Weekly Newsletter - 20.06.2024

Annual Welfare Spending to Rise by £20bn: Resolution Foundation Report 

Author

UKGovTech
June 20, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

 Child Protection

The lack of suitable placements for vulnerable children in England has led to a significant rise in deprivation of liberty orders, with children being forcibly detained in unregulated settings. Sir James Munby and other senior judges have criticised this situation, calling it a moral failure. The government has committed funds for new secure placements, but it is insufficient. The introduction of market models and budget cuts have exacerbated the issue, leading to inadequate public provision. Addressing this problem requires confronting past mistakes and restoring funding to meet legal obligations for child welfare.

Policy & Reform

The Labour Party's 2024 manifesto, launched by Keir Starmer, pledges to reduce child poverty, invest in school-based careers and mental health support, and grant voting rights to 16- and 17-year-olds. Key initiatives include building 1.5 million affordable homes, free breakfast clubs in primary schools, and £95 million for Young Futures Hubs. The manifesto also promises £450 million for 6,500 new expert teachers, vocational education expansion, and a youth guarantee for training and job support. Public health measures include tougher junk food advertising restrictions and preventing children from buying cigarettes and vapes.

Special Need Support Plan

New figures from the Department for Education reveal a significant rise in the number of children requiring special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support in England, reaching a record 576,000. The increase in Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) has put immense pressure on schools and local councils, with funding failing to keep pace with demand. Experts warn that the SEND system is nearing collapse, urging the next government to ensure adequate funding. Despite some improvements, many families still face long waits for support.

Manifesto Funding Oversight 

The Conservative Party's latest manifesto pledges to create more children's home places and expand befriending and mentoring schemes for care leavers but allocates no new funding for these reforms. Despite a £2.6bn care review bill, the manifesto lacks specific commitments to roll out current sector reforms. Charities express disappointment, highlighting the need for meaningful investment to address the significant funding crisis facing local authority children's services and to ensure better support for kinship carers and care leavers.

Welfare & Social Policy 

Welfare spending in the UK is projected to increase by £20.8bn annually by the end of the next parliament, driven mainly by higher expenditures on pensions and health-related benefits, according to the Resolution Foundation. The report highlights that over 90% of the additional spending will go towards the State Pension and disability benefits. It also warns that the two-child limit policy will push 51% of large families into poverty by 2028-29. Since 2010, pensioners have seen an average gain of £900, while working-age families have lost £1,500.

SEND & Education 

The number of Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs) for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in England has risen by 11.4% in the past year, the highest increase since 2018. Despite this growth, nearly half of EHCPs are not issued within the 20-week legal deadline, highlighting the strain on the SEND system. The Department for Education data shows 84,428 new EHCPs started in 2023, a 26.6% increase from 2022. Calls for urgent reform and increased funding are growing as councils struggle to meet rising demand.

Health & Safety 

Birmingham Children's Hospital has been instructed to improve its urgent and emergency services following a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection. The review, conducted in January, downgraded the hospital's urgent care rating from good to requires improvement, though the overall rating remains good. Issues highlighted include understaffing and inadequate mental health crisis training. However, the hospital has secured funding to increase triage nurse capacity and plans to recruit more staff. The CQC will continue to monitor the hospital through future inspections.