LGA responds to ‘Children in crisis’ report

Responding to a report by the House of Lords Public Services Committee – ‘Children in crisis: the role of public services in overcoming child vulnerability’, Cllr Anntoinette Bramble, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Children and Young People Board, said:

“This important report is a stark reminder of the challenges councils face supporting and protecting vulnerable children.

“Funding announced by the Government in the Spending Review to invest in children’s health and wellbeing and parenting support was helpful. However, with spiralling demand on children’s social services and future cost pressures in children’s social care set to increase by an estimated £600 million each year until 2024/25, councils still find themselves in the unsustainable position of having to overspend their budgets.

“Councils want to work with government on a child-centred, cross-government pandemic recovery plan which offers the very best future for children and families. This would need to be supported by the right level of funding to enable councils to provide the early intervention and prevention support to stop children reaching crisis point in the first place.”