Families at breaking point and support services struggling to cope warns national children's charity

13 October 2011

Rising unemployment, and growing substance misuse, neglect and mental health issues are leaving already vulnerable families at breaking point and frontline support services struggling to pick up the pieces, warns a new report out today (Thursday 13 October) by Action for Children. The charity reports that the combination of more children, young people and their families needing urgent help, their problems becoming more serious, and substantial budget cuts to the services available in their communities, is making it increasingly difficult for those most in need to get any help.

A year on from the Coalition Government's Spending Review, which set out public spending plans for four years in October 2010, Action for Children has launched the results of a year-long investigation into the social and financial costs of spending decisions that were made. The charity conducted research with over 200 of its frontline managers: social care professionals working daily with over 80,000 of the most vulnerable and neglected children, young people and families in communities across the UK. Today it launches its findings in its first annual Red Book, and warns that the country is facing a financial time bomb by failing to invest in children's services and early intervention measures that will benefit not only children but wider society.

More families facing more serious problems in their lives and needing urgent help is being compounded by substantial cuts to services, with the charity often taking on roles provided by other community agencies who either have a reduced capacity to help or no longer exist. Today's Red Book Report findings include:

• 68% of frontline children's services have had cuts to their budgets, and over a third (37%) of these services have seen cuts of between 11% and 30% this year alone;

• In the last three months, 48% of frontline services have reported a 'marked rise' in the number of children, young people and families needing a service but unable to access one;

• At least 5,000 vulnerable children, young people and families have been identified as needing the services Action for Children provides but are currently not receiving a service;
• Over half of frontline services have reported supporting children and young people (51%) and families (52%) with more severe problems, compared to six months ago;

• Managers believe that demand for their services has risen because of an increase in; family breakdown (41%), parental mental health/physical health issues (39%), reduction in other community services such as Child and Adolescent Mental Health services (38%), reduction in household income because of unemployment (26%) and benefit reduction (22%).

Lesley Stopforth, Action for Children Service Manager, North West, said: "It is becoming harder and harder for us to get help to those children and families who so desperately need it in my area. The number of children who need help is rising day by day, but the support that is available to them is slowly disappearing and many are left with unmet needs. We are doing all we can on a reduced budget and with fewer staff, but we worry about all those families we know about, but can't take on right now. The country is in a difficult financial position, but our children shouldn't be the ones paying the price."

Dame Clare Tickell, Chief Executive of Action for Children, said: "The scale and pace of change, alongside the cutbacks that we have seen over the past year are unprecedented. We are now seeing the impact in communities across the country - and fear it could result in severe and long-lasting damage to the most vulnerable children and their families as they struggle to cope. Children's services professionals are trying their best every day but budgets are shrinking and needs are growing quickly.

"We are at a tipping point. The Government must take this opportunity to take stock and ensure that their stated intentions to protect the lives of the most vulnerable children, and the measures taken subsequently, are enough."

Action for Children is calling for;

• Sufficient provision of local early intervention services for children, young people and families, introducing a new duty on local authorities and statutory partners to provide such services.

• Early intervention for children and young people must be planned, funded and implemented over the long-term, not as part of the three or four year spending review.

• The protection of the children's centre infrastructure. Any revision of the Sure Start Statutory Guidance must strengthen the legal protection of children's centres.

• Intensive family support services, including Family Intervention Projects, to be included within the range of evidence based interventions being promoted to Local Authorities by the Government.

---

Press releases, papers and documents published on this page are the intellectual property of an organisation unrelated to Central Lobby. We promote their parliamentary and political campaigning activities as they are subscribers to the Central Lobby service.

As such, Central Lobby does not edit, endorse, or attempt to balance the opinions expressed on this page. The content of press releases and other such types of content are the responsibility of the originating organisation.