Underinvestment in Children's Social Care

Historical underinvestment in children's social care, impacting family support and increasing reliance on family court interventions.

4,885 items 10 sources 5 inquiries

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Where this theme appears

Underinvestment in Children's Social Care has been flagged across 10 independent accountability sources:

125 inquiry recs 35 PFD reports 450 committee recs 1 HMICFRS rec 3 ICIBI recs 2 IOPC recs 13 NAO recs 17 IMB recs 7 PHSO decisions 4232 LGO/SPSO decisions

When the same issue appears across inquiries, coroner reports, and regulators independently, it indicates a recurring issue across the public record.

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Source-grouped records are useful for tracing where a concern came from. Large sections show the 50 strongest matches for that source; counts still show the full theme total.

Inquiry Recommendations (125) — showing 50 strongest matches

WATE-(11) — Require field social workers to visit looked after children every eight weeks

Waterhouse Inquiry

Recommendation: Field social workers should be required by regulation to visit any looked after child for whom they are responsible not less than once every eight weeks916. In the case of older children, they should be required also to see the …

LAMI-62 — Implement single agreed guidance for hospital social workers with out-of-area children

Recommendation: Where hospital-based social work staff come into contact with children from other local authority areas, the directors of social services of their employing authorities must ensure that they work to a single set of guidance agreed by all the authorities …

LAMI-61 — Ensure hospital social workers participate in all child safeguarding hospital meetings

Recommendation: Directors of social services must ensure that hospital social workers participate in all hospital meetings concerned with the safeguarding of children.

LAMI-60 — Line manage hospital social workers within children and families' services section

Recommendation: Directors of social services must ensure that hospital social workers working with children and families are line managed by the children and families’ section of their social services department.

LAMI-59 — Provide single-source, up-to-date guidance and monitor adherence for staff

Recommendation: Directors of social services must ensure that staff working with vulnerable children and families are provided with up-to-date procedures, protocols and guidance. Such practice guidance must be located in a single-source document. The work should be monitored so as to …

LAMI-58 — Require a properly maintained chronology in every child's case file

Recommendation: Directors of social services must ensure that every child’s case file includes, on the inside of the front cover, a properly maintained chronology.

LAMI-57 — Ensure social workers can access international information on vulnerable children

Recommendation: Directors of social services must ensure that social work staff are made aware of how to access effectively information concerning vulnerable children which may be held in other countries.

LAMI-56 — Prevent discharge of hospitalised children with concerns until home is safe

Recommendation: Directors of social services must ensure that no child known to social services who is an inpatient in a hospital and about whom there are child protection concerns is allowed to be taken home until it has been established by …

LAMI-55 — Define 'allocated' cases as those with active social worker engagement

Recommendation: Directors of social services must ensure that only those cases in which a social worker is actively engaged in work with a child and the child’s family are deemed to be ‘allocated’.

LAMI-54 — Allocate social workers to all children's cases or report unallocated cases monthly

Recommendation: Directors of social services must ensure that all cases of children assessed as needing a service have an allocated social worker. In cases where this proves to be impossible, arrangements must be made to maintain contact with the child. The …

LAMI-53 — Managers must ensure social workers understand allocated cases, actions, and supervision

Recommendation: When allocating a case to a social worker, the manager must ensure that the social worker is clear as to what has been allocated, what action is required and how that action will be reviewed and supervised.

LAMI-52 — Allocate cases only when social workers have adequate training, experience, and time

Recommendation: Directors of social services must ensure that no case is allocated to a social worker unless and until his or her manager ensures that he or she has the necessary training, experience and time to deal with it properly.

LAMI-51 — Ensure strategy meetings include action points, records, and review mechanisms

Recommendation: Directors of social services must ensure that all strategy meetings and discussions involve the following three basic steps: • A list of action points must be drawn up, each with an agreed timescale and the identity of the person responsible …

LAMI-50 — Implement systems to action communications during social services staff absence

Recommendation: Directors of social services must ensure that when staff are absent from work, systems are in place to ensure that post, emails and telephone contacts are checked and actioned as necessary.

LAMI-49 — Review cases and meet professionals when other agencies raise concerns

Recommendation: When a professional from another agency expresses concern to social services about their handling of a particular case, the file must be read and reviewed, the professional concerned must be met and spoken to, and the outcome of this discussion …

LAMI-48 — Require social worker agreement and record purpose for all agency referrals

Recommendation: Directors of social services must ensure that when children and families are referred to other agencies for additional services, that referral is only made with the agreement of the allocated social worker and/or their manager. The purpose of the referral …

LAMI-47 — Provide 24/7 specialist services for children and families, separate from general teams

Recommendation: The chief executive of each local authority with social services responsibilities must ensure that specialist services are available to respond to the needs of children and families 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The safeguarding of children should …

LAMI-46 — Ensure clear understanding of child protection adviser roles across children's services

Recommendation: Directors of social services must ensure that the roles and responsibilities of child protection advisers (and those employed in similar posts) are clearly understood by all those working within children’s services.

LAMI-45 — Ensure regular supervision of staff working with children, including case file review

Recommendation: Directors of social services must ensure that the work of staff working directly with children is regularly supervised. This must include the supervisor reading, reviewing and signing the case file at regular intervals.

LAMI-44 — Conduct six-monthly reviews of temporary staff promotions and record outcomes

Recommendation: When staff are temporarily promoted to fill vacancies, directors of social services must subject such arrangements to six-monthly reviews and record the outcome.

LAMI-43 — Mandate training for Section 47 inquiries and audit staff for compliance

Recommendation: No social worker shall undertake section 47 inquiries unless he or she has been trained to do so. Directors of social services must undertake an audit of staff currently carrying out section 47 inquiries to identify gaps in training and …

LAMI-42 — Implement systems to detect failures in internal social services case transfers

Recommendation: Directors of social services must ensure that where the procedures of a social services department stipulate requirements for the transfer of a case between teams within the department, systems are in place to detect when such a transfer does not …

LAMI-41 — Require senior managers and councillors to regularly visit children's intake teams

Recommendation: Chief executives of local authorities with social services responsibilities must make arrangements for senior managers and councillors to regularly visit intake teams in their children’s services department, and to report their findings to the chief executive and social services committee.

LAMI-40 — Establish mandatory steps for closing child harm cases, including welfare plan

Recommendation: Directors of social services must ensure that no case that has been opened in response to allegations of deliberate harm to a child is closed until the following steps have been taken: • The child has been spoken to alone. …

LAMI-39 — Train front-line staff to promptly record and transfer child safety calls

Recommendation: All front-line staff within local authorities must be trained to pass all calls about the safety of children through to the appropriate duty team without delay, having first recorded the name of the child, his or her address, and the …

LAMI-38 — Ensure inter-departmental case transfers are recorded and confirmed in writing

Recommendation: Directors of social services must ensure that the transfer of responsibility of a case between local authority social services departments is always recorded on the case file of each authority, and is confirmed in writing by the authority to which …

LAMI-37 — Train social workers to confidently challenge other professionals' opinions on child needs

Recommendation: The training of social workers must equip them with the confidence to question the opinion of professionals in other agencies when conducting their own assessment of the needs of the child.

LAMI-36 — Require legal advice before emergency child harm action, ensure 24-hour availability

Recommendation: No emergency action on a case concerning an allegation of deliberate harm to a child should be taken without first obtaining legal advice. Local authorities must ensure that such legal advice is available 24 hours a day.

LAMI-35 — Ensure children subject to harm allegations are seen within 24 hours

Recommendation: Directors of social services must ensure that children who are the subject of allegations of deliberate harm are seen and spoken to within 24 hours of the allegation being communicated to social services. If this timescale is not met, the …

LAMI-34 — Standardise social worker home visits: clarify purpose, check records, document findings

Recommendation: Social workers must not undertake home visits without being clear about the purpose of the visit, the information to be gathered during the course of it, and the steps to be taken if no one is at home. No visits …

LAMI-33 — Establish 24-hour public referral line for child concerns, pilot electronic recording

Recommendation: Local authorities with responsibility for safeguarding children should establish and advertise a 24-hour free telephone referral number for use by members of the public who wish to report concerns about a child. A pilot study should be undertaken to evaluate …

LAMI-32 — Ensure single, compatible electronic database for all children and families services

Recommendation: Local authority chief executives must ensure that only one electronic database system is used by all those working in children and families’ services for the recording of information. This should be the same system in use across the council, or …

LAMI-31 — Ensure all staff working with children receive comprehensive vocational and ongoing training

Recommendation: Directors of social services must ensure that all staff who work with children have received appropriate vocational training, receive a thorough induction in local procedures and are obliged to participate in regular continuing training so as to ensure that their …

LAMI-30 — Directors must ensure senior managers regularly inspect children's social services case files

Recommendation: Directors of social services must ensure that senior managers inspect, at least once every three months, a random selection of case files and supervision notes.

