A coalition of councils, charities and campaigners - including those with experience of the children’s care system - has written a joint open letter to the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt urging him in Wednesday’s Autumn Statement to provide the funding children’s social care “desperately needs…before it is pushed to the brink”.
A coalition of councils, charities and campaigners - including those with experience of the children’s care system - has written a joint open letter to the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt urging him in Wednesday’s Autumn Statement to provide the funding children’s social care “desperately needs…before it is pushed to the brink”.
The 29 organisations, including the Local Government Association, NSPCC, Barnardo’s, Action for Children, Centre for Mental Health and The Care Leavers’ Association, are warning that without this, councils may not be able to provide the vital care and support that vulnerable children rely on every day.
They warn of “a perfect storm” of financial pressures and rising numbers of children needing help, reinforcing why it is vital Mr Hunt acts to protect children’s social care in the Autumn Statement.
Last week new figures showed there were 83,840 looked after children in England.
This comes as an increasingly greater proportion of council budgets is now going towards meeting the cost of children’s social care.
Despite a 27 per cent real-terms reduction in core spending power for councils since 2010/11, children’s social care budgets increased by £1.5 billion in the last year alone.
The coalition also warns that much of this is being spent on supporting children who are deemed to be at the highest risk, meaning there is less money to invest in the early intervention services that can step in before a child and their family reach crisis point.
Cllr Shaun Davies, Chair of the LGA, which is leading the coalition, said:
“For some time now, councils, charities, those with lived experience and other voices from the sector, have been warning of the serious challenges facing children’s social care.
“Councils are doing everything they can to provide the vital care and support our vulnerable children need and deserve.
“However, there is a real risk that services could be pushed to the brink, unless the Chancellor acts in the Autumn Statement and delivers a lifeline of financial support for children’s social care.”
Notes to editors
Urgent children's social care funding: coalition letter to the Chancellor
The Independent Review of Children’s Social Care found that investment of £2.6 billion over four years was needed to reform the children’s social care system and rebalance spending towards earlier help.
To date, the Government has committed £200 million over two years.
The LGA’s Autumn Statement submission warns that councils in England face a funding gap of £4 billion over the next two years. In its submission to the Chancellor, the LGA said the Government needs to provide immediate funding so councils can deliver the 2023/24 budgets they set this year and ensure that councils have sufficient resources to set balanced budgets next year without having to make drastic cuts to services. It is accompanied by appendices on key areas of council activity that are experiencing sharp financial and/or demand pressures (adult social care, children’s services and housing and homelessness support).