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.
The overspend, fuelled by soaring demand to help safeguard children and funding pressures, was recorded despite councils increasing their budgets by £535 million that year and by £1.1 billion in the past two years.
In the decade up to 2020, the number of Section 47 enquiries, carried out when councils have reasonable cause to suspect a child is suffering, or at risk of, significant harm, has increased from 89,300 to 201,000 – a rise of 125 per cent.
The number of children in care in England also increased, from 64,470 to 80,080 – a 24 per cent rise.
The LGA said councils want to work with government to prioritise a child-centred recovery plan and play a leading role in the government-commissioned independent review of the care system, alongside children, families, and partners.
It said this must include a long-term sustainable funding solution so councils can protect children at risk of harm. Councils are also urging government to reinstate the £1.7 billion removed from the early intervention grant since 2010, to help prevent problems escalating in the first place.
Cllr Anntoinette Bramble, Chair of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, said: “Councils stand ready to work with government to ensure no child is left behind as we recover from the pandemic.
“The demand on children’s social care services is unsustainable. It is vital that children’s services are fully funded to give children the right help at the right time, which includes providing the early intervention and prevention support that can stop children and families reaching crisis point in the first place.”
