Children's social care | LocalGov


Social workers back smacking ban 30/04/2025 Social workers and other safeguarding professionals have called for an end to the physical punishment of children in England.
Hunger costs put severe strain on public services 29/04/2025 Public services are under £13.7bn worth of pressure due to the Government’s negligence in addressing hunger and hardship, according to anti-poverty charity.
Social workers warn of rising risk of unsafe housing 23/04/2025 Over 21% of social workers have had to remove a child from their family in the last three years due in part to unsafe housing conditions, new research reveals.
Black country councils in £45m child protection pilot 19/03/2025 Walsall and Wolverhampton councils have announced they are continuing to work with Government on a £45m pilot programme aimed at improving child protection.
Child sexual abuse identification at 30 year low 07/03/2025 Safeguarding professionals are protecting the lowest number of children at risk of sexual abuse in three decades despite a rise in convictions, data reveals.
Call for higher education providers to better support care experienced 06/03/2025 Higher education providers have been urged to work closely with local authorities to ensure people who have experienced children's social care are supported.
Quarter of children need social care by 18, study finds 03/02/2025 One in four children in England require social care services by the time they turn 18, a new study has revealed.
Children's social care faces 'biggest overhaul in a generation' 18/11/2024 The Government has announced a slew of children's social care reforms, including new responsibilities for councils.
A third of children in care placed 20 miles from home 11/11/2024 A third of young people in council care were placed in accommodation more than 20 miles from their local area last year, a new report has revealed.
Children’s care based on capacity not need, commissioner warns 05/11/2024 Decisions about the care of vulnerable children are often driven by local capacity and resource rather than need, the children’s commissioner has warned.
LGA: ‘Emergency cash injection’ needed to tackle child abuse 08/10/2024 Local authority leaders have called for emergency support for children’s social care as figures reveal councils investigate 600 child protection cases a day.
Hampshire CC’s shortfall jumps to £175m 03/09/2024 Hampshire County Council’s projected overall financial shortfall has jumped from £132m to at least £175m.
Thousands of children in care sent to live away from their communities 15/08/2024 Growing numbers of children in care are being moved to children’s homes and foster carers far from family, friends, school and community, new research shows.
Leicester urged not to close half its family hubs 26/06/2024 Parents have launched a petition calling on Leicester City Council to drop plans to close six of its 12 children, young people and families centres.
Children’s services in North face £25bn care burden 17/04/2024 Children’s services in the North face a £25bn care burden due to ‘deeply rooted social inequalities’ and the ‘North-South divide’, a new report has revealed.
Social work development programme 'pulled' by Department for Education 16/04/2024 A Government decision to end a training and development programme for social work managers has been branded a ‘kick in the teeth’ for the sector.
Over 700 vulnerable children placed in illegal homes 15/04/2024 Councils in England placed hundreds of vulnerable school-age children in unregulated homes last year due to the shortage of secure places.
Lancashire plans to build 15 new children's homes 08/04/2024 Up to 15 new children’s homes, which aim to provide the 'right care in the right place at the right time', could be created across Lancashire.
Vulnerable children face ‘huge regional variations’ in support 05/03/2024 Children on social service plans face a lottery of support with ‘huge regional variations’ dictating their level of protection, says Children’s Commissioner.
Children’s needs not prioritised, service leaders warn 21/02/2024 Children’s services directors have raised concerns that government policy does not prioritise children, while their previous asks of Whitehall ‘remain unaddressed’.
Bronson Battersby: Review launched after toddler’s death 18/01/2024 Lincolnshire County Council has launched a review after the tragic death of two-year-old Bronson Battersby.
Systemic practice to better support families 17/01/2024 Max Stanford, head of Impact and Evaluation at Coram, discusses a new pilot study looking at systemic practice as part of the Supporting Families Programme.
Cash-strapped councils struggling to reunite families 17/01/2024 Children in care are unable to reunite with their families due to the financial pressures local authorities are currently facing, survey of councils reveals.
Bradford warns of possible s114 15/12/2023 Bradford Council has warned that it will have to issue an s114 notice, effectively declaring bankruptcy, unless the Government provides ‘exceptional’ support.
