Government spending cuts have restricted resources in local government and are a factor in the rising number of children in care, a senior judge has said.
Children’s care leaders are concerned next week’s Autumn Statement could bring further austerity, forcing them to cut preventative services in a “false economy” leading to higher costs and worse...
Councils have no room for cuts in children’s care budgets, and soaring demand means the sector will need three quarters of a billion pounds just to “stay still” this year, a senior officer has warned.