LAMI-29 — Implement system for directors to monitor children's social services duty team data

Recommendation: Directors of social services must devise and implement a system which provides them with the following information about the work of the duty teams for which they are responsible: • number of children referred to the teams; • number of …

LAMI-28 — Require local authorities to assess and plan improvements for children's duty systems

Recommendation: The Department of Health should require chief executives of local authorities with social services responsibilities to prepare a position statement on the true picture of the current strengths and weaknesses of their ‘front door’ duty systems for children and families. …

LAMI-27 — Include children's services explicitly in local authority priorities and operational plans

Recommendation: Chief executives and lead members of local authorities with social services responsibilities must ensure that children’s services are explicitly included in their authority’s list of priorities and operational plans.

LAMI-6 — Establish a Committee for Children and Families to coordinate inter-agency services

Recommendation: Each local authority with social services responsibilities must establish a Committee of Members for Children and Families with lay members drawn from the management committees of each of the key services. This Committee must ensure the services to children and …

LAMI-5 — National Agency to conduct or oversee and publish serious child case reviews

Recommendation: The National Agency for Children and Families should, at their discretion, conduct serious case reviews (Part 8 reviews) or oversee the process if they decide to delegate this task to other agencies following the death or serious deliberate injury to …

LAMI-4 — National Agency to use regional structure for local policy implementation and monitoring

Recommendation: The National Agency for Children and Families will operate through a regional structure which will ensure that legislation and policy are being implemented at a local level, as well as providing central government with up-to-date and reliable information about the …

LAMI-3 — Establish National Agency to assess, advise, and monitor children and families policy

Recommendation: The newly established National Agency for Children and Families should have the following responsibilities: • to assess, and advise the ministerial Children and Families Board about, the impact on children and families of proposed changes in policy; • to scrutinise …

SP65 — Remedial steps for failing education authorities

Southport Inquiry

Recommendation: The Department for Education should consider what remedial steps can be put in place to assist in circumstances where, whether through underfunding or underperformance, local education authorities are failing to respond adequately to the need for alternative education provision for …

Response Pending

SP61 — LCC education provision and attendance audit

Southport Inquiry

Recommendation: Lancashire County Council should, by no later than 13 October 2026, carry out and report on an audit (preferably involving an experienced independent external member) to review: 1. The speed of response to cases where a need for alternative education …

Response Pending

WATE-(69) — Provide adequate resources for national children's services departments in Wales

Waterhouse Inquiry

Recommendation: Adequate resources should be provided to ensure that the departments in Wales responsible at national level for children's services are sufficiently and appropriately staffed to support and monitor the provision of these services in Wales.

WATE-(67) — Monitor nationwide availability and quality of residential placements and fostering services

Waterhouse Inquiry

Recommendation: Provision should be made for repeated monitoring at appropriate intervals of the availability and quality of residential placements and fostering services on a nationwide basis.

WATE-(66) — Central government examine residential schools use as social services substitute

Waterhouse Inquiry

Recommendation: Central government should examine the extent to which residential schools are being used as a substitute for social services care and support, and identify the implications for children's long term welfare.

WATE-(65) — Local authorities prepare costed development plans for children's services provision

Waterhouse Inquiry

Recommendation: Local authorities, in collaboration with voluntary and other relevant organisations and acting together with other local authorities where appropriate, should prepare costed development plans for children's services as a prelude to the proposed nationwide review, such plans to ensure (amongst …

WATE-(64) — Conduct nationwide review of children's services needs and costs for strategy

Waterhouse Inquiry

Recommendation: There should be a nationwide review of the needs and costs of children's services based on local authorities' development plans and leading to a comprehensive and costed strategy for those services, including any necessary education and health elements.

WATE-(63) — Define Advisory Council functions: advise, research, disseminate information, and recommend

Waterhouse Inquiry

Recommendation: The functions of the Advisory Council should include: (a) advising on government policy and legislation with regard to their likely impact on children and young people; (b) commissioning research; (c) disseminating information and making recommendations.

WATE-(62) — Establish Advisory Council for Children's Services in Wales to strengthen provision

Waterhouse Inquiry

Recommendation: An Advisory Council for Children's Services in Wales comprised of members covering a wide range of expertise in children's services, including practice, research, management and training, should be established in order to strengthen the provision of children's services in Wales …

PFD Reports (35)

21 Oct 2014 · Wiltshire & Swindon

Concerns: A child's recommended long-term therapeutic placement was delayed and ultimately overturned by Children's Services, despite multi-agency support, due to a perceived failure to meet statutory accommodation thresholds.

Response (Haringey Council): Haringey Council reports strengthened management oversight of decision-making, improved joint working with partner agencies, and revised processes for funding long-term therapeutic placements. Placements are now only made in establishments graded …

19 Nov 2014 · Exeter & Greater Devon

Concerns: The lack of an effective child psychiatric bed bureau system caused significant delays and distant placements, leading to poor environment, limited family involvement, and inadequate communication.

Response (NHS England): NHS England details actions taken at the Priory Hospital, including additional risk documentation, observation policy updates, refresher training on care planning, therapy programme reviews, and increased documentation quality checks. Learning …

28 Dec 2014 · Mid Kent & Medway

Concerns: A vulnerable child was sentenced without forensic psychiatric assessment, and mental health support conflicted with disciplinary procedures, failing to adopt a holistic approach or consult outside agencies. A social worker allocation was also significantly delayed.

Response (Tower Hamlets): Tower Hamlets Council details actions taken following a Serious Case Review, including maintaining social worker numbers and updating a protocol with the Youth Offending Service to clarify responsibilities when a …

Response (Central North West London NHS Trust): Central and North West London NHS Trust (CNWL) describes its Health and Wellbeing Team's structure and processes, including mental health assessments and improved office space and IT access. They state …

Response (Oxleas NHS Trust): Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust describes implementation of the CHAT tool for assessing new arrivals at HMPYOI Cookham Wood, with training and monitoring standards. They detail information governance training for staff …

Response (Medway Youth Offending Service): The Medway Youth Offending Service (YOT) describes actions taken in response to the coroner's concerns including ACCT training for the Resettlement Team, enhanced reviews overseen by a Governor, and submission …

Response (Ministry of Justice): The Ministry of Justice outlines reforms in the Young People's Estate, including a standardised casework model, enhanced regimes, and changes to ACCT procedures. They detail night operating procedures and confirm …

30 Jan 2015 · North West Wales

Concerns: Strong and unpredictable currents in Aberffraw beach's river estuary pose a danger, as visitors lack local knowledge and there are no warning signs to inform them.

Response (Response Isle of Anglesey County Council): The Council has held meetings with the local community and undertaken a risk assessment. A new warning sign is to be placed in the car park drawing particular attention to …

23 Apr 2015 · Carmarthenshire & Pembrokeshire

Concerns: The Welsh Assembly Government's advice on reducing cot death is confusing, specifically regarding the ambiguous "very tired" criterion for parents considering bed-sharing.

Response (Welsh Government): The Welsh Government reviewed its guidance leaflet for parents on reducing SUDI risks following the coroner's concerns, but concluded that the leaflet should continue to be used without changes, consistent …

29 Oct 2015 · Gateshead & South Tyneside

Concerns: Concerns were raised that the child's asthma care focused only on acute presentations, failing to address the underlying chronic condition holistically across repeated hospital visits.

01 Mar 2016 · Warwickshire

Concerns: A local authority failed to act on an urgent GP referral for a patient assessment, leading to a significant one-week delay before a social worker visit.

03 Oct 2016 · East Sussex

Concerns: Hounslow Social Services misunderstood their ongoing welfare role for a child placed far from home and failed to assess for support, neglecting family contact issues.

Response (Department of Health and Social Care): NHS England and Health Education England (HEE) are working to improve the capacity and capability of the workforce delivering mental health care for children and young people. The Royal College …

Response (Department of Health): NHS England and Health Education England are working to improve the capacity and capability of the workforce delivering mental health care for children and young people. NHS England commissioned the …

Response (London Borough of Hounslow): The London Borough of Hounslow has updated its Thresholds Guidance & Assessment Protocols, with specific reference to children in need under S17 of the Children Act 1989 for those in …

Response (Priory Group): Priory Group has enhanced observation recording forms and clarified its policy on information sharing. Monthly simulation drills are undertaken for BLS and ILS. A new tool for better assessment of …

Response (Priory Group): Priory Group has enhanced observation recording forms and clarified its policy on information sharing. Monthly simulation drills are undertaken for BLS and ILS. A new tool for better assessment of …

Brandon Singh Rayat

06 Sep 2017 · Leicester City and Leicestershire South

Concerns: There is a critical lack of long-term mental health care provision for children in Leicestershire who cannot attend hospital due to anxiety, with the crisis team unable to fill this gap.

