Four in ten children’s services are unable to meet one or more of their statutory duties due to budget restraints, a survey of council leaders has revealed. The survey of local councillors responsible for children’s services, carried out by the National Children’s Bureau, found 35% felt their local authority lacked the resources to support children in need, while 41% felt unable to fulfil at least one of their statutory duties as a result of funding pressures. More than a third (35%) of councillors said there was insufficient funding to help children in care, while 30% said they lacked resources to support children with child protection plans. Two-thirds of councillors from the 101 local authorities surveyed said there wasn’t enough money to provide universal services like children’s centres and youth clubs. Read more.
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