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<p>Funding for children’s services is made available through the local government
finance settlement (LGFS), which gives local authorities flexibility to target spending
according to local needs and to fulfil their statutory responsibilities, including
services for children and families. Since 2010, the responsibilities of local authorities
and the makeup of their funding streams have changed significantly. Therefore, wider
spending power measures are not directly comparable over this period.</p><p>Over the
5 year period to 2019-20, councils have access, through the LGFS, to over £200 billion
to deliver local services, including children’s services. Core spending power has
increased from £45.1 billion in 2018-19 to £46.4 billion in 2019-20.</p><p>In addition
to this the Autumn Budget announced a further £410 million in 2019-20 for local authorities
to invest in adult and children’s social care services. It also announced £84 million
of extra funding, over the next 5 years, to support local authorities to invest in
initiatives that improve social work practice and decision making.</p><p>Local authority
level data since 2013 is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authority-interactive-tool-lait"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authority-interactive-tool-lait</a>.</p><p>National
level children in need and service use since 2010 is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-children-in-need"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-children-in-need</a>
and: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-looked-after-children"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-looked-after-children</a>.</p><p>The
most common factors recorded in children’s social care assessments are domestic abuse
and mental health. These have been consistently the top two factors for the years
during which we have collected this data and have risen in line with trends in demand.</p><p>The
Department for Education are working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities
and Local Government on the review of relative needs and resources to develop a robust,
up-to-date approach to funding distribution for children's services at LGFSs.</p><p>The
government will continue to work closely with the sector to consider long-term children’s
services funding as part of the upcoming Spending Review.</p>
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