Children’s social care is close to breaking point, council leaders are warning. They say 75 per cent of councils in England are overspending on their children’s services budgets by more than half a billion pounds.
Growing demand for support is, they say, the reason why the overspend is so high.
New analysis by the Local Government Association (LGA) reveals that in 2015/16 councils surpassed their children’s social care budgets by £605 million. The LGA represents more than 370 councils in England and Wales.
Pressures on services ‘unsustainable’
The LGA is warning that the pressures facing children’s services are rapidly becoming unsustainable.
It points to a £2 billion funding gap expected by 2020.
The gap will keep growing unless there is a reduction in the number of families relying on the children’s social care system.
Funding cut by £500m
LGA analysis shows that the government has cut funding for the Early Intervention Grant by almost £500 million since 2013.
It expects the grant to drop by a further £183 million by 2020. This would represent a 40 per cent reduction by the end of the decade.
Reduced funding is further illustrated by the closure of 365 children’s centres and 603 youth centres since 2012.
‘Pushed to breaking point’
Cllr Richard Watts is chair of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board. He said: “With councils facing a £2 billion funding gap for children’s services in just three years’ time it is more important than ever that the Government prioritises spending in this area.”
He continued: “The reality is that services for the care and protection of vulnerable children are now, in many areas, being pushed to breaking point. Government must commit to the life chances of children and young people by acting urgently to address the growing funding gap.”
The LGA estimates that children’s services will require a minimum of £2 billion by 2019/20. This would fund the additional pressures brought about by a growing population and inflation.
The figure takes into account the Government’s projections for un-ringfenced funding for councils by the end of the decade. This funding includes the Education Services Grant.
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Published: 9 August 2017
