New analysis reinforces the case for investing earlier in children and families

A major new report has concluded that stronger early intervention, improved multi-agency working and enhanced support for parents could help more children remain safely with their families while reducing future pressures on children's social care services.

The report, From Prevention to Reconnection: Working Towards a Multi-Agency System that Keeps More Families Together, was commissioned by the County Councils Network (CCN) and the Society of County Treasurers (SCT). It examines how England's children's services system could better prevent children entering care and support more children to return safely to their families following a period in care.

The report highlights significant growth in demand and expenditure across children's social care services.

According to the analysis, the number of children in the care of county and rural unitary authorities has increased by 29% since 2016, while expenditure on care placements has risen by 240%, from £1.3 billion to £3.2 billion. Without reform, the report projects that the number of children in care could rise to almost 30,000 by 2035, with annual spending on care placements reaching £4.8 billion.

Findings from Case Reviews

The report draws on analysis of data and more than 100 case reviews to identify opportunities for earlier and more coordinated support.

Key findings include:

• Four in ten children entering care had not previously received formal support from local authority safeguarding services.
• Practitioners reviewing cases believed that seven in ten families could have received more effective support from at least one part of the multi-agency system before a child entered care.
• In almost half of these cases, practitioners considered that improved support may have prevented entry to care at that point.

The report emphasises that entering care remains the right and necessary decision for many children and does not suggest that all care admissions can or should be avoided. Instead, it focuses on identifying opportunities for earlier intervention and more effective support where appropriate.

Five Proposed System Shifts

The analysis identifies five key areas for system-wide improvement:

1. Better support for parental needs, including mental health, domestic abuse and substance misuse.
2. Improved engagement and trust with families.
3. Greater integration of schools within family support systems.
4. More effective use of joined-up data to identify need earlier.
5. Stronger approaches to family reconnection where children have entered care.

The report also calls for strengthened multi-agency working across local authorities, health services, schools and voluntary sector partners, alongside continued investment in preventative and early intervention services.

Projected Impact

The modelling within the report suggests that, if the proposed changes were successfully implemented by 2028:

• Approximately 6,000 additional parents could access specialist support services each year.
• Around 2,250 fewer children could enter care annually, representing a reduction of approximately 15%.
• Up to £4.7 billion in cumulative care placement costs could be avoided by 2035.

The report concludes by calling for continued investment in prevention and early intervention, alongside reforms to data sharing, family support services and multi-agency working arrangements.

See report Children’s services and SEND - County Councils Network