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<p>Local authorities children’s social care spending on the most vulnerable children
– those needing a social worker, children in care, and care leavers – has increased
by over £3 billion since financial year 2012-13.</p><p>The department takes robust
action when an authority does not meet its requirements to protect all children and
young people. Local authorities rated inadequate by Ofsted receive comprehensive support
from the department. Those performing well are supported to share best practice.</p><p>In
this financial year, 2021-22, we have invested £5.7 million to expand our sector-led
improvement (SLI) programme so that 19 of our strongest performing local authorities
are able to work with their peers, to improve children’s social care services. Since
July 2021, SLI partners have worked with 42 local authorities, the majority of which
are judged to be inadequate or require improvement by Ofsted, and have delivered around
5,500 days of support to the sector.</p><p>We are investing over £4 million over the
three years to March 2024 to support the development of corporate and political leadership
across children’s services, working closely with the Local Government Association.
146 local authorities out of a total of 151 have benefited from the programme to date.</p><p>We
have also invested £22.2 million in the COVID-19 Regional Recovery and Build Back
Better Fund this year, which seeks to support local authorities to work together to
address COVID-19 pressures, where a regional approach would be beneficial in addressing
issues that face the sector.</p><p>Looking to the future, this government is committed
to making a real difference to the needs, experience and outcomes of vulnerable children
and families supported by children’s social care. To do this, we need to make fundamental
changes to the current system. That is exactly why this government launched the Independent
Review of Children’s Social Care, a bold and broad review with the aim of contributing
to ambitious and deliverable reforms.</p><p>The review will share its final recommendations
in spring 2022 and the government will then consider and respond to them. Further,
the National Child Safeguarding Practice Review of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes’s death and
the Joint Targeted Area Inspection of Solihull will make sure we learn what needs
to be changed nationally, and that we can understand and strengthen local work to
safeguard children.</p>
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