Skip over main navigation
  • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
Children England

A society that has children at heart is a better society for everyone. If you agree:

Join Us Donate
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
 
  
4in10 logo - 2021
  • Twitter
Menu
  • About us
    • Who we are
      • Staff
      • Trustees
      • Our members
    • How we work
    • Join us
  • England's Children
  • Campaigning
    • Vision for a ChildFair State
    • Don't take child protection for granted
    • The Declaration of Interdependence
    • Open To All
    • Children at Heart
    • Grants for Good
  • Policy and practice
    • Reports and research
    • Resources for practice
    • The Care Review call for ideas
  • Debate
    • News
    • Members' Views
    • Kathy Evans, Chief Executive
    • Towards a Child Fair State
    • Opinion
    • Care Commissioning
    • Outlook
  • Contact us
  • Covid-19 updates
  • Events
  • Admin
    • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
  • Don't take child protection for granted
  1. Campaigning

Don't take child protection for granted

Protecting children from abuse and neglect is one of the most important responsibilities we have – as a society and as citizens in a democracy. But central government is about to shirk its responsibility and cut off funding for child protection.

Children at Heart logoAlready read this briefing? Go straight to our form to Tell us you care.

Children at Heart logoRead our latest briefing: The Case for a Children Act Funding Formula.

 
Whilst it’s our councils which make sure we have the right local services and professionals to keep children safe from harm, we trust central government to ensure those vital services are properly funded, wherever children need them, by distributing our taxes fairly.

This arrangement is about to be broken.  The government is withdrawing the ‘formula grant’ that councils rely on for almost all child protection and care services. Under current plans, by 2020, central government will not contribute any money at all to the services protecting our most vulnerable children. Councils – and children – will be set adrift.

Graphs: children on child protection plans and government funding reductions

 

 

 

 

 

 

Councils are already under immense pressure from funding cuts of up to 40% since 2010, and while many areas have lost libraries, community centres and youth services, councils have valiantly protected services for children in need, using the formula grant to support the increasing numbers of children who need help.

Many councils are already unable to fulfil their legal duties to children in their area. With need rising and budgets falling, the government's maths for children’s services simply doesn’t add up.
 

How are councils expected to cope after 2020?
Child protection would rely only on income from local business rates and council tax.

Infographic: funding for children

Funding for essential children’s services would be left to the rise and fall of local economies.
 

But there is still time to reverse these plans.

Children at Heart logoThe government elected in June 2017 must distribute our taxes so that all children are supported and protected – wherever they live in the country. We need to raise awareness of the situation to make sure no one, including the government, takes child protection for granted. Download this briefing as a PDF to keep and share.

Tell us you care. Fill in our short form and we'll keep you up to date with our campaign to protect funding for essential children's services.

Read our proposal for a fair funding mechanism: a 'Children Act Funding Formula'.

“The safeguarding of our nation's children is obviously a national issue.... Localised funding can only be divisive and unjust. Surely National Government exists precisely to secure the future of our nation's children, and therefore our nation.”

Read more comments from people who've already told us they care.


Read more about children's social care funding and why it's in crisis:

The Local Government Association has recently warned that "Services caring for and protecting vulnerable children are now, in many areas, being pushed to breaking point." The Guardian covered the issue, including comment from Alison Michalska, President of the Association of Directors of Children's Services. 

Children in poverty are also more likely to experience abuse or neglect.The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has reported on the link between deprivation and levels of child abuse and neglect and the Child Welfare Inequalities Project has more recently reported on this complex relationship. 

The report of the National Audit Office mentioned above describes 'systemic failure' in children's services and failure by the Department for Education to understand and lead children's social care services. Children England's commentary Apocalypse NAO summarises the many critical issues involved.

In response to the crisis in funding for adult social care, the government offered a 2% increase in council tax. We responded to explain that this isn't enough.

Read our FAQs about the crisis in children's social care funding.

Published: 8th May, 2017

Updated: 17th November, 2017

Author: Anonymised User

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Comments (0)

Please verify your action
Please enter your comment
Remove
✘
Please enter your first name
Please enter your last name
Please enter your email address Please enter a valid email address (e.g. [email protected])
Please enter your postcode and address Please enter a valid postcode
Please enter the first line of your address
Please enter your town or city

Contacting you about other Children England work

Children England offers various resources and campaigns you might be interested in. We can keep you up to date with these if you give us consent to do so - please confirm below which areas you're happy for us to contact you about:

We will generally use email to contact you about any of the above topics you choose to subscribe to.

