Lower budgets and higher demand could hit children's services

The County Councils Network has warned of a rise in vulnerable children needing support due to the lockdown, but conceded that they could struggle to meet surge in demand.

New analysis reveals that core government funding for children’s services reduced by 35 per cent, approximately £354 million, since 2015/16. These reductions are higher than any other part of the country and came at the same time the costs of providing these services increased £600 million over the same period.

In addition to the funding reductions, councils are having to contend with the increased costs of coronavirus, with the 36 county authorities in CCN membership initially estimating a further £132 million of costs will added to their children’s social care budgets this year. The CCN says that a ‘perfect storm’ of lower budgets, rising demand and fewer preventative services to support young people could have a long-term impact on their ability to support vulnerable children and troubled families.

They are calling on the government to cover all additional costs faced by councils in their children’s services departments as a result of the pandemic, ‘safeguard’ existing funding for troubled families and set out long-term sustainable funding for children’s services in this year’s planned Spending Review.

Councils are concerned that there are a number of children who need support – including those subject to abuse and neglect – currently going unchecked because of the lockdown. With restrictions now beginning to ease, those authorities are worried about a spike in children and families needing support due to a range of issues emerging from the crisis, and those who going under councils’ radars due to the lockdown.

Issues such as financial hardship, lost schooling, loss of support networks, increased domestic abuse, dealing with deaths from the disease, and families relocating are all problems that could emerge due to coronavirus – including many families who have not previously needed support.

As a result of the funding reductions councils have had to scale back many of the very services these families will need such as Sure Start, youth centres and learning support. Today’s analysis shows spending on preventative and early intervention services by county authorities dropped by £172 million since 2015/16.

The CCN is also calling on the government to bring forward the £165 million from its flagship Troubled Families Programme to support families now to help councils prepare for the inevitable demand as the lockdown eases. The programme currently pays some money retrospectively, based on ‘payment-by-results’, for meeting key outcomes such as school attendance or supporting adults into employment.

Keith Glazier, CCN spokesperson for children and young people, said: “Young people will not stop being neglected or abused during coronavirus so we sadly expect a rise in cases once lockdown ends, especially with the emotional and economic impact of the virus on families. It is vital that we put in place robust plans to support all of the vulnerable children and families who will have seen a dramatic change in their circumstances during this unprecedented period.

“However, with reductions in funding, rising demand and preventative services being reduced, children’s services face a perfect storm as we emerge from lockdown. Preventative and early intervention services will help families back to their feet, so the government must help councils now to ensure that money for Troubled Families is available now to scale up family support services, rather than have these funds trapped at central level due to the pause on bureaucratic form-filling, alongside additional funding for coronavirus-related costs.

“This crisis hastens for the spending review to set out a long term sustainable funding settlement for children’s services and work with councils to reform services so they are focused on prevention, rather than crisis management.”