North East councils say children's social care unsustainable

Twelve North East councils said big changes were needed to improve children's social care

Children's social care in England is failing, particularly in the North East, 12 councils have said.

Child poverty needs to be ended and money invested back into councils' social care teams, the North East authorities said.

The councils are submitting their North East Regional Care Report to the Independent Review of Children's Social Care launched by the government.

The government said it had supported schemes to help vulnerable children.

Inequality "is stark" in the North East with "high levels of poverty and deprivation", the councils said.

"Extensive research shows a clear correlation between deprivation and the level of need for social care support," their report states.

"The country's social care system does not currently achieve the best outcomes for children and their families and significant change is needed in order to alleviate unsustainable pressure on services," a spokeswoman for the councils said.

The rate of children in care in the North East increased by 77% between 2009 and 2020 compared to a national average of 24%, the councils added.

'Unsustainable'

The report highlighted the need for key changes including:

• Moving from interventionist measures to working "in partnership" with families

• A statutory duty for councils, police, health workers and schools to work closer together to benefit children and families

• Increased staff diversity in social care teams

• Radically overhaul or dismantle the children's care provider market should be dismantled or radically overhauled with profit making from children's residential and foster care "eliminated or capped"

John Pearce, chair of the North East Association of Directors of Children's Services, said: "The numbers of children needing care are unsustainable and a different pattern of care is the only solution. We must address system-wide barriers so that our frontline staff have the capacity to build strong relationships with children and their families to support meaningful change.

"We believe investment in social regeneration should be central to the government's 'levelling up' agenda."

The report was prepared by the directors of children's services at Darlington, Durham, Gateshead, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, Redcar and Cleveland, South Tyneside, Stockton and Sunderland councils.

A government spokeswoman said millions of pounds had been invested in "directly supporting vulnerable children" as well as "championing family hubs to transform support available for families".

The spokeswoman said: "Since 2014, our £200m Innovation Programme has supported children in care all over England, including in the North East, and North and South Tyneside are among the high-performing councils chosen to support others develop strong practice.

"Our independent review of children's social care, a manifesto commitment, is looking at how to reform the system to improve existing support for the most vulnerable."