Council bosses back data use to improve care 07/12/2023 An increased use of data in children’s social care could improve outcomes and deliver much-needed savings, the County Councils Network (CCN) has said.
Nottingham issues section 114 notice 29/11/2023 Cash-strapped Nottingham City Council has been forced to issue a section 114 notice after revealing it faces a significant in-year deficit.
Councils ‘pushed to the brink’ by children’s social care pressures 20/11/2023 A ‘perfect storm’ of financial pressures and rising numbers of children needing support are putting local authorities at risk of bankruptcy, councils warn.
Lack of capacity hindering early help 07/11/2023 A lack of capacity is hindering early help services for children and families, a joint report by three watchdogs has found.
Call for curbs on agency staff 03/11/2023 Curbs on social care agencies have been put forward as solutions to Bradford Council’s soaring staffing costs.
Biggest children’s care providers make £300m profit 30/10/2023 The largest independent providers of children’s social care brought in profits of more than £300m last year, a report has found.
Hampshire County Council on ‘financial cliff edge’ 05/10/2023 Hampshire CC has warned that cuts to services and job losses are inevitable as the council is facing ‘one of the biggest budget shortfalls in its history’.
‘Shockingly high’ justice system involvement among care-experienced children 21/09/2023 A third of care-experienced children born from 1996-99 received a youth justice caution or conviction – a finding described as a ‘terrible indictment of the failure of local authorities’.
Mental health top reason for social care absences 20/09/2023 New research has claimed mental health and stress is the most common reason for social care staff sickness and absence in more than 77% of councils.
Cuts see ‘children’s services run like A&E’, charities warn 14/09/2023 Councils are spending more on crisis intervention in children’s services, a group of leading charities has warned today.
Swindon children's services 'inadequate' 11/09/2023 Swindon BC’s children’s services have been judged inadequate by Ofsted.
Stoke-on-Trent Council at risk of bankruptcy 05/09/2023 Stoke-on-Trent Council has warned that it is on the verge of bankruptcy and called for a ‘national overhaul’ of social care funding.
Scandal-hit firm reports losses 14/08/2023 A firm at the centre of a residential care abuse scandal has reported operating losses of £5.8m for the year to June 2022.
Auditor finds ‘significant weaknesses’ in Bristol's finances 10/08/2023 ‘Significant weaknesses’ in reducing overspends are threatening Bristol City Council’s financial sustainability, according to its external auditor.
Deprivation of liberty applications surge 07/08/2023 The number of applications seeking authorisation to deprive children of their liberty has increased following the launch of a dedicated court.
Ofsted chief apologises after Doncaster abuse and neglect 13/06/2023 Chief inspector Amanda Spielman has apologised after Ofsted failed to uncover ‘very serious’ abuse and neglect at three residential settings in Doncaster.
Outsourcing children’s care linked to worse outcomes 30/05/2023 Children in care are being moved between short-term, unstable placements far away from their families because of ‘corporate takeover’ of sector, study says.
Independent review into baby murder case 18/04/2023 The case of a 10-month-old baby murdered by his parents just 39 days after being placed back into their care is to be independently reviewed.
Councils lack skills in deal-making, says commissioner 30/03/2023 Children’s commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, suggested support should be provided to negotiate the market for placements for children in care.
‘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.
Call for 'full reset' of children's care 15/03/2023 The Government’s approach to children’s social care will not solve the issues within the system, experts have said.
Lancashire County Council is set to pass its first £1bn budget 10/02/2023 Members have been told that the current financial outlook was ‘generally positive thanks to careful management’.
DfE supports proposals to help vulnerable children 03/02/2023 Local authorities might soon be able to draw on the support of regional bodies to help them find suitable placements for children, the DfE says.
Children’s social care reform fails to address £1.6bn shortfall 02/02/2023 Local government organisations have welcomed a new strategy for children’s social services but warned the proposed £200m of funding falls short.
Top awards for sector in King Charles III's Honours list 03/01/2023 Local government figures from across the sector have been recognised in the first New Year's Honours list under King Charles III.
'Shocking' findings on children in care 03/01/2023 A charity campaigning for children in care is calling on the Government to address the instability faced by many children in the care system.
