Family hubs could improve outcomes and prove cost-effective
A national network of family hubs could improve outcomes for families and prove cost-effective to the taxpayer, Barnardo’s has said.
The children’s charity believes that investing in family support to assist struggling parents leads to improved outcomes for families which deliver not just improved lives for children but also cost benefits to the state.
Barnardo’s co-CEO [...]
Spending on early help services halves in decade
Spending on early intervention for services has halved over the last 10 years, charities have warned.
Between 2010 and 2020, local authorities in England reduced spending on early intervention services from £3.6bn to £1.8bn, analysis of council budgets by a group of leading children’s charities has revealed.
The most deprived local authorities in the UK reduced early [...]
Almost 80% of social workers have increased concerns over ability to safeguard children
More than 65% of social workers in children’s services have seen an increase in the number of referrals and/or their caseload since the return to schools and colleges for autumn 2020, a survey by BASW has found.
At the same time, almost 80% of social workers encountered more difficulties in accessing essential support services for the [...]
Children referred to children’s services display complex needs
Children and young people requiring support from children’s services are presenting with more complex and multiple needs, directors of children’s services have warned.
In its interim report into Safeguarding Pressures, the Association of Directors of Children’s Services, said that while complexity in cases has been increasing over the past two years, it has been more acute [...]
LGA urges investment in children's services
The Local Government Association has urged the next government to invest in children's services to ensure local authorities can fulfill the ambitions of The Children Act 1989.
Marking the 30th anniversary of the 1989 legislation, the LGA called for children's services to be fully funded, alongside investment in the wider breadth of services which provide [...]
One in three areas cut early mental health help
Over one third of local areas are cutting spending on low level mental health services the children's commissioner for England has warned.
While the total reported spend on preventative and early intervention mental health services across all areas in England increased by 22% between 2016/17 and 2018/19 in cash terms, and by 17% in real terms, [...]
