Investment in early intervention support by councils in England halved from £3.8 billion to £1.9 billion between 2010/11 and 2020/21, according to a new report commissioned by a coalition of charities.
Latest figures show that spending to protect vulnerable children at risk of harm has increased by almost a quarter in five years, because of soaring demand for support.
Councils played a crucial role in education during the pandemic – the Government must recognise their importance.
Better understanding of private companies is needed to safeguard those in care.
More than a million additional school children could receive free school meals and be entitled to extra support funding if the scheme was simplified and extended to more families.
Ahead of the Government’s much-anticipated review of the support provided to children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), the LGA has commissioned research into the huge rise in legal disputes and tribunal hearings since the SEND reforms of 2014.
Councils are facing a staffing crisis in children’s social care, with the number of children and family social workers quitting their jobs at a five-year high, potentially putting thousands of young people at risk.
In 2020, the Early Intervention Foundation (EIF) published a review of children’s centres and family hubs.
The LGA has warned of a rise in the number of children with mental health problems seen by social workers, which has surged by a quarter since before the coronavirus pandemic.
