Children’s services across London are facing an unsustainable level of financial risk, a new report commissioned by London Councils has warned.

The report points to the value of investing in preventative services, but says fast-rising demand for children's services outstrips the level of resource available to boroughs. 

In 2017-18 all but one council in London was in deficit on their high needs expenditure and all but six were in deficit on their social care expenditure, according to the report from independent research consultancy Isos Partnership. The total in-year funding shortfall across both SEND and children’s social care in the capital was £185 million.