Comment on Autumn statement

Commenting on the Autumn statement, ADCS President Steve Crocker said:

“On first reading, it is difficult to see any real recognition of the pressures faced by local authorities and schools within the Chancellor’s autumn statement. Additional funding for schools and both adult and children’s social care will help us to get through the winter but does not come close to addressing the ever-increasing funding gap in our budgets. The case for investment in children’s services has never been stronger, particularly if we are to achieve the reforms set out in the independent review of children’s social care. We are all seeing rising demand whilst children are presenting greater complexity of need, yet children are mentioned just four times across the entire published autumn statement. More and more families are experiencing hardship, or have reached crisis, and we know that there is a strong correlation between poverty, deprivation and involvement with children’s services. The impacts of the pandemic and cost of living crisis are already being felt across wider children’s services, including children’s mental health, early help and social care but we are yet to see a national commitment to address this urgent need.

“We must be ambitious for our children and families but at present we risk becoming a ‘blue light service’. Now more than ever we need to work with children and families who are at risk of poor outcomes at the earliest possible stage, but only with adequate long-term national investment can we continue to provide this vital support.”

ENDS

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