Breaking down England's fiscal devolution plans
David Phillips of the IFS tells LocalGov why England's regional finance reforms are modest by global comparison and what ministers still need to get right.
Southport Inquiry: Councils face challenge to prevent future attacks
23/04/2026 Councils face a challenge to prevent attacks such as those in Southport that claimed the lives of three schoolgirls, children's services directors warn. |
ADCS: Cuts have led to poor safeguarding outcomes for children
14/01/2025 The combination of poor-quality housing and the cost-of-living crisis is contributing to ‘family distress and breakdown’, safeguarding report concludes. |
Clark: Tories and Labour unwilling to address SEND crisis
15/04/2024 Labour and the Conservatives have been accused of an ‘unwillingness’ to confront the crisis in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services. |
EXCLUSIVE: Questions over child age assessments
25/08/2023 Council directors have raised doubts over Government plans to take over age assessments of unaccompanied asylum seeking children. |
Exploitation warning after Illegal Migration Bill becomes law
20/07/2023 Unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC) could be in danger of being exploited after the Illegal Migration Act created an incentive for them to run away. |
'Not acceptable' to treat age disputed young people as spontaneous arrivals
06/07/2023 It is ‘not acceptable’ that age disputed young people from asylum hotels are treated as spontaneous arrivals, says head of directors of children’s services. |
‘Significant concerns' over regional care cooperatives
23/03/2023 Regional care cooperatives (RCCs) will not resolve the issues around child care placements, councils have said. |
Children's social worker numbers drop for first time since 2017
27/02/2023 The Government has been urged to act after official figures showed the number of children’s social workers has fallen for the first time since 2017. |
Call for national review of children's mental health services
07/04/2022 The new president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) has called for a post-pandemic national review of children’s mental health services. |
Children and families need £12.5bn over three years, says new ADCS president
22/04/2021 The growing number of children and families who need support 'to thrive, not just survive in the wake of the pandemic' will need investment of around £12.5bn over three years, says England's new children’s services chief. |
Children’s services face £824m budget gap
24/02/2021 A funding shortfall of £824m is being faced by children’s services, according to research published today. |
ADCS issues warning of family crisis to come
04/12/2020 The Government need to provide a long-term financial settlement for to tackle rising demand for children’s services, experts have warned as economic consequences of COVID hit. |
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ADCS president calls for welfare overhaul
08/07/2020 The impact of the pandemic on children’s futures must not be underestimated, the president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) has said. |
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Auditors bid to explain real cause of difference in councils' spend on kids
23/01/2019 A nine-fold variation in spending on children’s social care could largely be down to ‘differences in characteristics’ between councils, according to a National Audit Office (NAO) study. |
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Funding call to end 'postcode lottery' for children's services
11/07/2018 MPs today called for more funds to help end a so-called postcode lottery for children’s services. |