Response (Leicestershire and Rutland NHS CCG): The CCG acknowledges the need to update the CAMHs outpatient and community service specification to reflect new services implemented, such as alignment of CAHMs to the liaison service and the …

Response (Department of Health): The Department acknowledges the concerns around mental health provision for children in Leicestershire and highlights ongoing national work to transform children and young people's mental health services, supported by additional …

21 Aug 2017 · Swansea Neath and Port Talbot

Concerns: Landlords in Wales are under no legal obligation to install smoke alarms in rented properties, contrasting with England's regulations, and current "best practice" recommendations carry no enforcement.

Response: The Welsh Government is drafting regulations under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 that will place a legal duty on both social and private landlords to fit smoke and carbon …

10 Apr 2018 · London (South)

Concerns: No specific concerns were detailed in the provided text, only a reference to appended concerns.

16 Apr 2018 · Cumbria

Concerns: Critically underfunded child and adolescent mental health services in Cumbria result in long treatment delays, risking lives and causing lasting harm.

Response (Department of Health Social Care): The Department of Health acknowledges concerns and states that commissioning of mental health services is a matter for the local NHS. They note that local commissioners have made considerable investment …

03 Apr 2019 · South Yorkshire (West)

Concerns: A critical gap exists in urgent mental health services for 16 and 17-year-olds in Sheffield, with necessary additional resources for CAMHS lacking guaranteed funding.

Response (Sheffield Childrens NHS Trust): Sheffield Children's and Sheffield Health and Social Care Trusts have jointly approved an addendum to the Transitions Policy, implemented a review process overseen by Associate/Directors for young people accessing care, …

Response (Sheffield Childrens NHS CCG): The CCG approved a business case for a Home Intensive Treatment Team (HITT) on May 7th, 2019, with phased implementation planned from autumn 2019, and has begun recruiting nursing staff.

20 Jun 2019 · Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly

Concerns: There is a critical shortage of suitable long-term placements for individuals with complex mental health histories, causing persistent difficulties for social workers in finding appropriate facilities.

Response (Cornwall Council): Cornwall Council is developing a multiagency strategy (2019-23) to improve support for people with complex needs, including mental health and substance use issues. A task and finish project will review …

Daniel Shorrocks

01 Aug 2019 · Plymouth, Torbay and South Devon

Concerns: Local Authorities with high numbers of young people in care lack sufficient resources and qualified staff, further compounded by poor integration between care, mental health, and educational support services.

Response (Department of Health and Social Care): The Department of Health and Social Care will review the care system, give local authorities a 4.4% real-terms increase in their Core Spending Power, and will be made available to …

26 Jul 2019 · Milton Keynes

Concerns: Lack of early intervention mental health support for young people not meeting CAMHS thresholds, coupled with poor information sharing between health agencies and the removal of medically qualified staff in schools, hindered comprehensive care.

31 Dec 2019 · Derby & Derbyshire

Concerns: Vulnerable 16-18 year olds are placed in unregulated care settings lacking statutory oversight, leaving local authorities unable to adequately assess provider competency or safety due to resource constraints.

Response (the Secretary of State for Education): The Department for Education launched a consultation on proposals to ensure unregulated provision is used appropriately, including introducing new national standards and enforcement mechanisms, with the consultation open until April …

Lily-Mai George

10 Feb 2021 · Inner North London

Concerns: Haringey Children's Services facilitated a child's discharge into unsupervised parental care despite professional concerns, leading to fatal injuries before a planned safe placement could occur.

12 Oct 2021 · East London

Concerns: Social services struggled to properly investigate safeguarding referrals, appoint social workers within a reasonable timeframe, or conduct timely home suitability assessments for vulnerable residents.

Katrina Makunova

05 Nov 2021 · London Inner South

Concerns: Knife possession and gang affiliation were not consistently recognized as risk factors in contextual abuse assessments by police or social services. Additionally, police Child Safety Units face significant workload pressures impacting safeguarding effectiveness.

Response (Metropolitan Police Service): The MPS will share the report with relevant departments and review training programmes to include expert evidence-based advice on knife carrying and gang membership in domestic abuse risk assessments. A …

04 Sep 2022 · West London

Concerns: A highly vulnerable child was not provided prescribed 2:1 care, their complex package lacked proper review or quality checks, and critical parental concerns were ignored, compounded by inadequate staff training.

Response (NHS NorthWest London): NHS North West London has implemented a single children’s continuing care team with registered nurses and experienced managers providing a consistent service. A parental agreement has been developed which sets …

Response (Response form NHS England): NHS England highlights the resources provided by The National Tracheostomy Safety Project (NTSP) and notes the NWL's response addressing training, supervision and care packages. They also mention that all reports …

19 Jan 2023 · West London

Concerns: The lack of regulation for residential homes housing vulnerable 18-21 year olds leads to providers with inadequate training and staffing. Additionally, there is no standard referral form, risking missed vital information for supported housing placements.

24 Apr 2023 · South London

Response (NHS England): NHS England has worked with South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, who have identified dual diagnosis leads, established a CAMHS Dual Diagnosis forum, incorporated learning from Serious Incidents into …

Response (Department of Health and Social Care): The Department of Health and Social Care acknowledges the concerns and refers to NHS England's response. It also mentions national initiatives for mental health and substance misuse services, including increased …

03 Aug 2023 · West Yorkshire (Western)

Concerns: Bradford Council lacked a unified system for overseeing its involvement with vulnerable children, preventing learning from deaths and maintaining departmental disconnect, which risks future fatalities.

Response (City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council): Following the death, the Council has strengthened processes to ensure organizational oversight where multiple teams are involved and a child dies, with the Director of Children’s Services as the single …

30 Aug 2023 · East London

Concerns: Under-resourced and underfunded CAMHS services, coupled with a lack of consultant leadership, led to significant delays in mental health assessments for children, despite rapidly increasing demand.

Response (NHS England): NHS England is increasing access to CYPMH services, with 702,000 children and young people receiving support in the 12 months to June 2023 and a 46% increase in the CYPMH …

Response (North East London NHS Foundation Trust): NELFT will implement the Oxford Centre for Suicide Research’s model of risk formulation and co-produce safety plans with clients and families, including training and system changes to support the roll …

Response (North East London Integrated Care Board): NHS North East London is developing a business case for additional CAMHS funding, including proposals for seven-day/evening working and face-to-face initial assessments. They are also reviewing the current clinical model …

Response (Department of Health and Social Care): The Department of Health and Social Care acknowledges concerns about CAMHS resourcing and highlights increased spending on mental health services and workforce development initiatives, including training programmes and a new …

12 Oct 2023 · Manchester South

Concerns: A lack of available and suitable emergency social care placements forced a patient into a detrimental acute hospital stay, leading to rapid deterioration, highlighting systemic social care shortages.

Response (Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council): The Council provides a summary of Adult Social Care involvement prior to Mr. Hall's admission and highlights existing procedures and challenges in the social care market, including working with the …

Benjamin Hazelden

26 Sep 2023 · North East Kent

Concerns: There are severe limitations in suitable specialist placements for young autistic adults with self-harm risks. Past unit closures have created a critical shortage of beds, leading to inappropriate care settings or discharge without adequate support.

30 May 2024 · Suffolk

Concerns: Child services lacked systems to treat vulnerable parents (e.g., Claire's Law recipients) as higher risk in child care investigations, failing to assess the mental health impact of child removal processes or provide independent support. Funding for specialist therapy was also problematic.

Response (NSFT): NSFT has asked all clinicians that receive referrals into services to identify those where treatments have been recommended by non-NSFT clinicians in order to offer an assessment prior to signposting …

Response (SCC): CYP staff will be reminded that a referral ought to be made, staff will be reminded that a referral ought to be made, nonetheless. This aspect of identified learning shall …

Response (Norfolk Waveney ICB): Norfolk and Waveney ICB states that they have reviewed their Mental Health Individual Funding Request records and have not been able to identify any Individual Funding Request being made to …

Response (Suffolk Constabulary): Suffolk Constabulary notes the concerns raised but states that they conduct their own risk assessments when delivering Claire’s Law disclosures, which would include the wellbeing of the recipient of that …

Response (Department of Health and Social Care): The ICB will work with partners to ensure that learning and action is taken forward from this case, and the Trust has asked all its clinicians that receive referrals into …

Response (Home Office): The Home Office acknowledges receipt of the report and restates commitment but describes no specific actions taken or planned.

14 Jun 2024 · Manchester South

Concerns: Delays in transferring mental health patients from independent providers resulted from underfunded local beds, an over-reliance on external services, and a national shortage of specialist rehabilitation units.

