Ellie Ames 06 July 2023

Increased referrals causing children’s services overspend

Increased referrals causing children’s services overspend image
Image: Microgen / Shutterstock.com.

Four in five of England’s largest councils overspent on their children’s services budget last year because of more young people requiring care since the pandemic, according to new research.

Analysis by the County Councils Network (CCN) found that 30 out of 36 county councils overspent on their children’s services budgets between 2021 and 2022.

The combined overspending was £317m.

The CCN said that between 2020 and 2022, councils in county areas saw an increase of 8.8% in referrals to children’s services, which are made when there are concerns about a young person’s safety and wellbeing.

Referrals increased after the pandemic and remain high due to the cost of living crisis, according to councils.

The CCN said that councils have increasingly had to prioritise young people in crisis, rather than focusing on preventative and early help services.

Council leaders said that this was a ‘vicious cycle’ but budget pressures meant they had little choice.

Councils said they welcomed the Government’s children’s social care implementation strategy, which was unveiled in February, but said that the £200m of funding that was allocated for services over the next two years did not go far enough.

Cllr Keith Glazier, children’s services spokesperson for the County Councils Network, said: ‘These concerning figures illustrate once again the impact of the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis on vulnerable families.

‘Faced with this spike in demand, most councils in county areas have had little choice but to overspend on their children’s services budgets to protect young people. But four in five county authorities overspending is unsustainable.’

Sign up here to receive our free daily news and jobs bulletin.

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Activites Assistants (CASUAL)

Durham County Council
£24,404 (12.65 p.a. hour) - £25,183 (£13.05 p.a. hour)
This is an exciting opportunity for Casual Activities Assistants to join our Leisure and Sport Service.   Leisure Centres are
Recuriter: Durham County Council

Pension Administration Officer

Durham County Council
£24,404 to £25,183 p.a. (Grade 3) Pay award pending
A vacancy has arisen within Pension Services for an Administration Officer to provide admin and data support to the pensions team and members of the L Durham
Recuriter: Durham County Council

County Attendance Officer

Oxfordshire County Council
£37035 - £39513
We are seeking to recruit to the role of County Attendance Officer on a permanent basis to work predominately across the North or the South of the county. The team works across the whole of Oxfordshire so flexibility to work in other areas is also require County Hall, Oxford
Recuriter: Oxfordshire County Council

Software Engineer Starter

West Northamptonshire Council
£26914
We're looking for an exceptional human to join our digital team to learn the skills and put them into practice, designing, developing and maintaining websites, mobile apps & AI. You'll join us on our journey as we create better end-to-end services for our Northampton
Recuriter: West Northamptonshire Council

Executive Director - Growth, Enterprise and Environment

Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council
£139,111.00 (pay award pending)
This is a chance to make a significant difference to the lives of families across our borough – and to seriously improve your quality of life. Redcar and Cleveland House, Kirkleatham Street, Redcar, TS10 1RT
Recuriter: Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council
Linkedin Banner