‘Children’s services lose out to schools’

The chancellor has missed an opportunity to strengthen the Every Child Matters agenda by focusing on education at the expense of other children’s services, a leading children’s services director has said.

Andrew Webb (pictured), co-chair of the Association of Directors of Social Services children and families committee, said that he was concerned that funding had been announced for schools, but not joined-up children’s services.

In his pre-budget report, Gordon Brown announced £36bn of capital funding for education over the next four years and £130m in 2007-8 to support personalised teaching and extended services in English schools.

Webb said the announcement did not bode well for children’s services in next year’s comprehensive spending review, which will cover expenditure from 2008 to 2011.

“You can’t improve educational outcomes unless you have wrap around support,” he said.

Contact the authors
 Maria Ahmed

 Amy Taylor