Response (NHS England): NHS England highlights the Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism Inpatient Quality Transformation programme, designed to localize and realign care. They have published a Commissioning Framework and required ICBs to …

Response (Department of Health and Social Care): The DHSC acknowledges concerns about mental health service funding, reliance on independent providers, and availability of specialist units. They highlight existing initiatives to improve patient flow, localise care, and ensure …

Nathan Scantlebury

23 Jul 2024 · Cheshire

Concerns: There is a critical and long-standing national and local shortage of suitable placements for high-risk children with complex mental health needs.

Response (NHS England): NHS England are undertaking significant improvements nationally to develop Children and Young People’s Mental Health (CYPMH) inpatient pathways. They cite investment in localised inpatient and alternative provision, and the intention …

Response (Department of Health and Social Care): The Department of Health and Social Care acknowledges concerns over the lack of suitable placements for high-risk children with complex mental health needs. They are committed to ensuring access to …

Sunnah Khan and Joseph Abbess

10 Oct 2024 · Dorset

Response (Department for Education): The Department for Education will consider how best to complement swimming and water safety lessons already delivered through the PE curriculum, to ensure that all pupils are taught about water …

Jennifer Chalkley

14 Oct 2024 · Surrey

Concerns: A widespread misconception among schools that £6,000 must be spent on a child's SEN before an EHCP assessment application is delaying critical early support, increasing the risk of mental health issues and suicidality.

Response (Surrey County Council): Surrey County Council is preparing a communication to all Surrey education providers to clarify that there is no financial threshold for requesting an EHCNA, reinforcing the statutory position under the …

Response (Department for Education): The Department for Education acknowledges the concerns, highlights existing guidance on safeguarding and EHCPs, and notes ongoing monitoring of Surrey County Council's SEND arrangements, keeping the safeguarding guidance under review.

Ellame Ford-Dunn Prevention of future deaths report

03 Feb 2026 · West Sussex, Brighton and Hove

Concerns: Insufficient Tier 4 Paediatric Mental Health beds lead to long waits, resulting in children with mental health needs being inappropriately held on acute paediatric wards unsuitable for their care.

Response (NHS England): NHS England has provided £180,000 to University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust to support the recruitment of additional mental health nurses. A new tri-funded short-term residential alternative to hospital admission …

25 Feb 2026 · Derby and Derbyshire

Concerns: Poor information sharing and lack of system connectivity between agencies hindered care for a vulnerable adult. The GP safeguarding referral form was inadequate, causing delays in response.

Response (Derby City Council): • A single Safeguarding Adults Referral Form has been developed and implemented for use across Derby City and Derbyshire County. • Guidance to support people with understanding safeguarding and making …

Elizabeth Lang and Katie Lang

26 Mar 2026 · Northumberland

Concerns: Surface friction was low at the collision site, and while the council had undertaken roadworks, there was no advance warning signage alerting unfamiliar drivers to the severity of the bend where the collision occurred.

Response (Northumberland County Council): • The location on the A1068 Sheepwash Road has been identified and recorded by the Council’s Highways service as a high-risk site for the purposes of traffic safety assessment. • …

Committee Recommendations (450) — showing 50 strongest matches

Education Committee

Recommendation: Many children with SEND may be happiest educated at home, but this should absolutely not be a choice that parents are forced to make for lack of the right support. We accept that what begins as a negative choice can …

Gov response: 20. The SEND system already provides mechanisms for ensuring that families have access to support. Local authorities are bound by statute (by section 19 of the Children and Families Act 2014) to consider the views, …

Under Consideration

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Department told us it wants the care system to be more flexible, and accepts the system is currently not very good at adapting to innovative or usual requests. The result is that the child will often end up in …

Gov response: 4. 2 The department already works closely with both the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) and HM Treasury (HMT) at working and ministerial levels. All departments have an interest in children’s social …

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: At 31 March 2021, there were 53,790 adolescents in care between the ages of 9 and 17, making up 67% of the total care population. Between 31 March 2014 and 31 March 2021 the number of 9- to 17-year-olds in …

#6 — Mandate DfE to provide support for local authorities to manage long-term sustainable SEN spending.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: In the longer term, the SEN system remains unviable with piecemeal interventions, such as Safety Valve, doing nothing to provide a financially sustainable system. Based on the Department’s current forecasts on the need for SEN support, the annual gap between …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. their SEN-related spending sustainably in the longer term, starting with the publication of the Delivering Better Value in SEND toolkit. As set out in the response to recommendation …

#5 — Require central government to involve local authorities in solving critical SEN financial challenges.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Departmental witnesses could not provide any potential solution to the critical and immediate financial challenges facing many local authorities due to persistent and significant SEN-related overspends. The impact of these are being deferred under the temporary “statutory override” scheme, which …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. are putting on local government, and in particular, the impact of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) deficits on councils’ finances. It will work with the sector on a …

#8 — Increased spending on SEND and temporary accommodation fails to meet people's needs.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Despite increased spending , there are indications that services are not meeting peoples’ needs, such as only 50% of Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans for children and young people being issued within the 20-week statutory limit in 2023.15 MHCLG …

Gov response: 6.4 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: end of 2025 6.5 The government will provide further details on funding to support local authorities with key service pressures at the provisional Local …

#72 — Care leavers face poorest outcomes due to insufficient support and limited Bill measures.

Education Committee

Recommendation: Care leavers have some of the poorest outcomes in society across a range of measures, and the support available to them falls far short of what is needed. The state has a grave responsibility to the children it takes 93 …

Gov response: The Committee highlighted poor outcomes for care leavers. We will address the cliff-edge that young people experience when they leave care, by providing a national Staying Close support package as set out in the Children’s …

Partially Accepted

#63 — Make funding available for a national survey on different types of child abuse and neglect.

Education Committee

Recommendation: The Department for Education should make funding available for a national survey on the prevalence of the different types of abuse and neglect, to improve its understanding of these issues and inform the development of future policy interventions. (Recommendation, Paragraph …

Gov response: Recognising the importance of strengthening the evidence base on abuse and neglect, the Department will continue working with ONS and other government bodies to explore further opportunities for progress. These efforts aim to inform policy …

Under Consideration

#59 — Conduct review of disabled children’s short breaks availability and fund local authority provision.

Education Committee

Recommendation: The Department should conduct a review of the availability of short breaks, respite care and holiday provision for disabled children to understand where the shortages are most acute. It should work with the Ministry of Housing, 91 Communities and Local …

Gov response: In 2011, the Government introduced a statutory duty for all local authorities to provide a range of short breaks, to meet local needs. The duty also requires them to consult upon and publish a short …

#48 — Mental health support for children in care is currently falling far short of needs.

Education Committee

Recommendation: Children in care have experienced trauma, abuse and neglect, and they are over four times more likely to suffer from emotional or mental health problems than their peers. It is therefore essential that there is a strong system in place …

Gov response: We recognise the importance of prioritising mental health support for children in care and care leavers. Working with DHSC, NHSE, and MoJ, we are piloting a multi-disciplinary approach within the South-East Regional Care Co-operative in …

#40 — Make Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund permanent; consult on a support plan.

Education Committee

Recommendation: The Department must end the annual cliff-edge of uncertainty faced by adoptive families and make funding for the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund permanent. It should monitor the impact of the reduced funding limits after 12 months of the …

Gov response: Supporting adopted children to thrive is a key government priority. We remain committed to providing high-quality adoption support from the point of placement and throughout childhood. The £50 million Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund …

Partially Accepted

#39 — Uncertainty surrounds Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund continuation and reduced funding limits.

Education Committee

Recommendation: It is unacceptable that the continuation of the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund was not announced until 1 April 2025, leaving families and children uncertain about the future of their support. We also note many concerns about the new …

Gov response: Supporting adopted children to thrive is a key government priority. We remain committed to providing high-quality adoption support from the point of placement and throughout childhood. The £50 million Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund …

#21 — Children's social care market is failing due to excessive profits and provider financial risk.

Education Committee

Recommendation: The children’s social care market is not delivering for children or for local authorities. We are particularly concerned at the reports of excessive profits being made by some providers and the risk of financial failure among large providers. We hope …

Gov response: The Committee concluded that the children’s social care market is not currently delivering for children or local authorities. We are taking action to address this, including giving Ofsted greater powers to tackle unregistered provision, establishing …

#16 — Produce DfE analysis of funding needed for children's social care reforms and implementation plan.

Education Committee

Recommendation: The Department for Education should produce an analysis of the level of funding that is still needed to achieve the necessary reforms to children’s social care and set out how it will work towards achieving the level of funding recommended …

Gov response: The Government is investing over £2 billion in the reform of children’s social care over the course of this parliament meeting the level of investment recommended by the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care. We …

#15 — Additional funding for children's social care welcomed, but full implementation funding gap remains.

