Somerset Council faces a £7.512 million overspend on Children’s Services in 2024/25, as an increased number of children are coming into care in the county.
The budgetary pressures derive from an overspend in the external placements budget, with residential placements and supported accommodation for those over the age of 16 contributing to the overspend.
Somerset Council has also seen a particular increase of children under the age of two, and of the 10 to 15 age group, coming into the care system. A recent report submitted to the Scrutiny Committee stated: “The increase in cost pressures mainly relates to the 10 to 15 age group, where serious youth violence, linked to criminal exploitation, is a key factor.”
As a result of the situation, “the only option initially is often high-cost residential crisis care”, which can see children staying for months at a time.
In July earlier this year, a report conducted by Ofsted found that “children are being left at risk of significant harm” in Somerset, and that an “ineffective partnership working between agencies has led to a failure to identify, understand and respond to the extent of serious youth violence and the criminal exploitation of children in Somerset.”
At Somerset Council’s Scrutiny Committee held on Monday, October 28, Cllr Heather Shearer, Lead Member for Children, Families & Education, was questioned over finances by Cllr Diogo Rodrigues.
Cllr Rodrigues said: “When I read this, I'm not just thinking about numbers on paper. The impression I get… is that we are failing our children, are we not?”
Cllr Shearer acknowledged the "systemic issues" facing Children's Services and other public agencies involved in child welfare across Somerset. She highlighted that while agencies like the police, health, and youth justice perform well individually, their coordination is lacking.
Cllr Shearer also emphasised the Somerset Council’s commitment to work collaboratively, and reassured that measures are in place to address these challenges with urgency.
