Directors call again for more cash for boards

The government has rejected calls for agencies to be given ringfenced funding to set up local safeguarding children’s boards.

A Department for Education and Skills official told the conference that the government was “resistant to having a special grant”, adding: “If locally you cannot give priority to safeguarding children then what are we saying about safeguarding?”

But the Association of Directors of Social Services later said it would continue to call for dedicated money for the boards.

Andrew Webb, co-chair of its children and families committee, said he would demand the funding until he had “no breath left” because agencies would be unable to find the £150,000 start-up costs.

“Seventy-two per cent of departments are overspent on their budget,” he added. “Police and primary care trusts are all being screwed to the floor at the moment.”