Education Committee

Recommendation: We warmly welcome the additional funding for children’s social care and capital investment in children’s homes announced at the recent Spending Review, which will be an important step forward in working towards the amount recommended by the Independent Review of …

Gov response: The Government is investing over £2 billion in the reform of children’s social care over the course of this parliament meeting the level of investment recommended by the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care. We …

#10 — Rising care numbers demand cross-departmental action to address external contributing factors.

Education Committee

Recommendation: The pressure caused by rising numbers of children coming into care is putting serious strain on the system. The only way to effectively reduce these numbers is to address the factors outside the care system which are contributing to this …

Gov response: The Government is committed to reducing the number of children entering care by supporting families to stay together safely. This is why we are investing in family help, kinship care and preventative services throughout the …

#6 — Commit to making Families First permanent and restore early intervention funding to 2010 levels.

Education Committee

Recommendation: The Department for Education must commit to making the Families First Partnership programme permanent if it demonstrates a positive impact. The Government must ensure that a significant majority of the new funding announced in the Spending Review is allocated to …

Gov response: This Government is committed to investment in prevention. We announced in the Spending Review that funding for the Families First Partnership Programme will be increased by £300 million over the next two years (2026–27 and …

Partially Accepted

#5 — Early intervention funding remains insufficient despite welcome grants, requiring urgent additional resources.

Education Committee

Recommendation: The Government’s focus on early intervention is the right one and long overdue. The additional £270 million provided through the Children’s Social Care Prevention Grant is welcome but falls far short of the £1.2 billion that has been removed from …

Gov response: This Government is committed to investment in prevention. We announced in the Spending Review that funding for the Families First Partnership Programme will be increased by £300 million over the next two years (2026–27 and …

#2 — Require Department for Education to issue comprehensive response to Children’s Social Care Review by year-end.

Education Committee

Recommendation: By the end of this year, the Department for Education must issue a comprehensive response to the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care which was published over three years ago. This should set out which recommendations have already been taken …

Gov response: We are committed to transparency and continuous evaluation. An initial independent evaluation of the Families First for Children pathfinder programme has promising early findings5, including improved multi-agency collaboration and more consistent support for children. Further …

#1 — Children’s social care problems persist and worsen without comprehensive reform following the Independent Review.

Education Committee

Recommendation: Evidence given to the Committee during our inquiry indicates that many of the problems highlighted by the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care in 2022 persist, and in a significant number of cases have worsened since the Review. Increases in …

Gov response: The Committee’s report rightly highlighted the rising need for children’s social care over the last decade, the spiralling costs to local authorities and poor experiences and outcomes for some, but not all, children. The Government …

#27 — Accelerate adult social care commission timescale and fully fund sector by Parliament's end

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: The timescale for the commission into adult social care should be brought forward, and it must present actionable reforms to the sector as part of its interim findings in 2026. The Government must not wait for the commission to publish …

Gov response: 78. Local authorities are independent employers responsible for the management of their own workforces and their own improvement – the government expects this will include ensuring their councillors and statutory officers have the right level …

Under Consideration

#26 — Proposed timescale for adult social care commission risks insufficient and delayed reform

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: While we support the new independent commission into adult social care led by Baroness Casey, we are concerned that the proposed timescale means that urgent reforms to social care services will not be implemented soon enough to overcome the severity …

Gov response: 77. The Government has always maintained transparency regarding which councils have been in receipt of EFS and the amount of support provided. As part of the EFS framework, councils are required to undergo an external …

Under Consideration

#25 — Inaction on adult social care reform creates unsustainable human and financial costs

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: We support and echo the conclusions of the recent report Adult Social Care Reform by the Health and Social Care committee. As they have said in the summary of their report, successive Governments have not fully considered the human and …

Gov response: 76. The Government is committed to improving how we assess the need to ensure central government funding is distributed fairly to the places who need it most. The Government recognises the importance of transitional arrangements …

Under Consideration

#17 — FGM persists within UK and through travel abroad, undermined by inconsistent government funding.

Women and Equalities Committee

Recommendation: It is a matter of serious concern that evidence given to us and available data indicate both that FGM is taking place in the UK and that UK citizens or residents are being taken abroad to undergo FGM. The Government …

Gov response: ICBs Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services that meet the healthcare needs of their local population and have the freedom to do so - this includes services tailored to the needs of …

#19 — New investment in children's social care aims to reduce family court cases.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: DfE told us its major contribution to the overall system is to reduce the flow of cases to family courts. It told us that successive governments have under-invested in children’s social care but the Spending Review in June this year …

No Published Response

#81 — Require health sector financial investment and robust partnership arrangements by autumn 2026.

Education Committee

Recommendation: Crucially, this must be backed by appropriate financial investment from the health sector to meet statutory duties, provide timely access to therapies and assessments, and contribute equitably to joint commissioning arrangements. All areas should have a robust and fully operational …

Gov response: The Department is working closely with DHSC and NHS England to improve access to community health services, such as speech and language therapy, for children and young people with SEND. As set out in the …

#69 — Uprate £6,000 SEND funding threshold annually and establish sustainable, equitable funding model

Education Committee

Recommendation: The current £6,000 notional threshold is outdated and inadequate. It must be automatically uprated each year in line with inflation to prevent further erosion of support for pupils with SEND. This is a necessary correction to address years of chronic …

Gov response: The overall schools and high needs funding included in the Department’s spending review settlement – an increase of £4.2 billion by 2028–29 compared to 2025–26 – continues the support available for children and young people …

#68 — Current funding for SEND inclusion and £6,000 threshold remain significantly inadequate

Education Committee

Recommendation: It is clear that the current levels of funding provided to schools and multi- academy trusts are inadequate to support the effective inclusion of pupils with SEND. The notional £6,000 threshold is insufficient to deliver good SEN support, placing unsustainable …

Gov response: The overall schools and high needs funding included in the Department’s spending review settlement – an increase of £4.2 billion by 2028–29 compared to 2025–26 – continues the support available for children and young people …

#26 — Competition among local authorities for children's home places drives up costs significantly.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: When finding children’s homes places, local authorities must often look outside of their own area, putting them in competition with each other. Local authorities also often rely on finding places just at the time children need to be housed, rather …

Gov response: 6. PAC conclusion: The Department has failed to address the problem of local authorities competing for places and the effect that has on driving up costs. 6. PAC recommendation: The Department should clarify, as part …

Response Pending

#24 — Some private providers of children's social care achieve unacceptably high profit margins.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: We raised concerns about the high levels of profits of some private providers.64 The Competition and Markets Authority found in 2022 that the fifteen largest providers of children’s social care had average profit rates of 22.6% for children’s homes, and …

Gov response: 5. PAC conclusion: Despite private providers providing most care home places, the Department does not fully understand their financial position.

Response Pending

#20 — Insufficient fees, home adaptation needs, and societal shifts create barriers to increasing foster care.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Association for Directors of Children’s Services explained that there are barriers to increasing foster care numbers. This includes insufficient fees and allowances for foster carers, the need for foster carers to adapt their 47 Qq 26, 59 48 C&AG’s …

Gov response: 4. PAC conclusion: To reduce the demand for children’s residential care, the Department is relying on there being more foster carers, but it has yet to address the significant challenges to increase numbers.

Response Pending

#19 — Departmental fostering recruitment hubs show limited immediate impact on increasing foster carer numbers.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Department has initiatives to increase foster carer numbers. It described, for example, launching 10 fostering recruitment hubs by 2024, covering around two thirds of local authorities.50 It explained that these hubs are boosting co-ordinated recruitment of foster carers between …

Gov response: 4. PAC conclusion: To reduce the demand for children’s residential care, the Department is relying on there being more foster carers, but it has yet to address the significant challenges to increase numbers.

Response Pending

#18 — Foster care households and placements have significantly decreased despite the Department's reduction goals.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Department told us that it sees reducing the need for residential care as key to addressing some of the drivers behind the increased cost. It plans to reduce the need by preventing children becoming looked after by a local …

Gov response: 4. PAC conclusion: To reduce the demand for children’s residential care, the Department is relying on there being more foster carers, but it has yet to address the significant challenges to increase numbers.

Response Pending

#17 — Inconsistent capital funding and local authority competition impede creating children's homes where needed.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Association of Directors of Children’s Services described inconsistencies in capital funding, and competition between local authorities for funding, as barriers to creating homes where they are needed. Where one local authority might be delighted to win several million pounds …

Gov response: 3. PAC conclusion: Providers of children’s homes, including local authorities, are not offering the places needed locally, leading to children being placed in homes that do not meet their needs.