Minister accepts early intervention is 'critical' 09/12/2022 Early intervention is ‘critical,’ minister concedes as Government told to publish its delayed plan for implementing children’s social care recommendations.
Council chiefs welcome call to embed ‘culture of evaluation in social care’ 23/11/2022 Council leaders have welcomed a call to embed a 'culture of evaluation in social care’ and to build on the the children’s social care innovation programme.
Warning of 'last minute dash' to find care placements for children 18/11/2022 Local authorities are being forced to make a ‘last minute dash’ to find homes for children coming into care due to a lack of suitable accommodation, a report has warned today.
Shropshire Council facing £18.8m overspend 01/09/2022 Shropshire Council has warned that it is facing a predicted overspend of up to £18.8m due to inflation, rising energy costs, and the demand for services.
Ofsted calls for social care workforce strategy 27/07/2022 The watchdog the need is ‘more urgent than ever’ as it published a report looking at the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on children’s social care.
Over a fifth of children in care see family too little, research shows 05/07/2022 A 'significant' number of young people and children in care are unhappy with the contact arrangements with their families, a new report has shown.
Evaluation of children’s social care projects ‘encouraging’, auditors say 24/06/2022 Auditors have praised the Department for Education’s ‘encouraging work’ when it comes to evaluating innovation in children’s social care.
York council set to share children’s social care action plan 22/06/2022 York Council will share a plan outlining how the council will improve its services for children after an inspection said the services ‘required improvement’.
Study links child poverty to rise in number of children entering care system 06/06/2022 Child poverty contributed to more than 10,000 young people entering care over the course of five years, a new study has found.
Children ‘bounced around’ care system 06/05/2022 Research by the charity Barnardo’s has found young people are facing frequent changes of home, school and social workers.
New funding to help councils drive down parental conflict 13/04/2022 Councils will receive £33m to help resolve conflict between parents and and improve children’s life chances.
Court finds in favour of councils over child placements 30/03/2022 The High Court has found in favour of four local authorities after campaigners challenged the councils for placing children in care outside of their areas.
High Court rules no discrimination in legal protection for children in care 17/03/2022 High Court yesterday ruled that legislation allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to be placed in unregulated accommodation did not count as age-based discrimination.
Thousands of children missing out on vital early years help, charity finds 28/02/2022 Hundreds of thousands of children who missed out on early help services are being re-referred to social care within a year, new research has found.
Children left 'at unknown risk' in Solihull 21/02/2022 A report was commissioned in December following the conviction of a father and stepmother for the murder of six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes.
Wales to trial Basic Income pilot for care leavers 16/02/2022 A Basic Income pilot for all young people leaving care will be piloted across Wales.
Teenagers should not be placed in unregulated accommodation, PM told 01/02/2022 The Prime Minister has been urged to reverse a law that allows 16- and 17-year-olds to be placed in unregulated accommodation.
More children in care – the causes, issues, and solution 31/01/2022 Danny Wilson outlines how local authorities could help prevent the rapid increase in the number of children in care.
Care system putting teenagers in 'danger' report warns 04/01/2022 The care system is 'unfit for purpose' and is putting vulnerable teenagers at risk of exploitation and crime, a new report has warned.
Council chiefs welcome new measures to improve children’s social care 16/12/2021 Local authority leaders have welcomed new measures aimed at stopping poor quality supported accommodation providers and rooting out bad practice.
Number of children in care set to rise to 100,000 22/11/2021 County leaders call for an ‘unrelenting’ focus on keeping families together as figures reveal that the number of children in care could reach 100,000 by 2025.
Southwark first council to back Fund the Hubs campaign 17/11/2021 Southwark Council is calling on the Government to fund a network of early mental hubs for young people across the country.
Peers reveal COVID's impact on children's mental health 05/11/2021 The mental health issues of vulnerable children already receiving support have become more severe due to the pandemic, councils have warned in a new survey.
Councils warn children’s social care costs will soar by £600m a year 25/10/2021 The cost of children's social care in England will increase by £600m each year due to soaring demand, councils leaders have warned.
Study raises concern over availability and price of children’s care 22/10/2021 Local authorities are being forced to put children in unsuitable accommodation due to a shortage of suitable placements, a study has found.
