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.
Hundreds of English schools still at risk from crumbling concrete
Hundreds of schools in England are still at risk of collapse from crumbling concrete, according to previously unpublished figures. Official data, which the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
Thousands of young people placed in council care more than 20 miles away from home, analysis shows
A third of children in council care in 2023 lived over 20 miles away from their local area, school and family – around 4,600 people in total.
£600m boost for social care next year announced in Budget
Councils’ available spending to grow by an estimated 3.2% in real terms in 2025-26, with authorities also given £250m to test new approaches in children’s