Childrens services

• Social care system demonstrates ‘remarkable resilience’

  Local social care services have demonstrated ‘remarkable resilience’ in the face of Government cut backs and demographic changes, think tank says.

  

• Northamptonshire CC plan to save £70m ‘very tall order’

  Northamptonshire CC may face serious hurdles making savings by renegotiating contracts with third-party suppliers, public sector procurement expert warns.

  

• Inspectors praise Peterborough’s ‘thriving’ children’s services

  Inspectors have praised Peterborough City Council for creating the conditions for the city’s children’s services ‘to thrive’.

  

• Cuts pushing children’s services ‘to the brink’, council chiefs warn

  Local authority leaders have welcomed new figures that reveal a marked improvement in children’s services but warn many are ‘pushed to the brink’ by cuts.

  

• Budget gap doubles at Lewisham

  Lewisham LBC’s budget gap has more than doubled following an ‘unprecedented’ overspend.

  

• Somerset warns of possible Section 114

  Somerset CC has admitted it may have to impose ‘severe spending restrictions’ and an ‘emergency budget’ by issuing a Section 114 notice.

  

• Funding call to end 'postcode lottery' for children's services

  MPs today called for more funds to help end a so-called postcode lottery for children’s services.

  

• Young people report difficult transition from child to adult mental health services

  Most young people being moved from child to adult mental health services are being failed by the system, a new investigation has revealed.

  

• Abuse of older children ‘slipping through the cracks’ warns report

  Local agencies often fail to spot the signs of neglect in older children, sometimes seeing them as the ‘problem’, a new report has warned today.

  

• Two million children at ‘serious risk’, report reveals

  Over two million children are growing up in families where there are ‘serious risks’, a major new study has revealed.