Thousands of children could be kept safely with their families through earlier intervention, new national report finds
A major new report has found that thousands more children could be supported to remain safely with their families through earlier intervention, stronger multi-agency working and better support for parents.
The findings come as England’s 39 largest councils face unprecedented pressures on children's social care budgets, with the number of children in the care of county and rural unitary authorities increasing by 29% since 2016 and expenditure on placements for children in care rising by 240%, from £1.3bn to £3.2bn.
Analysis by Newton for the County Councils Network (CCN) and Society of County Treasurers (SCT) shows that if the rate of need and spending is left unchecked, the number of children in care could rise to almost 30,000 by 2035, while spending on care placements alone could top £4.8bn.
With these councils overspending their budgets for placements by £550m in 2025 due to a combination of rising need and price increases, the analysis suggests that if trends continue, the cumulative overspend over the next decade could reach £7.3bn –putting sustained pressure to fund this deficit from reductions in other council services.
The report, From Prevention to Reconnection: Working Towards a Multi-Agency System that Keeps More Families Together, analysed hundreds of children's journeys into and through the care system and found that many families could potentially have been supported more effectively before a child entered care, or helped to reunite sooner after entering care.
The report stresses that entering care is not a failure of the system and remains the right and necessary decision for many children. Instead, it seeks to identify how services can intervene earlier and more effectively to support families before difficulties escalate to crisis point.
The report’s case review findings show that currently 4 in 10 young people in care have not had any formal support from local authority safeguarding services before entering the care system, with a review of cases by practitioners revealing 7 in 10 families could have received more effective support from at least one element of the multi-agency system before a child entered the care system. In almost half these cases, practitioners believed improved support may have prevented entry into care at that point.
It identifies five ambitious, system-wide changes that could reduce the number of children entering care while improving outcomes for vulnerable families, including improved support for parental mental health, domestic abuse and substance misuse; stronger integration of schools within family support partnerships; and earlier identification of need through joined-up data and targeted support.
The report suggests that if these changes are successfully implemented by 2028, the number of children entering the care system in county and rural areas could reduce by 15% (2,250) annually; 6,000 more parents could access specialist support services; and £4.7bn in additional placements costs by 2035 could be avoided. However, even if these reforms are implemented, councils are not expected to return to a balanced budget position until 2033, accumulating a projected £2.7bn overspending in the meantime.
The report calls on government to protect and extend upfront investment in prevention in the coming years, including continuing targeted funding beyond 2028/29, alongside reforms to improve data sharing, family support services and multi-agency working.
Cllr David Hitchiner, CCN's Children’s Services Spokesperson, said:
"Over the past decade, the care system in county areas has faced unprecedented pressure. The number of children care has increased by a third, while the cost of placements has more than doubled.
“Whilst councils have had little choice but to reduce early intervention and preventative services to fund skyrocketing placements costs, more opportunities to prevent children entering the care system in the first place still do exist.
“Without these system shifts being made, the analysis shows that the number of children in the care system in counties could reach30,000 by the middle of the next decade, with spending projected to reach nearly £5bn.
“Every child deserves the opportunity to grow up safely within their family network wherever possible. This report shows that by intervening earlier, supporting parents more effectively and improving how services work together, we can improve outcomes for children while helping create a more sustainable system.
"The findings provide a clear evidence base for national and local leaders seeking to shift children's services towards prevention, family support and long-term stability."
