Children need change

The paper aimed to articulate the many challenges children and their families were facing at the time and the wider contextual impact on them. We are currently in the process of updating the paper, and, since it was first published, much has changed as we have lived through a turbulent time.

Dozens of inquiries, learning reviews and reports have been published, an array of new duties and legislation have come into force, and we have experienced a global pandemic, however, there has been no progress on vital issues such as poverty, children’s mental health and local government funding. In fact, the opposite is true. We have gone backwards and now face a poverty crisis, a children’s mental health crisis and a funding crisis in public services. A country that works for all children must invest long-term in children, their families and the public services that support them to ensure the conditions are in place to help them thrive. That is even more important now than it was in 2017.

Since 2010, funding for local authorities has reduced significantly impacting the services and support available to children and families. Too often funding is allocated via a competitive process or pots of funding are time limited, similarly most policy decisions generally don’t go beyond one parliamentary cycle. There are exceptions like the Supporting Families Programme (formerly known as the Troubled Families Programme) but the longevity of funding is often uncertain, despite evidence of impact.

We need government to take a longer term view of the issues children’s and other public services are currently facing as was highlighted by the latest Institute for government (IfG) Performance Tracker. The IfG report includes important messages for ministers and the Treasury.

“Public services that for years have been creaking are now crumbling. The public is experiencing first-hand the consequences of successive governments’ short-term policy making”, it warns.

There are multiple pressures facing local authorities from insufficient funding, difficulties recruiting and retaining enough social workers, a rising number of children in care and a shortage of suitable places for them to live, and record numbers of current and former unaccompanied asylum-seeking children requiring our help and support. The needs of children and families are also becoming more complex.

Local authorities must spend on statutory services where there is need, but this is often at the expense of those that prevent future demand and which our communities value. Local authorities are committed to keeping children safe from harm and we are spending more on children’s services nationally, but it is simply not sustainable to continue as we are. We need long term policy decisions with children at the heart, this must be backed by sufficient, long term and equitable funding for children and the services they rely on. We cannot expect short term cashable savings from investing in early help, it’s a long game but the gains from this investment will be felt by the individual and by society.

So, what do I hope to see in this week’s King’s Speech which will set out the government’s priorities for the next session of parliament? I would like it to provide long term solutions to many of the issues that are negatively impacting the lives of children and families today, but above all else, I would like it to signal a shift in how we currently invest and support children. Children don’t vote but they are our now and our future yet not enough national attention or resources are being focused on preventing poverty or other issues that children and young people face today.

Children need change.

John Pearce is director of children’s services at Durham County Council and president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS). This blog was first published on the ADCS website.