WIREDGOV

Anne Longfield, Children’s Commissioner for England, responded to the Government’s Spending Review

“The Chancellor’s announcement of an extra £1 billion for adult and children’s social care will not be enough to tackle the growing crisis in children’s services or to turn around the lives of thousands of vulnerable children. At the moment, too many children only receive the support they need when they have already reached crisis point. That has to change and it will require more than some unspecified fraction of £1 billion for it to happen.

“If it does not, then we will continue to see council’s children’s services stretched, children put at risk and children missing out on vital help they need to thrive. We should be ashamed that there are literally millions of kids in England not having the childhood a decent society would want and we cannot just continue to cross our fingers and hope for the best.

“The children we speak with tell us about how they want a decent place to live, to have healthy minds, to live in safe communities where they can play out and to receive the support they need if they have Special Educational Needs or Disabilities. While today’s Spending Review makes some progress on improving youth services and school funding, it falls short of the significant investment needed to make our country the best place for a child to grow up.”