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“Our young people will feel the impact of the pandemic for many years to come and it will be more important than ever to make sure that the right approaches are taken to help families."

Girls and young women are being deliberately and increasingly recruited into drug-dealing ‘county lines’ gangs and subjected to horrific acts of sexual violence, the Local Government Association warns today.

“The pandemic has taken its toll on children and young people, including their education and social routines, but this disruption has been worse for those with special educational needs and disabilities"

With councils now looking after nearly 16,000 more children than they were 10 years ago, and the needs of those young people becoming more complex, it is becoming increasingly difficult for councils to make sure that every child has the best home to meet their needs

"Councils have worked closely with schools during the pandemic to ensure no child goes without a place. Despite an increase in applicants, the number of parents offered any of their ranked preference primary schools has increased to more than 98 per cent, with the equivalent offer rate for secondary schools maintained at more than 95 per cent."

“We support the ambition of the independent review of children’s social care to make sure children, including those in care, grow up in loving, stable and safe environments.

“The forthcoming Spending Review should properly resource all early years settings so that councils and providers can support the Government’s ambition to reduce the attainment gap and ensure that every child has the best start in life.”

"Keeping children safe is everyone’s responsibility, and local safeguarding partnerships, including councils, health providers and the police along with schools will want to consider carefully the findings and recommendations of this report."

More than eight in 10 councils in England responsible for children’s social care overspent in the year to 2019/20. This comes despite councils increasing their budgets by £535 million that year and by £1.1 billion in the past two years.

"No child should be left behind as we recover from the pandemic and this package of measures and significant investment announced by the Government will help to boost education recovery."