Action for Children report into impact of spending cuts

A year on from the CoalitionGovernment’s Spending Review, which set out public spending plans for four years in October 2010, Action for Children has launched the results of a year-long investigation
into the social and financial costs of spending decisions that were made.

The charity conducted research with over 200 of its frontline managers: social care professionals working daily with over 80,000 of the most vulnerable and neglected children, young people and families in communities across the UK.

The findings have been published in its first annual Red Book. In the last three months, the charity says 48% of its frontline services have reported a ‘marked rise’ in the number of children,
young people and families needing a service but unable to access one:

• At least 5,000 vulnerable children, young
  people and families have been identified as needing the services it
  provides but are currently not receiving a service.
• Over half of frontline services have reported
  supporting children and young people (51%) and families (52%) with more
  severe problems, compared to six months ago.

Managers believe that demand for their services has risen because of anincrease in family breakdown (41%), parental mental health/physical health issues (39%), reduction in other community services such as Child and Adolescent Mental Health services (38%), reduction in household income because of unemployment (26%) and benefit reduction (22%).