Children’s services ‘increasingly supported by voluntary sector’

Demand for voluntary sector organisations to provide support services for children and young people is rising as cash-strapped councils look to prioritise support for the most vulnerable, a study has found. The Children England study, which involved surveys and interviews with around 100 London-based voluntary and community groups, found that 86 per cent had seen an increase in the number of children and families they were supporting. The finding comes against a backdrop of councils struggling to cope with ongoing reductions in central government grants by focusing spending on acute provision and cutting back on non-statutory work, including early years support and youth services. Evidence also emerged last month that child protection thresholds were being raised by councils as a result of ongoing financial pressures. Read more.