Alarming Surge in Child Protection Cases Highlights Urgent Need for Increased Funding

Councils issue urgent plea for increased funding amid soaring daily child protection probes

Local authorities are urging for additional financial support as they grapple with a rising demand for child social care services, among other challenges.

Political correspondent @alixculbertson

Wednesday, October 9, 2024, 2:

Daily, social care services are now conducting over 600 child protection investigations, reaching an unprecedented level, according to recent statistics.

According to the most recent data from the Department of Education, England recorded 225,400 inquiries into potential serious risks to children's safety in the year ending March 31, 2023.

This represents a daily average of 617, the largest number since records began in 2019, which saw 66 fewer incidents per day.

The figure has increased from the prior year, reaching 217,800 in 2022, which averages out to about 596 daily. There was a decrease in these numbers during the COVID years of 2020-2021.

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Local officials must conduct evaluations when there's valid reason to believe a child may be experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, substantial harm in order to decide if measures need to be taken to protect the child's well-being.

Local governments receive funding from the central government specifically for child social care; however, they often find themselves allocating additional funds from other crucial services to meet their mandatory obligations in this area.

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The Local Government Association (LGA), the body representing councils across England and Wales, is urging Chancellor Rachel Reeves to allocate sufficient funds in the forthcoming budget to enable councils to meet the increasing needs of vulnerable children.

Analysis by the Local Government Association indicates that due to inflation and wage pressures, as well as cost and demand factors, English councils are projected to encounter a funding shortfall of £2.3 billion in the fiscal year 2025/26, which is expected to increase to £3.9 billion by 2026/27.

This indicates a deficit of £6.2 billion over the two-year period.

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The organization reported that local authorities have experienced escalating expenses and demands in children's social care, leading to an 11% increase in budgets over the past year.

Primary factors contributing to the rise in children requiring assistance are mental health issues and domestic violence.

According to the Local Government Association, there has been a spike in the number of investigations into child welfare, partly due to an 8% rise over the past five years in the number of referrals from schools to children's social services.

According to information from the County Councils Network, which advocates for county and unitary councils, the escalating expenses in adult and child social care along with school transportation are projected to create a £54 billion funding deficit for English councils over the coming five years.

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Arooj Shah, head of the LGA's children and young people board, expressed, "It is profoundly distressing whenever a child is in pain, and it is entirely appropriate for councils to intervene when issues arise.

"Nevertheless, these alarmingly elevated numbers highlight the immense strain local governments face in stepping in to offer essential care and support."

As a community, it's our collective responsibility to protect every child from danger.

"We are urging the chancellor to allocate emergency funds for children’s social care in the upcoming autumn budget, enabling councils to maintain essential support services for at-risk youth."

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A spokesperson from the Department for Education stated: "Every case of child cruelty, abuse, or neglect is utterly reprehensible.

"We recognize that councils require assistance, and that's why we are dedicated to revitalizing our partnerships with entities like local governments, collaborating to ensure that every child has an optimal beginning."

"We're also addressing the issue of abuse by allocating £45 million to establish new collaborative child protection units. These pilot teams will consist of representatives from local government, law enforcement, healthcare, and educational sectors, ensuring that children in need of protection receive prompt attention."

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