Please enter numbers only Please enter your telephone number
Please enter numbers only Please enter your mobile number
Please enter your postcode and address Please enter a valid postcode
Please enter the first line of your address
Please enter your town or city

Children England privacy policy

Children England only gathers the data from you that we need to provide you with the service or information you've opted in to. We keep your data secure and do not share it with any other organisations. You can opt out, or request to know what data we hold about you, at any time.


Read our full privacy policy here.

By submitting this form you are agreeing to our terms and conditions

Children England Terms and Conditions of Use
Please also refer to our Privacy Policy.

Children England (registered charity no.1044239) operates one website. Please read these terms carefully before using this website. Using this website indicates that you accept these terms and conditions which take effect on the date of use of the website. If you do not accept these terms and conditions ("terms"), do not use this website ("site").

1. Use of site and copyright restrictions
We authorise you to view and download the materials at this site only for your personal, non-commercial use, provided that you retain all copyright and other proprietary notices contained in the original materials on any copies of the materials. You may not modify the materials at this site in any way or reproduce or publicly display, perform, or distribute or otherwise use them for any public or commercial purpose. For purposes of these terms, any use of these materials on any other web site or networked computer environment for any purpose is prohibited. The materials at this site are copyrighted and any unauthorised use of any materials at this site may violate copyright, trademark, and other laws. If you breach any of these terms, your authorisation to use this site automatically terminates and you must immediately destroy any downloaded or printed materials.

2. Links to other web sites
Links to third party web sites on this site are provided solely as a convenience to you. If you use these links, you will leave this site. We have not reviewed any of these third party sites and do not control and are not responsible for any of these sites or their content. Thus, we do not endorse or make any representations about them, or any information, software or other products or materials found there, or any results that may be obtained from using them. If you decide to access any of the third party sites linked to this site, you do this entirely at your own risk.

3. Disclaimer
The materials provided at this site are provided "as is" without any warranties of any kind including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement of intellectual property. We further do not warrant the accuracy and completeness of the materials at this site. We may make changes to the materials at this site, or to the information, products and prices described in them, at any time without notice. The materials at this site may be out of date, and we make no commitment to update the materials at this site.

4. Limitation of liability
In no event will we, our suppliers, or other third parties mentioned at this site be liable for any damages whatsoever (including, without limitation, those resulting from lost profits, lost data or business interruption) arising out of the use, inability to use, or the results of use of this site, any web sites linked to this site, or the materials or information contained at any or all such sites, whether based on warranty, contract, tort or any other legal theory and whether or not advised of the possibility of such damages. If your use of the materials or information from this site results in the need for servicing, repair or correction of equipment or data, you assume all costs thereof. Applicable law may not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you.

5. Applicable laws
This site is administered by us from our registered office in England. We make no representation that materials at this site are appropriate or available for use outside the United Kingdom, and access to them from territories where their contents are illegal is prohibited. You may not use or export or re-export the materials at this site or any copy or adaptation in violation of any applicable laws or regulations including without limitation UK export laws and regulations. If you choose to access this site from outside the UK, you do so on your own initiative and are responsible for compliance with applicable local laws. These terms will be governed by and construed in accordance with English law, without giving effect to any principles of conflicts of laws.

6. Intellectual Property
The names, images and logos identifying and owned by us or third parties and their products and services are subject to copyright, design rights and trade marks of ours and/or third parties. Nothing contained in these terms shall be construed as conferring by implication, estoppel or otherwise any licence or right to use any trademark, patent, design right or copyright of ours, or any other third party.

7. Contributions to our site
Where you are able to submit any contribution to our website, any of our mobile applications, our Facebook, Twitter or any other of our social networking pages, you agree, by submitting your contribution, to grant us a perpetual, royalty-free, non-exclusive, sub-licensable right and license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, perform, play, and exercise all copyright and publicity rights with respect to your contribution worldwide and/or to incorporate your contribution in other works in any media now known or later developed for the full term of any rights that may exist in your contribution. If you do not want to grant us the rights set out above, please do not submit your contribution to us. By submitting your contribution to us you warrant that your contribution is your own original work and that you have the right to make it available to us for any or all of the purposes specified above. Furthermore, you warrant your contribution is not defamatory, does not infringe any law, you indemnify us against all legal fees, damages and other expenses that may be incurred by us as a result of your breach of the above warranty and waive any moral rights in your contribution for the purposes of its submission to and publication on our website and the purposes specified above.

