Almost one-third of council funding spent on children’s social care amid surge in referrals

Almost one-third of council funding is being spent on children’s social care, new analysis has revealed; with rising need putting local authorities at risk of filing for bankruptcy.

Thousands more vulnerable children have been referred to local authorities following the pandemic and councils have been spending more to keep up with the surge in need.

A group of 47 urban local authorities in England, the Special Interest Group of Municipal Authorities (Sigoma), have warned that some councils are spending close to half their funding on children’s social care services.

Read the full article in the Independent here.