Calls for more funding as child abuse increases 20/08/2021 Incidents involving death or serious harm to a child have risen in the past year, leading to calls for further funding.
Unravelling the knot of education, health and care plans 29/07/2021 Leo Jones lays out the deeper challenges that need to be recognised and addressed if the SEND review is going to tackle the complex problems behind rising numbers of education, health and care plans.
How to make life good for children in care and care leavers 21/06/2021 Dr. Claire Baker and Linda Briheim-Crookall examine how sharing local authority best practice can boost the well-being of children in care.
Most children in care feel safe where they live 21/06/2021 A new survey has found that while the majority of children in social care settings are happy where they live, nearly one in 20 regularly feel unsafe.
Children's social care a 'Jenga held together with Sellotape' says damning review 17/06/2021 The children's social care system is too focused on investigating families rather than providing them with support, according to an independent review of services.
Eight in 10 councils forced to overspend on children’s social care 03/06/2021 More than eight in 10 councils were forced to overspend on children's social care budgets last year due to soaring demand, new research has shown.
Children’s social care services ‘creative’ during pandemic, study finds 03/06/2021 A new study has found that children’s social care services have been ‘flexible’ and ‘creative’ in their responses to supporting care leavers during the pandemic, but it also found COVID-19 has exposed fragility in current systems.
Care leavers moved into unsafe and unhealthy homes, says charity 25/05/2021 Many young people leaving the care system are being forced to live in unsafe and unsuitable accommodation, a charity has warned today.
Professionals back use of standalone supervision orders 12/04/2021 Nine out of ten professionals think standalone supervision orders should continue to be an option in care proceedings, according to a new survey.
Investigation launched into children’s care market 12/03/2021 A study into the increasing costs in children’s social care provision and lack of appropriate placements has been launched by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
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.
Council pays mother £8,000 after failing to protect her from violent son 19/01/2021 Three young children were left without any protection from their violent older brother after Somerset County Council failed to help their family, Ombudsman finds.
Review pledges to radically reform children's social care 15/01/2021 Council chiefs have welcomed the launch of an independent review into children’s social care.
Secure children's home places 'inadequate' 02/12/2020 Young people are being ‘failed’ by a lack of places in secure children’s homes, research published today has revealed.
Children in care system are being 'failed by the state' 11/11/2020 Thousands of children are being failed by the ‘broken’ residential care home market, the Children’s Commissioner for England has warned today.
Spike in child abuse since pandemic 06/11/2020 Ofsted’s chief inspector has warned of an increase in the number of child injuries and deaths uncovered by local authorities since the onset of the pandemic.
Coronavirus could create a ‘lost generation’ of vulnerable teenagers 07/07/2020 Thousands of vulnerable teenagers are at risk of falling through gaps in the school and social care systems, the Children’s Commissioner for England has warned today.
Extra funding to protect vulnerable children during Covid-19 27/04/2020 Projects that protect vulnerable children will share more than £12m to help keep them safe during the coronavirus outbreak.
Social care ‘crisis’ inquiry launched 10/03/2020 A Parliamentary inquiry has been launched to find out what needs to be done to solve the ongoing social care funding and workforce crisis.
Councils report 'huge overspends' on social care 04/03/2020 More than eight out of ten councils overspent on children's social care last year, with nearly half (47%) spending more than their adult social care budget, new figures have shown.
Council chiefs warn social care company debts are putting children's care ‘at risk’ 27/02/2020 Six of the 10 largest independent groups of providers of children’s care had more debts and liabilities than tangible assets last year, council leaders say.
Thousands of children passed around care system ‘like parcels’, report warns 24/12/2019 A new report published today has revealed that thousands of children in the care system are living ‘many miles’ away from family and friends.
Stoke-on-Trent CC given three months to improve ‘inadequate’ children’s services 01/11/2019 Williamson issues a direction which gives Stoke-on-Trent three months to establish a partnership with another council to deliver children’s social care.
Children’s voices missing from care records, study warns 03/10/2019 The voices of children and young people are missing from their social care records causing significant distress and upset, research has warned today.
Repairing children’s services is an investment worth making 12/09/2019 Spending more on services to stop the rising costs of taking children into care must be worth the investment, says Heather Jameson.