Four in ten children’s services unable to meet legal duties due to funding pressures, finds survey

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.