The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee are examining funding for local authorities’ children’s services. They want to hear from professionals such as IROs and social workers who work for or with children’s services.
Scope of the inquiry
The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee has launched a new inquiry into funding of local authorities’ children’s services.
The inquiry will investigate what impact public spending has had on the provision of care services, and the approaches local authorities have taken in addressing funding constraints. It will consider how financial support for children’s services can be made more sustainable in the short and long term, and examine the potential for innovative approaches to the design and delivery of services.
The Committee is inviting submissions on:
- Is the funding for local authorities’ children’s services sufficient to enable local authorities to fulfil their statutory duties?
- What are the financial challenges for local authorities’ in providing non-statutory services?
- How can funding for children’s services be made more sustainable in the short and long term?
- How can innovative approaches to the design and delivery of children’s services support financial sustainability?
What next
Please use this opportunity to tell the government about the pressures on services and the implications for children, families and communities. Your views will help to inform recommendations to the government about what needs to change. Please don’t lose this opportunity.
Have your say: here
Read more: Funding of local authorities’ children’s services inquiry
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I’ve run supported accommodation for 13 yrs. I ve been fostering for 18. And my parents were foster carers. So i feel confident to comment accurately on the outcomes of todays cut backs for care leavers. I ve seen things change back and forth over the years, from kids of 16 going in to flats to young people of 21. And i can confidently tell you that the group of 20 to 21 yr olds were far more successful in all areas. We had time to settle them. Build trusting relationships. Get through the rebellious stages and to help the young people take full responsibility as adults need to. Its not a quick fix and in order for young people to feel they are ready for their own flats, they need to feel grown up. Care leavers are the youngest members of society living fully independant. Yet they are often, the most emotionally impaired and stunted. They need more time in a home with loving foster carers or supportive accommodators…not less.
We recieve young people from 16 yrs old and we are asked to get the prepared by 18 for a flat of their own. My view is, this will be a force economy. It will be a drain on the mental health service, the housing service, the police service and highly likely the prison service.
To capture some money back from parents who need their kids housed, why isnt 20% of their income taken at source to help pay for looking after their kids. Also it would help the parent want to take back some responsibility for their off spring. The minute they off load the out going. They disassociate in many other ways. This is also damaging for the emotional well being of the child.
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