Children’s services overspend due to demand
Eight in 10 councils in England had to overspend on children’s social care budgets to a combined total of £832 million in 2019/20, LGA analysis shows.
Children’s social care
Social care ‘needs reform’ to support children
Children’s social care is under significant strain with more families being investigated, higher numbers of children in care and spiralling costs as money is increasingly spent on crisis intervention, an independent report has found.
SEND pupils ‘missing out’
Pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are not getting the support they need, with 47 of 94 local areas inspected by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission found to have ‘serious weaknesses’.
Children’s services ‘ill-prepared’ for coronavirus
Local authority children’s services have been reduced to “crisis-driven fire-fighting” as a result of years of under-investment, children’s charities have warned.
£3bn overspend on children’s social care
Councils have overspent on children’s social care budgets by more than £3 billion in the past five years, as unprecedented demand and funding shortages have put them under increasing pressure, the LGA has warned.
Concern about viability of children’s care companies
Six of the 10 largest independent groups of providers of children’s residential and fostering placements had more debts and liabilities than tangible assets last year, raising concerns about their viability, according to LGA-commissioned research.