Response Pending

#15 — Barriers and lack of incentives hinder the creation of children's homes matching children's needs.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Local authorities and private providers face barriers and lack incentives to open homes and create places matching children’s needs at the scale required.35 The Association of Directors of Children’s Services told us that the distribution of residential provision is based …

Gov response: 3. PAC conclusion: Providers of children’s homes, including local authorities, are not offering the places needed locally, leading to children being placed in homes that do not meet their needs.

Response Pending

#14 — Significant geographical disparities in children's home availability lead to unsuitable placements and poor outcomes.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: There are disparities in the number and types of children’s home available in different areas across the country, particularly for children with more complex needs.29 For example, there are no secure homes across all of London, while South West England …

Gov response: 3. PAC conclusion: Providers of children’s homes, including local authorities, are not offering the places needed locally, leading to children being placed in homes that do not meet their needs.

Response Pending

#12 — Local authorities resort to unregistered homes as last resort due to placement scarcity.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: We asked the Association of Directors of Children’s Services how it could possibly be right for any local authority to place children in homes that are not inspected. It described this as a consequence of local authorities having an absolute …

Gov response: 2. PAC conclusion: It is unacceptable that children are placed in illegal settings that are not inspected, increasing safety risks and offering no assurance over the quality of care.

Response Pending

#8 — Department lacks up-to-date information on children's care provision, demand, and available places.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Children’s Commissioner told us that there needs to be a much tighter grip on the amount and type of provision needed and where.13 The Department lacks up-to-date information on the support children need, the demand for places and places …

Response Pending

#1 — Committee took evidence on sustainability of children's residential care.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Department for Education (the Department) on the sustainability of children’s residential care.2 We also took evidence from the Children’s Commissioner, the Association of …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. children's social care placements market, including a more complex and older cohort of children and young people in care, and differing sufficiency challenges across England. Local authorities (LAs) …

#4 — Set out how to address barriers to increasing foster carer numbers with clear timeframe and milestones.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: To reduce the demand for children’s residential care, the Department is relying on there being more foster carers, but it has yet to address the significant challenges to increase numbers. The Department sees reducing demand for residential care as key …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented On 4 February 2026 the department published an action plan and consultation, Renewing fostering: homes for 10,000 more children, which sets out the approach to significantly …

#3 — Detail plans to address barriers creating children's home places, including funding and staffing.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Providers of children’s homes, including local authorities, are not offering the places needed locally, leading to children being placed in homes that do not meet their needs. There are disparities in the places available across the country, particularly for children …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. the right places. The department is providing LAs with long‑term capital funding of £560 million for 2026–2030. This includes investment to refurbish and expand the children’s homes estate …

#12 — Commit to increasing mandatory health visitor contacts from five to six for children in England.

Health and Social Care Committee

Recommendation: We recommend that the Government commit to increasing the number of mandatory health visitor contacts for children in England from five to six. To help it deliver this it should look at the approach that the devolved administrations have taken, …

Response Pending

#11 — Government's health visit ambitions are inadequate compared to other UK nations' provision.

Health and Social Care Committee

Recommendation: The Government’s ambitions for the number of health visits are woefully inadequate. Children in England receive fewer mandated health visits than children in any other part of the UK. While the Government’s immediate priority must be supporting and growing the …

Response Pending

#6 — Revise early language funding guidance to cover 0-2 year olds with maximum provider flexibility.

Health and Social Care Committee

Recommendation: We recommend that the Department for Education revise its guidance on early language and home learning environment funding to allow it to be used to provide support that covers the 0–2-year period, to allow providers the maximum flexibility in how …

Response Pending

#4 — Perinatal mental health investment remains insufficient and geographically limited to address needs.

Health and Social Care Committee

Recommendation: Perinatal mental health is as important as physical health, with poor mental health outcomes having potentially significant long-term consequences for both the mother and child. We were struck by how frequently mental health concerns were raised in evidence. Given that …

Response Pending

#3 — Create dedicated roles to support parents of children from all disadvantaged groups.

Health and Social Care Committee

Recommendation: Successive governments have rightly focused on targeting Family Hubs and other early year interventions on those with the greatest need. We welcome the announcement that Hubs will have staff specifically trained to support the parents of children with additional needs …

Response Pending

#2 — Set out plans to expand Family Hubs with sustained funding and issue guidance for 0-2 services.

Health and Social Care Committee

Recommendation: We call on the Government to set out plans to further expand the network of Family Hubs to provide access to a Hub every community. This plan must be supported by sustained and ringfenced funding. Previous research on the benefits …

Response Pending

#1 — Family Hubs funding remains significantly below Sure Start levels despite broader remit.

Health and Social Care Committee

Recommendation: We welcome the additional funding that the Government has announced for Family Hubs and its plans to open a Hub in every local authority. This is a positive step in increasing the support available to families during the critical first …

Response Pending

Health and Social Care Committee

Recommendation: But we are clear that this is only a starting point. It will not provide any improvement in access to care, which is urgently needed and would be improved through introducing free personal care as recommended by previous select committee …

Gov response: Details of the level of funding provided to the social care system during the COVID-19 pandemic and at the 2020 Spending Review can be found in the section; Preface: Adult Social Care Funding. 8.1 We …

Under Consideration

Health and Social Care Committee

Recommendation: We believe that the starting point for the social care funding increase must be an additional £7bn per year by 2023–24 to cover demographic changes, uplift staff pay in line with the National Minimum Wage and to protect people who …

Gov response: Details of the level of funding provided to the social care system during the COVID-19 pandemic and at the 2020 Spending Review can be found in the section; Preface: Adult Social Care Funding. 8.1 We …

Under Consideration

HMICFRS Recommendations (1)

PEEL 2018-19 CoC Recommendations: Northamptonshire Police

Cause of concern: The force can’t manage current demand effectively. It doesn’t have enough capacity or capability to investigate crime as effectively as it should. This is affecting the service too often. Northamptonshire Police is failing to respond appropriately to …

ICIBI Immigration Recommendations (3)

An inspection of asylum casework (June - October 2023)

Prioritise claims for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC), as per the Immigration Rules

A re-inspection of the use of hotels for housing unaccompanied asylum-seeking children …

Work with partners to provide advocacy support for children, to act on their behalf, for example in terms of challenging their length of stay in the hotel, or ensuring the …

An inspection of the Home Office’s use of age assessments (July 2024 …

In relation to the end-to-end age dispute process: Confirm the funding for the Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC) Service Management Team and set out its initial programme of work with delivery …

IOPC Learning Recommendations (2)

Investigation into the West Yorkshire Police response to reports of injuries to …

The IOPC recommends that West Yorkshire Police ensures that it is able to adequately resource the supervisory responsibilities in the safeguarding unit, taking into account both the number of people required and their levels of training and experience. This follows …

Recommendation - Devon and Cornwall Police, March 2023

The IOPC recommends that the NHS England review the resourcing of Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) within the Devon and Cornwall area. This follows an IOPC review of a Death or Serious Injury case in relation to the death of …

NAO Audit Recommendations (13)

Support for children and young people with special educational needs

DfE should: i) improve the data, incentives and processes to ensure children's needs are identified and supported as early as possible, particularly within early years

Support for children and young people with special educational needs

DfE should: h) undertake a specific exercise, drawing on local authority insights, to identify and share opportunities for efficiencies. This should consider routine reviews of individual EHC plans to assess if they are working, and benchmarks for local authorities to …

Support for children and young people with special educational needs

DfE should: g) ensure that it consistently translates its ambitions into an implementation approach with actions and sufficient detail on how improvements will be achieved, how much they will cost, how they inter-relate, how long they will take and the …

Support for children and young people with special educational needs

DfE should: f) develop a vision and long-term plan for inclusivity across mainstream education. This should consider opportunities to adapt funding and accountability arrangements to encourage inclusivity, building an evidence base for where mainstream settings can best support children with …

Support for children and young people with special educational needs

DfE should: e) develop its use of evidence to better understand how and why pupil numbers change across different settings to asses the need for spaces across local areas and types of setting, and how this will impact, for example, …

Support for children and young people with special educational needs

DfE should d) as a matter of urgency, work with MHCLG and HM Treasury, to share with local authorities its plans for ensuring each local authority can achieve a sustainable financial position once the statutory override ends in 2025-26, including …

Support for children and young people with special educational needs

DfE and the wider government should: c) build a more integrated system by, for example, developing a shared understanding of how identifying and supporting SEN should be prioritised, including within the health system; ensure those with accountability can act, including …

Support for children and young people with special educational needs

DfE and the wider government should: b) undertake work to understand the root causes behind increases in SEN and demand for EHC plans and special school places to ensure the whole system addresses them

Support for children and young people with special educational needs

DfE and the wider government should: a) explicitly consider whole-system reform, to improve outcomes for children with SEN and put SEN provision on a financially sustainable footing

Local government financial sustainability

We recommend that MHCLG: as a matter of urgency, work with DfE to support local authorities to sustainably manage their dedicated schools grant and address the cumulative deficits before the statutory override ends on 31 March 2026.

