On a visit to a children’s centre in Norwich today (Saturday 27
October) MP will warn of a “national
emergency” facing children’s services.
His visit to Norwich follows Tory-run Norfolk County Council’s
decision to shut 46 of 53 children’s centres by this time next
year.
will highlight figures showing
that 23,000 children under the age of five have used these centres
in the past year, warning that these cuts could cause long-term
damage to children’s lives and lead to more children in care,
excluded from school or falling prey to criminal gangs.
The Labour leader will call on the Government to end the ‘tragic
false economy’ of cutting services that support children and young
people, demanding that the Chancellor uses the Budget next
week to provide the funds “urgently needed to keep children
safe”.
Pointing to the ongoing mental health care crisis, will warn of a growing crisis
in public services that support children, with only one in four
young people who require mental health services able to access help
from the NHS, and a surge in the number of children being taken
into care pushing overstretched local authorities towards financial
catastrophe.
In an open letter this week to and from a coalition of 120
organisations including charities, teaching unions and medical
colleges, the Government was warned that children’s services are at
breaking point.
Local authorities have warned that council-run children’s services
are fast approaching a “tipping point” and are struggling to
maintain services in the face of a funding gap of £3bn by 2025.
Council leaders are calling for new funding for children’s services
in the budget following the publication of Department for Education
figures showing that the number of children supported through a
child protection plan increased by more than 2,700 over the past
year, the largest increase since 2014 and an 84% increase over the
past decade.
MP, Leader of the , said:
“Tory austerity is putting children’s lives in
danger.
“Cutting the services that protect and support children and young
people is a tragic false economy that will blight the lives of
millions of children and young people.
“These cuts risk more children ending up in care, excluded from
school or falling prey to gang violence. This is a national
emergency.
“If austerity is over as has claimed, the Chancellor must
use the budget next week to provide the funds urgently needed to
keep children safe.”
Ends
Notes to Editors
Norfolk County Council has recommended shutting 46
out of 53 centres. At present 23,000 under-fives use the centres
annually. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-45550835
A coalition of 120 organisations have called on the Chancellor to
invest in young people in the Budget, warning that the services and
support that children rely on are at breaking point. https://www.ncb.org.uk/childrenattheheart
Children’s services face a funding gap of £3bn by
2025 https://www.localgov.co.uk/Childrens-services-at-breaking-point/46237
The National Audit office found that only one quarter of young
people who required mental health services were able to access
help from the NHS, and warned that mental health services for
children and young people will fall well short of meeting a
growing demand for help, despite pledges by ministers to increase
funding. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/oct/09/children-young-people-mental-health-services-demand-national-audit-office
Earlier this year, the Children’s Commissioner warned that cuts
mean that increasing numbers of children will “fall through the
gaps” into the care system and end up excluded from school or
falling prey to gang violence.https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jun/12/early-years-cuts-pushing-more-children-into-care-in-england
According to the National Audit Office, councils have had their
central government funding cut by 49.1% in real terms between
2010-11 and 2017-18.
https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Financial-sustainabilty-of-local-authorites-2018.pdf
The Local Government Association published Department for
Education figures that show the number of children supported
through a child protection plan to keep them safe from harm
increased by more than 2,700 over the past year, the biggest
increase in four years, to 53,790. Council leaders say these
figures prove why it is vital the Chancellor announces new
funding for children’s services in Monday’s Budget. https://www.local.gov.uk/about/news/lga-biggest-increase-children-child-protection-plans-four-years
