ADCS President’s annual conference speech
Speaking to an assembled group of senior leaders in children and young people services in Manchester Andy Smith, President of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS), today said:
On austerity
“The impact of 14 years of austerity on public services has meant that the very social fabric which many of us rely upon has been eradicated. While there continues to be a funding gulf in children’s services, the overall perilous state of local government finance must be addressed if we are serious about addressing the growing inequalities that have been left to go unchecked. Long term, sustainable funding for local government is the only solution.”
On child poverty
“The new government has committed to an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty, I would say this doesn’t go far enough, we need to eradicate child poverty if we are to start to create a society that is based on the principles of social justice and recognises the importance of childhood for all children.”
On children’s social care reform
“We have a blueprint for reform across children’s social care…The principles are the right ones on which the system should be developed – prevention, early intervention and keeping children within their family network wherever safe and possible to do so…I recognise the challenges of the economic climate in which we are working but the reality is that the reforms cannot be delivered without appropriate funding and we can’t continue to rob Peter to pay Paul; it just doesn’t make sense. The big figure in the care review was £2.6 billion and that doesn’t include the ever-growing funding gap. The longer we leave it, the more it will cost; we need to reset the system now.”
On profiteering
“…individuals and organisations are amassing huge wealth on the back of the work we do to support children and families, some of whom are experiencing the most challenging times in their lives. Profiteering on the back of public services is simply not acceptable. Prior to the general election, the DfE’s Market Advisory Group…started to consider what national action is needed to address the spiralling costs of placements for children in care and the profit that is being made as a result…we are ready and willing to support this work and any action the new government is willing to take to ensure that the resources we have available are directed towards improving the lives of children and not shareholders or hedge fund investors.”
On unaccompanied asylum seeking (UAS) children
“…Year after year, there is a crisis response from government when arrivals start to increase in line with the better weather...Notwithstanding the placement sufficiency challenges that we are grappling with, there are actions that could be taken immediately to help alleviate some of the pressure. The UAS children care leaver funding needs to be reviewed urgently…And finally, given the significant majority of former UASC care leavers are granted leave to remain, why must they have no recourse to public funds while they await decisions. Allowing temporary access to benefits and the right to work seems like an obvious step in the right direction. I also hope that given the events of last week, we will now have an opportunity to pause and take stock on the Illegal Migration Act. ADCS has been clear from the get-go that the Act is in conflict with the legal framework in which children’s services operates.”
On the Covid-19 pandemic
“Consideration of the ongoing impact of the pandemic has been absent in national policy development and as the Covid Inquiry launches its eighth module focusing on children and young people, ADCS will continue to call for the right resources to ensure we do not have a generation of children whose lives and life chances are forever impacted by global events.”
On 20 years of the DCS role
“Alot has changed in 20 years, the needs of children and the landscape in which we work is drastically different and yet the role of the DCS has stayed the same…Multiple and often complex national reforms have resulted in accountability and responsibility no longer aligning. The Independent Review of Children’s Social Care called for a review of the DCS role, such a review would provide an opportunity to ensure the role has the levers and powers to advocate in 2024 and in the future.”
On inclusive education
“As a nation, we need a new all encompassing vision for education that government, employers, parents, carers and learners can sign up to. One that is inclusive, not exclusive, where the differing needs of children are recognised as a strength in a school, not a burden to it, and where resources allow for additionality to be appropriately catered for. ADCS believes this vision must be rooted in place through the development of place-based school partnerships, based on strong collaboration and driven by a shared moral purpose across partners. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, some of the solutions are in the Timpson Review and the shelved Schools White Paper, they just need dusting off.”
On cross government working
“While the Department for Education has a lead role, several other government departments front different aspects of children’s policy. The system is fragmented which leads to silos and limits our ability to positively work with children and families in a holistic way and have full impact…There are things that the new government could do to signal a change, transfer leadership on youth justice and the Youth Justice Board to the Department for Education, along with youth services so these areas can align with wider children’s services policy. It makes no sense for the Home Office to lead on the development of a new network of Young Futures hubs, if we are serious about the principles of prevention and early intervention, the government must transfer this to the Department for Education so it can be developed as part of the early help offer rather than an intervention further down the line.”
The full speech can be found on the ADCS website www.adcs.org.uk
ENDS