Councils to overspend on children’s social care by £3.2bn

New analysis by the Local Government Association reveals that demand and funding pressures have forced councils to overspend on children’s social care budgets by more than £3 billion in the past five years.

Council leaders are calling on the government to use the forthcoming review of the children’s social care system to work with councils to understand what is driving demand for support and how councils can provide vital care for our most vulnerable and invest in early help and prevention services.

There are now more than 52,000 children subject to a child protection plan to keep them safe from harm – an increase of 53 per cent since 2009. The number of children in care (78,150) has increased by 28 per cent in the past decade alone.

LGA analysis reveals that councils have tried to protect budgets for children, with budgets for children’s social care rising by an average of more than £600 million a year over the past five years. Despite these efforts, unprecedented demand and cost pressures mean they have still had to overspend on children’s social care budgets each year and by a total of £3.2 billion over the same five-year period.
 
Additionally, more than eight in 10 councils were forced to spend more than £800 million more than they planned to on children’s social care last year alone – despite increasing their budgets by more than half a billion pounds yet again.

The LGA has said long-term, sustainable funding for children’s services will be needed in the forthcoming Spending Review for councils to provide the best possible support for vulnerable children and young people.

Judith Blake, chair of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, said: “These figures show the unprecedented demand pressures facing children’s services and the care system. Councils want to make sure that children can get the best, rather than just get by, and that means investing in the right services to reach them at the right time.

“Councils need to play a lead role in the government’s review of the care system alongside children, families and partners, to make sure it looks at what really matters and what can really make a difference. A long-term sustainable funding solution would enable councils to protect children at immediate risk of harm while also supporting early help to prevent problems escalating in the first place.”