UK: Increase in domestic violence, substance abuse and poverty fuel surge to number of children taken into care
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An increase in domestic violence, substance abuse and poverty are fuelling a surge in the number of children being taken into care, local council chiefs have warned.
The Independent reports that the Local Government Association (LGA) said 88 children a day are now placed under child services’ protection – a total that has risen by more than 50 per cent in the last decade.
Nearly two thirds of children’s services lead councils polled by the LGA said the number and complexity of youngsters receiving child protection support had increased “to a great extent” since 2015/16.
This rising demand, coupled with “funding pressures” imposed by central government, means many councils are finding it harder to give children the support they deserve, the LGA said. More than 80 per cent of those polled said increases in domestic abuse, substance misuse and offending are major factors in the increased demand.
A rise in poverty, poor housing and debt levels were also blamed for the influx of children requiring help, 70 per cent of respondents said.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government announced councils’ spending power would increase by £2.9bn in 2012/21, earlier this week. It described the plans as the “biggest year-on-year real terms increase in funding for almost a decade”.
But public services have been ravaged by a decade of austerity and funding for children’s services slashed by a third since 2010. Furthermore, council spending has fallen by 21 per cent since 2010, according to a May report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
