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Responding to the latest ONS figures published today on teenage pregnancies in England and Wales for 2018, which shows that the conception rate for women under 18 has decreased for the eleventh year in a row, Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: “The halving of teenage pregnancy rates over the last two decades is a tribute to the hard work of councils and their partners, in helping to improve the health, wellbeing and life chances of young people. “We need to build upon these achievements and tackle health inequalities in more

Chair of the Local Government Association’s City Regions Board, Sir Richard Leese, responds to the Office for National Statistics figures on young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs).

“Councils across the country work hard to make sure they are able to access the support they need while continuing to enjoy their childhoods and fulfil their full potential."

The LGA is calling for the Government to provide long-term investment in essential early support and prevention services so councils can help more children to avoid reaching crisis point in the first place.

“With sustainable, long-term funding as part of the Spending Review, councils can also invest in the early intervention and prevention services which provide vital support to young people.”

Responding to a report by the Children’s Commissioner on the state of children’s mental health services, Cllr Judith Blake, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Children and Young People Board, said: “This report supports our call for greater investment in the services that help children have mentally healthy childhoods and reduce the pressure on the services that treat mental illness in children. Supporting children early on to reduce the need for clinical interventions means more can receive help when they need it, rather than waiting until they are unwell. “Waiting too long for

Cllr Judith Blake responds to OFSTED's annual report on the overall quality of education and care in England

"We urge the Government to also consider investing in the recruitment and support of foster carers to make sure that we have the most suitable placements available for all children."

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

“The Government’s announcement of an increase in schools budgets by £7.1 billion will help give certainty up to 2023, and an additional £780 million for council high needs budgets to support children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) for next year is good news."