School funding in England

d) Take action to help mainstream schools deal with high-needs cost pressures. The Department needs to complete its review of support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities and set out how it will improve this aspect of the …

Support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities in England

The Department should prepare for the next full Spending Review by making an evidence-based assessment of how much it would cost to provide the system for supporting pupils with SEND created by the 2014 reforms. It should use this assessment …

Support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities in England

The Department should identify and share good practice on how mainstream schools can effectively meet the needs of those pupils with SEND who do not have EHC plans.

IMB Recommendations (17)

Werrington (2023)

Why was there no adequate social work cover for the maternity leave of a social worker and the sick leave of the senior social worker?

Werrington (2023)

With the increase in the cost of living, why hasn’t the “Looked After Children” (a young person who was in the care of their local authority before custody) allowance been increased?

It is disappointing that funding to support staffing in the young adults’ unit has been removed.

Investigate if local authority funding for SEN/EHCP children can follow them into custody.

Cookham Wood (2021)

What can the YCS do to monitor and support YOIs when dealing with youth offending teams? Is the staffing level for youth offending teams adequate?

What steps will the HMPPS and YCS take to address this moving forward?

Will you discuss with the Youth Justice Board and colleague Ministers how this can be addressed?

Ministry of Justice

Can steps be taken to ensure the Local Education Authority funding for these children follows them?

Cookham Wood (2024)

How has the closure of Cookham Wood improved the outcomes for those boys moved to other YOIs and, crucially, how has the decision to reduce the youth estate by one impacted the outcomes for all boys in the youth estate?

Wetherby (2025)

What specific actions and resources will be committed to ensure care leavers receive comprehensive support on release, including stable accommodation, access to education or employment and continuity of care, to prevent them from falling through the gaps?

Wetherby (2025)

What mechanisms will be put in place to ensure local authorities are fully accountable for meeting their statutory duties toward young people in care - both during custody and on release - and what consequences will follow if these obligations are not met?

What is the MoJ strategy for the management of young adults in the prison estate?

Ministry of Justice

Wetherby (2023)

The Board remains concerned about those young people who are ‘looked after’ by the local authority and consider that they are frequently financially disadvantaged due to late payments or lack of financial support. How can this situation be improved?

New Hall (2024)

In the Board’s view, it is obvious that higher levels of funding are essential to meet the complex and severe mental health needs of the women.

How will the Minister allocate the necessary resources for this age group in HMP/YOI Isis?

Ministry of Justice

Bronzefield (2023)

What are the Minister’s plans to address this issue?

Ministry of Justice

Could the Minister let the Board know how many additional Tier 2 (CAS2) and Tier 3 (CAS3) bed spaces are planned for the northeast and Cumbria in 2025?

PHSO Casework Decisions (7)

P-003179 — Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust

Miss Y complains that Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust failed to listen to her concerns about her son, or to refer him to the correct services.

NHS in England Partly Upheld Nov 2024

P-004357 — Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board

Miss A complains that an ICB found her son, B, not eligible for children and young people’s continuing care in May 2024 and withdrew his care provision.

NHS in England Partly Upheld Nov 2025

P-002380 — Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board

Dr U complains the ICB failed to give his daughter the respite care that is part of her care plan.

NHS in England Dec 2023

P-002682 — Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board

Ms D complains about the CCG’s assessment and funding of her mother’s care needs from 11 May to 1 November 2018. She says the CCG did not fully arrange and fund appropriate care to meet her mother’s needs and excluded any funding for home oxygen, pulmonary rehabilitation and mental health …

NHS in England Upheld Dec 2023

P-004505 — Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service …

Miss A complains about the professional conduct of a Cafcass Guardian and the manner in which they have communicated with her.

UK Government Dec 2025

P-002280 — Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board

Mr A complains the ICB failed to fund a suitable wheelchair for his son. He also complains it made a safeguarding referral against him and tried to make him drop his complaint.

NHS in England Nov 2023

P-002537 — North West London Integrated Care Board

Mrs I complains the ICB did not assess her son's continuing care needs in line with the National Framework. She says it wrongly decided he was not eligible for children’s continuing care funding.

NHS in England Apr 2024

LGO / SPSO Decisions (4232)

22-011-910 — North Northamptonshire Council

Summary: Miss X complained the Council has failed to provide alternative provision for her daughter, F since May 2021 when she stopped attending school. The Council was at fault. It failed to have sufficient oversight or consider whether to put alternative provision in place for F during the 2021/2022 academic …

LGO (Local Government & … Education Upheld Jun 2024

23-002-919 — Newcastle upon Tyne City Council

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s involvement in Miss X’s children’s case. The substantive part of the complaint is late and there is not a good reason for the delay. There is insufficient evidence of fault in more recent events, nor could we provide a meaningful …

LGO (Local Government & … Children S Care Services Jul 2024

202000338 — The Moray Council

C is an independent advocate who complained on behalf of their client (A). Following social work involvement, A’s child (B) was placed with kinship carers. This was a voluntary arrangement, in terms of section 25 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995. After the relationship with kinship carers broke down, C …

SPSO (Scottish Public Se… Local Government Upheld Feb 2021

201806620 — East Lothian Council

Mr C complained that for over three years, the council failed to reasonably respond to his and his wife's (Mrs C) concerns about their child's (Child A) additional support for learning needs. Child A has a developmental learning disability. Mr C also said that the council unreasonably removed Child A’s …

SPSO (Scottish Public Se… Local Government Partly Upheld Feb 2021

25-014-161 — London Borough of Lewisham

LGO (Local Government & … Children S Care Services

25-013-374 — Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council

LGO (Local Government & … Children S Care Services

24-016-104 — Gloucestershire County Council

LGO (Local Government & … Education

24-007-408 — Royal Borough of Greenwich

LGO (Local Government & … Education Upheld

25-015-691 — London Borough of Tower Hamlets

LGO (Local Government & … Education

25-013-565 — Buckinghamshire Council

LGO (Local Government & … Education Upheld

25-013-010 — Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council

LGO (Local Government & … Education Upheld

25-012-848 — Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

LGO (Local Government & … Education

25-002-888 — North Northamptonshire Council

LGO (Local Government & … Education Not Upheld

25-001-414 — Hampshire County Council

LGO (Local Government & … Education Upheld

24-020-246 — Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council

LGO (Local Government & … Education Upheld

25-015-391 — Essex County Council

LGO (Local Government & … Education Upheld

25-014-704 — Essex County Council

LGO (Local Government & … Education Upheld

PSOW-202202192 — Swansea Council

Ms X complained about delays with the Council’s investigation in response to her Social Services complaint about the care of her son. The Ombudsman decided that the Council should provide Ms X with its Stage 2 response by 31 August 2022. It should also write to her to advise of …

PSOW (Public Services Om… Local Government Aug 2022

PSOW-202302987 — Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council

Mr G complained that Rhondda Cynon Taff Borough Council failed to comply with its complaint’s procedure in relation to his concerns about children’s social services. The Ombudsman found that there had been a delay in the Council issuing a Stage 1 complaint response. Furthermore, the Council failed to respond to …

PSOW (Public Services Om… Local Government Aug 2023

PSOW-202306531 — Vale of Glamorgan Council

Ms A complained about the way the Vale of Glamorgan Council removed her children and the subsequent care arrangements it put in place. The Ombudsman decided that whilst the Council had carried out a Stage 2 investigation, the findings of which it had accepted in full, it had not completed …

PSOW (Public Services Om… Local Government Jan 2024

PSOW-202106412 — Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council

We investigated a complaint from Mrs A that the Council did not implement the recommendation made by a Stage 2 Independent Investigator in relation to the payment of a special guardianship allowance (“SGO allowance”), and that its decision to do so was unreasonable. The recommendation was that the Council should …

PSOW (Public Services Om… Local Government Upheld Nov 2023

PSOW-202306410 — Wrexham County Borough Council

Miss F complained that Wrexham County Borough Council had failed to respond to the complaint that had been referred to it by the Ombudsman in July. The Ombudsman found that there had been a breakdown in communication between the teams dealing with the complaint and it had subsequently been overlooked. …

PSOW (Public Services Om… Local Government Nov 2023

PSOW-202405325 — Cardiff Council

Miss A complained that in over 5 months, Cardiff Council failed to respond to her request for her complaint about Children’s Services to be escalated to Stage 2 of the Council’s complaints policy. She said the lack of appropriate communication and handling of her complaint, compounded her feeling that she …

