‘Structural challenges’ impeding positive children’s services work, says LGA

The Local Government Association (LGA) report has found that children’s services are “continuing to deliver improvements and sustain strong performance”.

But these are being hindered by “bigger and systemic challenges” facing council children’s services teams across England.

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This includes a lack of placements for children with the most complex needs, which has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis putting pressure on the availability of foster care places.

In addition, residential placement providers are becoming “increasingly risk averse” in accepting young people with complex needs, as behaviour such as absconding, “might lead to less positive inspection judgements”.

This means that “high quality provision is very scarce and any provision, whether of high or indifferent quality, is extremely expensive”, says the LGA’s report.   

The absence of a joined up national plan around recruiting and retaining the children’s workforce is another structural challenge highlighted by the LGA as obstructing positive work.

Councils are reporting “persistent shortages” across the children’s workforce, including social workers, residential care home managers, educational psychologists, health visitors and speech and language therapists.

This has led to an “unparalleled dependency” on expensive agency workers, according to the LGA.

In May a CYP Now investigation revealed that an increasing number of councils have introduced “welcome payments” of up to £8,000 for social workers for “hard to fill” roles, to compete with terms and conditions offered by agencies.

Councils are aiming to bypass such challenges, says the LGA’s report, though closer partnership working and ensuring “the voice and lived experiences of children” are being taken on board to improve decision making.

Councils have continued transforming services & putting the voice & lived experience of children at the heart of their work.

Our latest report has found children’s services continue to deliver improvements despite significant national challenges.🧵 1/3 https://t.co/w6jrviirlL

— Local Government Association (LGA) (@LGAcomms) October 9, 2023

The LGA’s report on children’s services improvement updates previous research it carried out on the issue in 2016.

Recommendations made seven years ago, including focusing on strategy, strong leadership, and engaging and supporting the workforce and partners “are still relevant today”, the councils body found.

The updated research adds there has been an “undeniable impact” of Covid on children’s lives, particularly a heightened need for mental health support.

Councils are having to consider how “the increasing complexity of the needs of young people, particularly adolescents, has been accelerated by the pandemic”.

The LGA is calling for the government in its autumn statement to provide additional finding for councils to support children's services improvements.

“It is very positive to see that councils are continuing to deliver improvements in children’s services, and a testament to their tireless efforts to ensure children and young people get the support they need,” said LGA children and young people board chair Louise Gittens.

“However, this report is a reminder of the much wider, systemic challenges faced by councils, including escalating funding concerns.

“While councils have responded well to these challenges, what is clear is that we need to see a national response that provides the investment and reform that children’s services desperately need.”