Christmas Closure

The Child Law Advice Service will be closed from 24/12/2024 and will reopen on 02/01/2025.

Our telephone lines will close at 4pm on 20/12/2024 and reopen at 10am on 02/01/2025. Our webchat service will close at 4pm on 23/12/2024 and reopen at 8am on 02/01/2025. Any emails enquiries received over Christmas will be answered within 5 working days of our return to the office. 

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‘Councils in doom-spiral of unsustainable spending on children’s services’

Councils in England are in a “worsening doom-spiral of unsustainable spending” when it comes to children’s social care, according to a new report.

Millions more has been spent on children’s services in recent years but much is going on costly late-stage intervention, new analysis commissioned by leading charities suggested.

This means vulnerable children are being helped mainly in emergency situations rather than having a focus on earlier preventative work, the report by Pro Bono Economics said.

Commissioned by leading children’s charities, Action for Children, Barnardo’s, The Children’s Society, National Children’s Bureau and NSPCC, the report has called for “significant investment” to help local authorities meet current needs while also moving towards early intervention services.

Read the full article in the Independent here.