Spending review – children’s social care is still the poor relation to education and health

Author: TACT

TACT Fostering is disappointed that after all the post-election talk of reforming failing children’s services, strengthening special guardianship assessments, and David Cameron’s strident rhetoric on wilful neglect and adoption, the government’s comprehensive spending review and Autumn statement made no reference to children’s services.

Andy Elvin, chief executive of TACT Fostering says the spending review shows: “As ever children’s social care is the poor relation to education and health.”

There will be relief for some service users from the reversal of tax credit cuts, and that may have a positive impact on relatives who take out special guardianship orders. However, TACT had hoped for something definitive on the post-adoption support fund.

“TACT would like to see this extended to those taking special guardianship orders as well, but at the very least it is vital that the Department for Education give local authorities and voluntary adoption agencies certainty on this to allow for planning of service provision capacity,” Andy Elvin says.

For more information, interviews, quotes etc., please contact Laura Luxton – TACT Communications on [email protected] or telephone 0208 695 8133 or 07793 580 418.