekers is now £8m - a figure expected to rise still further.

Social services chiefs say they are disappointed that only a few councils outside Kent have come forward to take some of the young asylum seekers.

Cllr Peter Oakford (Con), cabinet member for social care at KCC, said: “It is disappointing that we have not had the support of other councils. We were expecting to see some increase but the level of response has been poor.”

He added that KCC was now looking for property within the county to convert into reception centres.

Both Milbank in Ashford and the Swattenden centre in Cranbrook are full while a third in Whitstable is temporary and only available for a few months.

Cllr Oakford said KCC had no option but to hire from agencies.

“Agency staff are a costly business. We are nervous about what may happen in the run up to Christmas. You do not necessarily get the same support from agency staff.”

The bill is rising rapidly, partly because the government has slashed the grants it provides councils.

For those children under 16, the council gets £798 per week compared to £1,085 last year.