Childrens social care
New burdens funding to be reviewed
Hopes of increased funding for new burdens have been raised by ministers.
Worcestershire to transfer education services to company
Worcestershire CC is expected to give the green light to widen the scope of its children’s services company next week.
Hungry kids and foodbanks could become 'normal'
Children arriving at school hungry and families queuing up at foodbanks ‘could become part of the wallpaper’ of everyday life, the president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) has warned.
We need a national strategy to tackle knife crime
It's not just gangs and knives that need to be addressed when it comes to the basic social issues, says Heather Jameson. While home secretary Sajid Javid's plans for tackling the issue are admirable, they are not enough.
It’s time to act on child poverty
We are one of the richest countries in the world, yet poverty levels are rising. Councils must act now, says Stuart Gallimore - or we will look back in shame.
Local areas must face up to the scale of child criminal exploitation
Children's commissioner for England Anne Longfield says her recent report on improving the safeguarding response to gang violence and criminal exploitation shows many local areas are not facing up to the scale of the issue.
NHS organisations label social care funding a 'national disgrace'
The state of social care has been branded a 'national scandal and disgrace’ by a coalition of medics.
Worcestershire children’s services improve
Ofsted has found Worcestershire CC has made progress in raising the standards of its children’s services.
Making changes and building evidence in children’s social care
Michael Sanders outlines how the What Works Centre for Children’s Social Care is working with partner councils to gather evidence on the impacts of two projects - devolving budgets to social workers and co-locating social workers in schools.
Doncaster brought in to review Herefordshire children's services
Doncaster MBC will review Herefordshire Council’s children’s services following heavy criticism from a High Court judge.
Birmingham children's care no longer 'inadequate'
Children’s care services in Birmingham are no longer inadequate for the first time in more than 10 years.
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.
FoI and the hidden side of safeguarding
FOI responses show more than half of the councils approached had reported incidents in the last three years of staff not following safeguarding guidance. But context is crucial to understanding what the data may be saying
Councils 'need to do better' on SEND provision
Ofsted has criticised councils over their provision for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) but praised local authorities for progress on children’s services.
Warnings of 'bun fights' and help offered to Hancock at conference
Funding woes dominated the opening speeches of the National Children and Adults Services conference in Manchester.
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
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
Three quarters of English councils to cut early help for children
Early help services for children will be cut or reduced by almost three quarters of English councils when Troubled Families funding ends in 2020.
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'.