Funding and spending on children’s services (2017/18) - Parliamentary briefing
The Children’s Society, Action for Children, Barnardo’s and National Children’s Bureau are urging central government to address the funding gap facing local authority children’s services that is expected to reach £3bn by 2024/25. Ahead of the 2019 Spending Review, this Parliamentary Briefing summarises our joint analysis of the latest trends in funding and spending on children and young people’s services, illustrating the scale of the challenges facing local authorities.
Children and young people’s services: Funding and spending 2010/11 to 2017/18
Joint analysis by The Children’s Society, Action for Children, Barnardo’s, NSPCC, and the National Children’s Bureau, showing the extent of cuts to children and young people's services. It finds that funding has fallen by £3 billion between 2010-11 and 2017-18 – a 29% reduction. Funding per child and young person has dropped from £813 in 2010-11 to £553 in 2017-18. At the same time, local authority spending on children and young people’s services fell by 16%. Diminishing funding, as demand on local authority children’s services increased, has left a funding gap which reached £1.4bn in 2017/18. Meanwhile, spending on early intervention services for children and young people, such as children’s centres, has fallen by 49%.
Matching children's needs and services: A case of three circles
Are services meeting the needs of children? This new report draws on a decade of data from 38,000 children and families to answer two fundamental questions: How much need is there in the population? Are services adequate to meet those needs? For the first time, here is a valid and reliable picture of how children are developing, coming first hand from the young people themselves alongside administrative data on services. This report presents findings, and makes recommendations for improving the match between who needs services and who receives them.
Trauma Guide for Parents
This guide provides top tips for parents who are supporting their children affected by traumatic events or experiences.
Distressing experiences such as abuse, violence, accidents and bereavements can have a serious impact on children and young people. This guide provides information for parents on identiying the signs of trauma, understanding triggers, how to respond to triggers and where to get further support and information.
Breathing Space - response to government consultation
The Children's Society's response to the Government's consultation on detailed proposals for breathing space and statutory debt repayment plan schemes to help families in problem debt.
Joint briefing for debate on children's social care services in England
This is a joint briefing from the Children's Society, Action for Children, Barnardo's and the National Children's Bureau (NCB) for the parliamentary debate on children's social services in England on Monday 7th January 2019.
A generation of hidden drinkers
The author presents some worrying trends in alcohol consumption and harm in the over 50s.
Energy Boost
Our latest research explores the difficulties care leavers face in managing their energy bills and what more energy companies can do to support this vulnerable group of young people.
Briefing for debate on children's social care services in England
This is a briefing for the parliamentary debate on children's social services in England on Monday 7th January 2019.
Children and young people exposed prenatally to alcohol
It is estimated that approximately 3.2% of babies born in the UK are affected by fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), though the guidance says currently few children are identified or receive support. As such, many children have neurodevelopmental disorders where Prenatal Alcohol Exposure (PAE) has not been considered as a possible cause. This guidance seeks to improve understanding, identification and care for those affected.