PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Children: Disadvantaged (4 July 2019)

The government has recently published its own analysis on the review of children in need showing the scale of children needing social care support: 1.6 million children between 2012-13 and 2017-18. Whilst official statistics show that the number of children in need of help and protection has remained broadly stable since 2010, we welcome the Commissioner’s report and its contribution to a developing evidence base.

Across government, we are taking action to address childhood vulnerability, whether this is through reforming children’s social care, prioritising mental health or better protecting victims of domestic abuse. The government has also committed £920 million to the second phase of the Troubled Families Programme, which aims to achieve significant and sustained improvement for up to 400,000 families with multiple, high-cost problems.

We have established a What Works Centre for Children’s Social Care to develop the evidence base on what works to support vulnerable children and families. We are also investing a further £84 million over the next 5 years through the Strengthening Families, Protecting Children programme, which will support up to 20 local authorities with high or rising demand for children’s social care services to improve the support offered to vulnerable children and their families.