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Growing demand for support has lead to 75 per cent of councils in England overspending on their children’s services budgets by more than half a billion pounds.

"This report rightly recognises the increased pressures facing local authorities when it comes to protecting vulnerable children."

“This initiative provides another option for social workers considering what would work best for individual children and families.“

Protecting children and helping them to get the very best in life is one of the most important things that councils do and it is positive that the proportion of children’s services departments rated good or outstanding has increased

"Ninety children a day entered care in the last year, and councils saw the biggest annual increase of children in care since 2010. "

Council leaders say these figures prove why it is vital the Chancellor announces new funding for children’s services in Monday’s Autumn Budget.

Severe funding shortages for social services that protect vulnerable children have pushed nearly nine in 10 councils into the red, new LGA analysis relveals.

New figures show that the number of children in care has risen by 28 per cent in the past decade with the system reaching breaking point, the Local Government Association reveals today.  The LGA is warning that this huge increase in demand is combining with funding shortages to put immense pressure on the ability of councils to support vulnerable children and young people, and provide the early help that can stop children and families reaching crisis point in the first place. The figures show that 78,150 children are now in care, up from 75,370 in 2018.   The Government’s manifesto promise

“This report reinforces the significant budget reductions councils have experienced and increasing numbers of children needing urgent help. As the impact of the pandemic becomes clear, councils expect to see a significant rise in referrals to children’s social care and demand for wider children’s support services."

Responding to a report by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman on councils’ children in care services, Cllr Judith Blake, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Children and Young People Board, said: “Looking after vulnerable children is a top priority for councils, which work extremely hard to ensure that all children in care get the love and support that they need to flourish. This report provides useful guidance to help councils continuously improve to achieve this goal. “Unfortunately, many councils are being pushed to the brink by unprecedented demand and increasing