The children and families minister Nadhim Zahawi has today announced a package of support worth £17m to help local authorities support vulnerable children.
Over £15m of the funding, part of the Government’s improvement strategy for children’s social care, will go to eight new Partners in Practice - a peer support programme between councils to improve children’s services.
These Partners are Ealing, Camden, North Tyneside and South Tyneside in partnership, Essex, Stockport, Hackney, East Riding of Yorkshire and Doncaster Trust.
The remaining £2m will go to the Local Government Association (LGA) in order to help the organisation improve leadership in children’s social care services.
‘Social workers do an incredible job providing some of our most vulnerable children in our society with life-changing care and support,’ said Mr Zahawi.
‘This investment for our Partners in Practice Programme will help the fantastic work councils are doing to deliver high-quality services and make a real difference to children’s lives.’
‘I am also pleased to support the Local Government Association to drive good leadership, which is crucial if we want to support and encourage frontline staff to deliver excellent care for children and young people,’ he added.
Cllr Richard Watts, chair of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, said: ‘We are pleased that the Minister has backed the LGA’s call for children’s improvement funding.
‘This will help to deliver an enhanced programme of sector-led support to councils, offering everything from regular ‘health checks’ and training for lead members and senior officers.
‘The achievements of councils through the sector-led improvement approach demonstrate its success and shows what councils can achieve by working together and supporting one another.’
