Pressures facing children’s services

Ian Thomas, Chair of the ADCS Resources and Sustainability Policy Committee, said:

“The impact of seven years of austerity on children and families and the services they rely on cannot be understated. Since 2010 there has been an average 40% reduction in funding for local authorities, at the same time demand for our services has risen dramatically. Although councils have worked hard to minimise the impact of these cuts on the communities we serve, savings from services such as children’s centres and youth services have been required in order to balance the books. This, coupled with pressures across other public agencies including the NHS and the police, is seriously hampering our ability to support children and families earlier before problems escalate and reach crisis point. ADCS believes this is, in part, contributing to the rising numbers of children coming into our care.

“Providing help and support to children and families early is the only way to manage demand and improve outcomes for children and their families in the long run, not doing so is a false economy. We urge the government to use the forthcoming autumn Budget to reaffirm their commitment to children and young people by taking a long term strategic view of how we invest in our public services, particularly in early help and preventative services. We cannot continue to function as we are with a £2 billion funding gap looming large on the horizon.”

ENDS

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