Councils struggling to fulfil statutory duties to children, study finds

A survey of councillors repsonsible for children's services conducted by the National Children's Bureau (NCB) found that, in addition to 41 per cent having concerns about meeting statyutory duties, 66 per cent said their council doesn't have sufficient funding to provide universal services such as children's centres or youth clubs.

Of those questioned, 87 per cent said that demand for children's services had risen over the last two years. More than a third (35 per cent) said their local authority lacked the resources to support "children in need", with 36 per cent having insufficient funding to help children in care, and nearly one in three (30 per cent) lacking the resources to support children with child protection plans.

Conservative Party councillors were more likely to feel their council had enough money to meet its obligations to children in care with 71 per cent agreeing they did compared with 23 per cent who disagreed. In comparison 51 per cent of Labour councillors said they had enough money for this compared with 44 per cent who disagreed.

When it came to money for universal services, 28 per cent of Conservative and 23 per cent of Labour councillors said there was enough money. But more than half of Conservatives (56 per cent) and nearly three quarters (73 per cent) of Labour councillors said their authority did not have enough funding.

Councillors cited increasing poverty, cuts to universal services and greater awareness of abuse and neglect among professionals as the three biggest drivers of that growth in demand.

"It's becoming increasingly clear that across England local authorities are struggling to meet the needs of children and young people, including those at considerable risk," Anna Feuchtwang, NCB chief executive, said.

"Central government must take action so that families can access the help they need when they need it. This starts with an immediate funding injection for children's services, additional resources to tackle mental health problems and better data sharing.

"But no single action can address the deeper causes of increasing demand, such as poverty, poor housing and benefit cuts, and we need a detailed government plan that addresses these and shows how we can create a society that works for all children and young people."

The poll's findings were released to mark the launch of the the charity's Off the Radar report, which calls on central government to increase spending on children's social care and develop better social care assessments for disabled children.