County Spotlight - Children's Services

This County Spotlight report highlights how county councils and unitary councils continue to deliver high-quality children’s services, despite well-established financial challenges, overspends, and demand increasing.

It showcases 16 case studies, exploring prevention, transformation, workforce and managing demand. It also profiles two county-based foster carers and tells their story.

New analysis in the report demonstrates how rising demand, workforce shortages and sustained funding reductions—intensified by the Covid‑19 pandemic—have driven record levels of need and cost. Despite this, County Councils Network (CCN) member councils continue to deliver high‑quality services and improve outcomes for children and families, often through early intervention and locally led reform.

Key findings from the report’s analysis shows:

• Referrals to children’s services in county areas rose by 8.8% between 2020‑21 and 2021‑22, reversing the previous downward trend.
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• The number of children in need rose by 6%, and children in care increased by over 10% year on year in county areas. 83% of CCN councils overspent on children’s services in 2021‑22, with a combined overspend of £316.7m.
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• Nationally, children in care reached a record 82,170 by March 2022. Applications to become foster carers in county areas fell by 31% in one year.

Recommendations to government include:

• Rebalance funding towards early help and preventative services to reduce future demand.
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• Fully-fund children’s social care reform ambitions to match rising need and inflationary pressures.
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• Invest in workforce recruitment and retention, including training academies and career pathways.
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• Expand local accommodation capacity to keep children closer to home.
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• Support councils to continue service transformation and peer‑led improvement across the sector.