PSOW (Public Services Om… Local Government Jan 2025

PSOW-202406900 — Caerphilly County Borough Council

Ms A was dissatisfied with the Council’s response to her complaint and requested an independent investigation. The Ombudsman found that the Council had provided a response to the concerns raised by Ms A at Stage 1 of its complaint policy. Ms A was dissatisfied with the response. However, the Council …

PSOW (Public Services Om… Local Government Jan 2025

21-003-354 — North Yorkshire County Council

Summary: Mr X and Ms Y complained the Council failed to make ‘reasonable endeavours’ to provide for their son, Z’s, special educational needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Council failed to properly consider and make ‘reasonable endeavours’ to arrange Z’s special education when there was an alternative provider available. It …

LGO (Local Government & … Education Upheld Jan 2022

20-001-927 — London Borough of Redbridge

Summary: Miss X complains that the Council failed to provide special educational provision for her daughter in line with her Education, Health and Care plan. She also complains that the Council ignored her request for a personal budget and failed to respond to her complaint. Miss X says her daughter …

LGO (Local Government & … Education Upheld Jan 2022

21-001-405 — London Borough of Southwark

Summary: There was delay by the Council in putting in place alternative education when a child was unable to attend school due to ill-health or ‘otherwise’. The Council has agreed to apologise, make a financial payment and make service improvements.

LGO (Local Government & … Education Upheld Feb 2022

21-005-861 — Dorset Council

Summary: Miss X complained about delays in the Council assessing and meeting her child, Y’s, special educational needs between 2019 and 2021. The Council accepted there were significant delays in assessing and planning for Y’s needs and that it failed to provide a suitable education for over two years. The …

LGO (Local Government & … Education Upheld Mar 2022

21-004-622 — Buckinghamshire Council

Summary: Mr X complained the Council failed to provide his son, F, with alternative provision or any education between February 2020 and July 2021. The Council failed to provide alternative provision for F between September and December 2020. The Council agreed to pay Mr X a total of £1650 to …

LGO (Local Government & … Education Upheld Mar 2022

21-000-614 — Hampshire County Council

Summary: The complainant alleged that the Council delayed in preparing her son’s Education, Health and Care Plan and, as a result, he missed out on receiving a suitable education and support. The Council has accepted there was an avoidable delay. We have recommended an improved remedy for the injustice caused …

LGO (Local Government & … Education Upheld Mar 2022

20-011-281 — London Borough of Hounslow

Summary: Miss B complained that the Council failed to provide alternative education to her child, C when they were unable to attend school for medical reasons and delayed in considering her complaint. We found the Council did not provide alternative education for C for approximately eight months. We recognise the …

LGO (Local Government & … Education Upheld Mar 2022

21-010-646 — Lincolnshire County Council

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council failed to provide her son with appropriate social care support from March 2021, and failed to complete appropriate assessments of his needs. The Council was at fault as it failed to investigate Mrs X’s complaint under the statutory children’s complaints procedure. The Council will …

LGO (Local Government & … Children S Care Services Upheld Mar 2022

21-007-404 — Trafford Council

Summary: Mr X complained about the Council's response to his children’s statutory complaint. The Council was at fault in how it responded to Mr X’s concerns about the actions of its education department and health services and for a delay in arranging an educational placement for Mr X’s son, W. …

LGO (Local Government & … Children S Care Services Upheld Jun 2022

21-017-441 — Plymouth City Council

Summary: The complainant (Ms X) said the Council failed to provide suitable education for her daughter (B) following her permanent exclusion from the school. She said the lack of full-time education for 18 months affected B’s academic and personal development and had detrimental impact on the whole family. We found …

LGO (Local Government & … Education Upheld Jun 2022

21-006-452 — Kingston Upon Hull City Council

Summary: The Council was at fault for a delay in deciding whether to reassess Y’s special educational needs, a delay in carrying out that reassessment and a failure to either provide full-time alternative education whilst Y was out of school or record the reasons part-time provision was a suitable education …

LGO (Local Government & … Education Upheld Jul 2022

21-014-757 — Peterborough City Council

Summary: Mrs B complains the Council has not provided support to her disabled children and about the way it dealt with her complaint. We have found fault that has caused injustice. The Council has agreed to make payments to Mrs B and her family and review its complaints handling.

LGO (Local Government & … Children S Care Services Upheld Aug 2022

22-000-077 — Derbyshire County Council

Summary: Mr and Mrs B complained the Council failed to ensure an adequate investigation into a complaint they made in December 2017. We upheld the complaint finding the Council at fault for a series of delays which prevented the complaint progressing through the statutory complaint procedure for complaints about children’s …

LGO (Local Government & … Children S Care Services Upheld Oct 2022

21-012-425 — London Borough of Newham

Summary: The complainant (Ms X) complained about the lack of children’s services support for her son (Y) despite his diagnosis of epilepsy and Occupational Therapist’s (OT) recommendations. She also said the Council failed in the way it considered her complaint. We found fault with the Council’s handling of Ms X’s …

LGO (Local Government & … Children S Care Services Upheld Nov 2022

23-018-488 — London Borough of Waltham Forest

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council has declined to consult the schools of the complainant’s choice when considering which placement to name in her child’s Education Health and Care Plan. This is because it would be reasonable for the complainant to use her right to appeal …

LGO (Local Government & … Education Mar 2024

23-010-123 — Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council

Summary: The Council has recognised that there were faults in its child protection procedures when deciding whether to place the complainant’s son on a child protection plan. We have recommended a way to remedy the injustice caused which the Council has accepted. We are therefore closing the complaint.

LGO (Local Government & … Children S Care Services Upheld Mar 2024

23-005-051 — Birmingham City Council

Summary: Miss X complains the Council has not properly dealt with Y’s special educational needs. The Council has not completed annual reviews properly, has not communicated with Miss X and did not respond to her complaint. Y has lost special educational provision, missed educational opportunities and suffered avoidable distress. The …

LGO (Local Government & … Education Upheld Mar 2024

22-018-130 — Kent County Council

Summary: Miss B complained about matters connected to the Council’s management of a personal budget she receives to meet some of her child’s special educational needs. We upheld the complaint, mainly because the Council delayed too long in responding to Miss B’s complaints. We consider this caused her an injustice, …

LGO (Local Government & … Education Upheld Mar 2024

23-007-194 — North Yorkshire Council

Summary: The Council failed to ensure that Y received the special educational provision set out in their EHC Plan. The Council has agreed to apologise and make payments to Y and to Ms X and to take action to prevent similar failings in future.

LGO (Local Government & … Education Upheld Mar 2024

23-005-967 — East Sussex County Council

Summary: The complainant said that the Council failed to provide suitable education to her son, who has special educational needs. We find that there has been some fault causing injustice. We have recommended ways to remedy the injustice, which the Council has accepted. We are therefore closing the complaint.

LGO (Local Government & … Education Upheld Mar 2024

23-005-064 — Norfolk County Council

Summary: Ms X complained the Council implemented an unlawful policy to temporarily provide 50% of the speech and language therapy needed in Education Health and Care Plans. We found fault by the Council because it implemented an unlawful policy and did not meet its statutory duty to provide the required …

LGO (Local Government & … Education Upheld Mar 2024

23-009-810 — Hertfordshire County Council

Summary: Miss C complained about delays by the Council in taking action to support her child, who has special educational needs. We uphold the complaint. We find the Council delayed in consulting a specialist school, in obtaining advice about the child’s speech and language needs and in completing a review …

LGO (Local Government & … Education Upheld Mar 2024

23-009-405 — London Borough of Hillingdon

Summary: X complained the Council failed to provide the OT provision specified in their child’s EHC plan or reimburse the transport costs for their child attending school between September 2022 and July 2023. X also complained the Council has failed to properly assess their child’s care needs or their own …

LGO (Local Government & … Education Upheld Mar 2024

23-009-049 — Dorset Council

Summary: Miss X complained about the Council’s failure to issue her son’s Education, Health and Care Plan within statutory timescales. The Council was at fault because it took too long to issue the plan following an annual review. We have also found the Council at fault for not communicating with …

LGO (Local Government & … Education Upheld Mar 2024

23-007-209 — Derbyshire County Council

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council failed to secure the special educational needs provision in her child D’s Education, Health, and Care plan. The Council was at fault because it failed to ensure the plan was in place, which caused D to miss special educational needs provision. The Council’s fault …

LGO (Local Government & … Education Upheld Mar 2024

23-005-741 — West Sussex County Council

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council failed to provide her child with alternative education when she was unable to attend school due to ill health. The Council was at fault for failing to consider its duty under Section 19 of the Education Act 1996 from April 2022 to February 2023. …

LGO (Local Government & … Education Upheld Mar 2024

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