John Pearce: Children’s services priorities for the new prime minister

The winner of the Conservative leadership contest should build a country that works for all children, writes the vice president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services.

Over the past year ADCS members have spoken about the opportunities arising from the various reform programmes currently in train across children’s services. We will soon have a new prime minister who will of course have their own policy direction, and we will potentially have a new crop of ministers too. As we prepare to work with a new government, I have been reflecting on what their priorities should be.

John Pearce, vice president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services

Demand for our services continues to rise yet we lack a funding settlement that reflects this. A decade of austerity forced us to cut many of the services that allow us to support children and families early.

This is a false economy which only stores up problems for the future; it is no coincidence that, according to Local Government Association research, most local authorities have overspent on their children’s social care budgets in recent years. Providing proper, long term and sustainable funding for the vital services children, young people and their families rely on, placing a stronger emphasis on early help, must be a priority for the new prime minister and their cabinet.

Children's mental health

In children’s services, major reviews are usually a rare occurrence but we have had three so far this year, not to mention landmark reports from the Competition & Markets Authority and the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel.

‘Does this improve outcomes for children?’ must be the golden question asked in all government departments before implementing policy changes

However, the obvious gap is a national review of children’s mental health services – there is no time to lose and this must be a key priority action area for government. The schools white paper, Send and alternative provision green paper and children’s social care review have all arrived at a critical time for children’s services and it is essential that the government’s response to these important documents considers the system as a whole.

There are a lot of recommendations coming out of them and they will relate to different government departments who must have a joined-up approach in order to effect real change.

Levelling up and children

Another major policy initiative already in train is the government’s commitment to ‘levelling up’. Beyond education and skills, the levelling up white paper says little about improving children’s life chances, yet this should be central to any levelling up agenda.

As a director of children’s services in the north-east region, I see first-hand the impact of poverty and inequality on children’s outcomes. Over 4 million children in the UK are currently living in poverty, 75% of whom are in working families. If we are to give these children the best start in life, we need to begin with tackling the causes of child poverty and be truly ambitious for all children and young people.

The new prime minister has within their gift the opportunity to build a country that works for all children. The care review calls for a vision for children’s social care but we think this should go further and be part of a coherent and strategic long-term plan for childhood from the early years through school and adolescence to adulthood.

We stand ready to work with government to create such a plan. ‘Does this improve outcomes for children?’ must be the golden question asked in all government departments before implementing policy changes. Children and young people must be at the forefront of all of our thinking – they are our future.

John Pearce, vice president, Association of Directors of Children’s Services; corporate director, children and young people, Durham CC