Children
Nine out of ten councils blow the budget on children's care
Nearly ninety percent of councils overspent on children’s social care last year, according to figures released by the Local Government Association.
Ofsted boost for Calderdale children
Calderdale Council’s children’s services has been rated as good with outstanding features in its latest Ofsted inspection.
Pressure piled on children's secretary over funding
Councils have increased pressure on children and families secretary Nadhim Zahawi to secure more funding from the Government’s spending review.
The trouble with troubled families
In the melee of the adult social care cash crisis, rising children’s services pressures and pothole funding chasms, Troubled Families budgets have been low down the list of priorities, writes Heather Jameson
The risk from cuts
Children’s social care has become more efficient since 2010, but Graham Atkins argues this will be difficult to push further and cuts to wider services risk increasing demand
Ofsted success driven by a team approach
A cross-directorate approach to supporting children’s services has been crucial to North Yorkshire CC achieving an outstanding rating by Ofsted across all the outcome judgements, says Stuart Carlton
Kid’s care on a cliff edge
Following a report by ADCS that initial contacts made to children’s social care have increased by 78% over 10 years, Martin Ford finds out how council specialists are addressing the pressures to keep delivering as budgets dwindle
More than 1,000 children referred to social services every day
Nearly 400,000 children in England were referred and assessed as in need of social services support in 2017/18, according to the latest figures.
Outcome-focused alliances should be the only show in town
Steve Kay says the challenges we face are never simply down to money alone - and in North East Lincolnshire Council 'where we are successful it is because we have put outcomes for children and families at the very heart of what we are doing'.
Councils await outcomes of SEND judicial reviews
Councils are awaiting the outcomes of judicial reviews into plans to reduce spending on children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Children's services under pressure at embattled council
Powys CC’s children’s services remain ‘under considerable pressure’ as the council attempts to improve from a damning inspection verdict.
Britain’s betrayal of childhood
Is childhood across Britain in crisis? The answer in a new book by Sir Al Aynsley-Green is ‘yes’ .The former children's commissioner for England says it's time politicians and the public woke up to reality
Adopting strengths-based approaches
To deliver improved children’s social care, we need to focus on people’s strengths, and not just their difficulties, says Ewan King
Unions in Brexit funding plea
Councils should not bear the financial burden of registering 120,000 children who qualify for UK citizenship after Brexit, Britain’s trade union movement has warned.
Brum vows to improve SEND after critical report
Birmingham City Council has vowed to take urgent action to make ‘significant improvements’ after a special educational needs and disabilities inspection (SEND).
'Radical approach' to improve Surrey's children's services
Surrey CC will take a ‘radical approach’ to improving its inadequate children’s services in a bid to avoid a Department for Education (DfE) takeover, councillors will be told.
Bristol SEND ruling 'could have wider implications'
A court ruling that ordered a council to reverse cuts to provisions for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) could have wider repercussions, the Local Government Association has warned.
Children's services risk management strategy is a leap of faith
Blair McPherson believes some councils are adopting a dangerous risk management strategy when it comes to children's services.
Powys CC chief executive to leave
Powys CC chief executive Jeremy Patterson is to leave the authority after almost 10 years in the role, the council has announced.
Understanding children’s social care
The post of director of children’s services is arguably the most highly-scrutinised in local government and is invariably among the most challenging to recruit to, says Tim Hills and Philip Emms.