Title

UNIONS

Council considers job cuts to fund children's services

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is considering cutting 248 jobs to help fund a £5.5m cash boost for children’s services.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is considering cutting 248 jobs to help fund a £5.5m cash boost for children's services.

The proposals, which follow an inadequate rating from Ofsted earlier this year, have been designed to help the council meet the ‘unprecedented' demand for children's social care services.

Stoke-on-Trent is also considering controls on all non-essential spending, the transformation of services, identifying new revenue streams and reviewing contracts.

Council leader Abi Brown, said: ‘The recent Ofsted inspection highlighted the urgent need to make children's services and protecting our vulnerable young people our number one priority. 

‘As a cabinet, we are committed to ensuring that improvement and investment in children's services go hand in hand, and these mid-year proposals will allow us to redirect necessary funding so that we can make this happen.'

In March, Ofsted warned children in the city faced ‘serious and widespread' delays in having their needs met and vulnerable children were not being safeguarded.

UNIONS

Plymouth powers up youth futures

By Cllr Jemima Laing | 16 February 2026

Cllr Jemima Laing says Plymouth is backing its young people and investing in the city’s future prosperity by spending more than £2.3m to transform three of i...

UNIONS

Many district councils will see a cash cut

By James Hood | 16 February 2026

On average district councils face real terms funding reductions at a time of rising demand, and a long-term solution is still needed on flood protection, sa...

UNIONS

The recovery continues

By Cllr Sir Stephen Houghton | 16 February 2026

Cllr Sir Stephen Houghton says the local government finance settlement is key to delivering fairer funding.

UNIONS

The centre must tackle the challenges still faced by counties and unitaries

By Cllr Matthew Hicks | 12 February 2026

The Government’s decision to pay the bulk of SEND deficits is a relief, but sensible decisions on reorganisation are crucial to delivering substantial saving...

Popular articles by William Eichler