Funding for Children Services in England fallen by One Third per child in last Eight Years

Leading Children Charities reporting Children's Services Now at a Tipping Point

Unless the Government heeds the consistent and increasingly urgent warnings that children's services are now at a tipping point, and uses the upcoming Spending Review to deliver a long-term strategy, councils will be unable to meet the growing need for support from some of the most vulnerable children in society." says Cambridge Councillor Lucy Nethsingha, Lib Dem Spokesperson for Children and Young People's Services.

Responding to new analysis by leading children's charities which reveals funding available for children's services has fallen by a third per child in England since 2010, Lucy said:

"Children's social care is facing a country-wide cash crisis, with nine in 10 councils spending more than they planned to last year. While the report notes that these cuts have affected different areas in different ways, it is clear that all councils are now finding their budgets under enormous pressure as a result of the ongoing children's care cash crisis".

"The report rightly highlights that councils have worked hard to protect vulnerable children and families from the full scale of cuts, with spending on children's services falling far less than the funding available from government".

"But the analysis also demonstrates the real impact that these funding cuts are having on communities across the country, with councils all too often forced to cut the early intervention services which can help children avoid needing more serious and costly care later on".

Source:

LGA LIB DEMS RESPOND TO CHILDREN'S SERVICES FUNDING ANALYSIS By LGA Lib Dems - February 2019