Responding to the findings of the NAO report on pressures on children’s social care, Dr Eleanor Roy, CIPFA Policy Manager Health and Social Care, said:
“Today’s report from the NAO raises concerns about fulfilling the huge demand for children’s social care, as it shows local authorities struggling to balance the books while meeting their duty to ensure social care is available to the growing number of vulnerable children who are referred to their services.
“With local authorities’ spending power reduced by 28.6% since 2010, it’s unsurprising intense financial pressure means councils are having to reduce spending on more discretionary areas such as preventative children’s services, which they would all want to provide but no longer have the capacity and funding to do so.
“Re-evaluating the effectiveness of existing spending programmes on children’s social care is now a matter of urgency, both to explain the increasing demand and variations of care between local authorities, and to ensure sustainable funding of these services which councils are working hard to provide to those most in need.”
ENDS
For further information please contact the CIPFA press office on T: 020 7543 5787 or E: Letreis.Lawrence@cipfa.org
About CIPFA
CIPFA, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, is the professional body for people in public finance. CIPFA shows the way in public finance globally, standing up for sound public financial management and good governance around the world as the leading commentator on managing and accounting for public money.