8. Changes to the terms
We may revise these terms at any time by updating this posting. You should visit this page from time to time to review the then-current terms because they are binding on you. Certain provisions of these terms may be superseded by expressly designated legal notices or terms located on particular pages at this site.

9. Payments
Refunds will be given at the discretion of Children England. Children England reserves the right to vary event registration fees and the prices of any products listed without notice. All event registrations and orders for products are subject to availability and Children England reserves the right to refuse to accept any registration and to refuse to supply any products to any individual.

2016

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you! We have sent you an email to verify your account. Your comment will be published, subject to approval, after you have confirmed your email address.

Thank you! Your comment is waiting for approval and we will let you know when it goes live.

In the meantime, why not add a profile picture?

Thank you! Your comment has been added below.

Why not add a profile picture?

Latest

  • The Cost of Leaving, by Kathy Evans

    Kathy Evans, CEO, writing a final piece for CYP Now reflecting on her time at Children England.

  • The Cost of Leaving

    Kathy Evans, CEO, writing a final piece for CYP Now reflecting on her time at Children England.

  • Funding List Autumn 2023

    Children England's member-only database of current charitable funders.

  • Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone?

    Kathy Evans, CEO, reflects on Children England's closure after 81 years

Related

  • Vision for a ChildFair State

    Vision for a ChildFair State

    The hub for young people's work researching and designing a new vision for welfare systems, including a full copy of the 'Vision for a ChildFair State'.

  • Welcome promises that will fall flat if there is no one to deliver them

    Children England's response to the Spring Budget 2023

  • Piecemeal reform will never fix a whole system

    Children England responds to the government's plan for children's social care reform

  • Developing the ChildFair State

    Developing the ChildFair State

    Young Leaders take the ChildFair State project into its next phase

  • Government seems to acknowledge the pressure on families and services - yet still lacks a strategy

    Children England reacts to Spending Review 2021

  • The childcare market in England

    A briefing by Lucie Stephens, nursery Director (voluntary), childcare researcher and campaigner and member of Women’s Budget Group Policy Advisory Group, for Children England

  • Spending Review 2021: Children England representation

    Children Act Funding Formula submitted to the Treasury with updated evidence

  • Placing unaccompanied children in hotels is a breach of their rights

    75 charities urge Education Secretary to ensure children arriving in Kent receive care and protection

  • Comprehensive Spending Review 2020: Children England's representation

    Including the Children Act Funding Formula and latest government data

  • Supporting children's charities during the pandemic

    Supporting children's charities during the pandemic

    Children England's hub of information and support for the children and families voluntary sector during the Covid-19 crisis.

Most read

  • Children and Social Work Act 2017

    A summary of the Children and Social Work Act, which became law in 2017, and relevant briefings.

  • The Human Rights Act: what does it mean for children?

    This blog from the British Institute of Human Rights is more relevant than ever.

  • Personal Travel Budgets

    Personal Travel Budgets

    A briefing on home to school travel assistance for children and young people entitled to help to get to school or college

  • End unfair evictions so children in private renting families can benefit from secure homes

    Hannah Slater of Generation Rent explains why a ChildFair State needs secure renting for families

  • Kathy Evans, Chief Executive

    Kathy Evans, Chief Executive

    Chief Executive

  • The childcare market in England

    A briefing by Lucie Stephens, nursery Director (voluntary), childcare researcher and campaigner and member of Women’s Budget Group Policy Advisory Group, for Children England

  • How do children perceive the big issues facing society?

    How do children perceive the big issues facing society?

    First reflections on sessions with children from the RSA Academies

  • Children want supportive, not punitive, school behaviour policies

    Children England's submission to the Department for Education consultation on behaviour management strategies, in-school units and managed moves

  • The rights of refugee children

    The rights of refugee children

    Christopher Hands, CARAS

  • Don't take child protection for granted

    Don't take child protection for granted

    Our briefing on government plans to cut off council funding for child protection and other essential children's services

Support us

We are a small independent charity with big ambitions. Every donation goes towards our ChildFair State Inquiry. Support us

Subscribe to our mailing list

You'll be emailed our free weekly news bulletin
* indicates required

Children England
Gregory House
Coram Campus
48 Mecklenburgh Square
London
WC1N 2NU

Contact Us
Tel: 020 7833 3319
[email protected]
Login - Logout - My details - Sitemap - Privacy Policy - Terms and Conditions
Children England is a registered charity, no. 1044239, and a registered company, no. 3011053.
Manage Cookie Preferences