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Press Release

LGA responds to Ofsted's annual ratings of children's services

8 November 2011

Responding to Ofsted's annual ratings of council children's services, Cllr David Simmonds, Chairman of the Local Government Association's Children and Young People Programme Board, said:

"Protecting vulnerable children from neglect and abuse is one of the most important things that councils do and every right-minded person wants to know that everything possible is being done to keep a child safe from harm.

"It is most encouraging that despite the combined pressures of decreased central funding and increased demand for services the majority of councils are now rated as performing well or excellently. However, there is no room for complacency and councils will continue to work together and are constantly challenging each other to improve even further.

"Unfortunately a small minority of councils are still rated as performing poorly, but all councils want to keep children as safe as possible and they will be working hard to improve their services. Councils are taking responsibility for their own improvement and the Local Government Association is developing a £10 million funded programme specifically to ensure all councils are providing good services for our children and young people."

Notes:

1. A LGA budget survey of 131 councils published on 1st April 2011 revealed that 63% were protecting funding in children's services.

2. Children's services departments have been under huge pressure during recent years. Over the past three years, referrals to children's social care have risen steadily. 547,000 children were referred to children's social care in 2008/09. There has been a 10 per cent rise to 603,500 in 2009/10.There were 612,600 referrals to children's social care services in the year ending 31 March 2011

3. Between April and August 2011, Cafcass (the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service) received 4,105 care applications. This is 8.7 per cent higher than the same period in 2010.



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