Early spending on vulnerable children falls 48 per cent over last decade, charities warn

Spending on early support for vulnerable children has halved during the past decade, with families in the poorest parts of England hit the hardest, a new analysis found.

In 2010, councils in England spent the equivalent of £3.6 billion on early intervention services. But nearly a decade on, this amount fell by 48 per cent to £1.8 billion, the Children's Services Funding Alliance said.

Families have been refused help because their problems are not "bad enough." Cuts to central funding force councils to spend more on expensive and disruptive crisis interventions, the charity alliance said.

Read the full article in the Independent here.