Reading children's services provider needs nearly £2m to continue

Brighter Futures for Children runs the services on behalf of Reading Borough Council

A children's services provider said it needs nearly £2m to continue support.

Brighter Futures for Children (BFfC), which runs the services on behalf of Reading Borough Council, said rising prices and the cost of fuel have pushed spending above its predicted budget.

It provides social care, early years assistance, educational and disability support and school transport.

Some of its costs are offset by savings and government funding for children seeking asylum.

BFfC's estimated overspend is forecast at more than £1.7m, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

Funded by the council in 2018, the non-profit organisation receives approximately £47.8m per financial year for its services.

That figure is based on the council's medium term financial strategy for 2022/23 to 2024/25, which was agreed in February.

Although the total budget pressures are actually calculated at £2.2m, that is offset by £550,000 in savings and £400,000 of funding from a government grant for unaccompanied child asylum seekers.

Graeme Hoskin, the council's lead for children, said the financial pressure on the services was due to the town's demographics, demand and difficulty recruiting permanent social workers.

The Labour councillor said: "In addition, high fuel costs and increasing demand for home to school transport is also an area of ongoing pressure."

Mr Hoskin added the company was "working tirelessly to manage these pressures".