News

Around 1,700 children are referred to children’s social care services every day in England, underlining the need for an adequate long term funding solution in the Spending Review and a cross-government plan to support children and young people.

“Child sexual abuse is a terrible crime and one that we must all work together to tackle.

“This announcement by the Government is good news, setting out the details of their early years reforms is an important milestone. Making sure that every child can access their early years entitlements is vitally important if we are to achieve the Government’s ambitions of getting more children school ready every year.

Over half of councils that support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) have warned they will become insolvent when a temporary accounting measure that keeps spending deficits relating to SEND off their main balance sheets ends next year, a survey by the Local Government Association has found.

“It is vital government sets out its plans for reform of the SEND system in the upcoming Spending Review.

“The growing children’s mental health crisis needs to be recognised as an urgent social concern and tackled with a cross-government plan to support children and young people.

“The Committee is right to describe the failing SEND system as an emergency, and its report reflects councils’ long-standing concerns over the need for more inclusive provision and the immense financial pressures on councils to be adequately addressed.

“We are pleased government is acting on a long-standing call by the LGA for councils to have and maintain Children Not in School registers.

“Tackling high housing costs to keep children and families out of poverty should be an absolute priority in the Government’s upcoming strategy, as this report demonstrates."

“This report rightly highlights the key challenges facing education and children’s social care."