Every child matters doubts

The government has dismissed MPs’ concerns about the level of
funding available to implement the Every Child Matters
agenda – despite fresh calls from local government leaders to
reconsider resource implications.

Responding to the Education and Skills select committee’s report on
progress in implementing the children’s services reforms, the
government insisted last month that “substantial resources” were
already available.

Its only concession was a commitment to review in the light of
responses to the Children’s Workforce Strategy consultation the
funding available for the development of the entire children’s
workforce – which it currently believes is sufficient.

The news came as a survey of council funds revealed that overspends
in children’s services were responsible for almost three-quarters
of a £1.5bn black hole in last year’s local government
finances.

The Association of Directors of Social Services, the Local
Government Association, and the Directors of Education and
Children’s Services Directors also warned in their response to
draft guidance on new safeguarding arrangements that assumptions
that implementing it would be cost neutral were wrong.

“The government must give further consideration to the resource
implications for all organisations working within the guidance,”
they said.