COUNCIL cabinet members in Northumberland have issued a plea for more Government funding amid significant predicted overspends in budgets for children and adult social care.

Documents show that current forecasts put the council at a net overspend of £6.77 million by the end of the financial year.

This is primarily made up of an overspend of just over £2 million in adult services and a £7.79 million overspend in children’s services – partially offset by underspend in other areas.

At this week’s meeting of local authority’s cabinet, councillors admitted the current situation is “unsustainable”.

Demand on both sectors has increased significantly in recent years, and the Conservative administration is now calling on the Labour Government for extra funding.

Speaking at the meeting, council leader Glen Sanderson outlined the nature of the pressure the council had faced in recent years.

He said: “I am going to write to the secretary of state to highlight the fact that we are now committed to spending so much extra money each year on children and adults’ services.

“Over the last five years we have spent between £50-£60 million more which comes out of our reserves or other potential ways of spending. We have had to found that over the last five years.”

The number of children issued with an Education and Healthcare Plan (EHCP) by the council has increased from 1,869 in 2020 to 3,225 in 2023. An EHCP is a legal document which describes a child or young person’s special educational needs, the support they need and the outcomes they hope to achieve. The growing pressure means schools in the county are having to adapt to meet the needs of a growing number of children.

Cllr Sanderson added: “No-one expected the increase in our send population or cared for children. The demand has grown significantly and we have the cost of meeting those needs.

“Our cared for children and SEND pupils are just as important as any other children. We are determined to provide a level of care for them.

“We are not just asking for more money – we’re looking at other options to save costs. If Local Government is expected to pick up the cost of this increase, then there has to be a recognition from central Government to help – it is as simple as that.”

Cabinet member for corporate services Coun Wojciech Ploszaj outlined the council’s financial position as a whole. He said: “The council is generally financially sound compared to other councils in the country.

“We are seeing rising costs of children’s and adults’ social care. This cost in the last few years has been extraordinary and out of control. It is making it unsustainable in the long-term.

“We are looking at various options as to how we can reduce that cost and tackle the issue. It is not just a local issue, it is a national issue pressing most, if not all councils across the UK.

“We’re doing everything we can to reduce that. We’re working with children’s and adult services to use our assets. However, it is very likely we will need support from central Government.”
 
Cllr Guy Renner-Thompson, cabinet member for children’s services, outlined some of the steps that were already being taken to reduce pressure on his department’s budget.

He said: “We’re very much on the front foot with children’s services, trying to reduce our annual revenue spending by investing in our capital services. We have got SEND facilities opening up in Berwick, Amble and across the Tyne Valley with specialist support facilities in our primary schools.

“This will reduce the amount of travel time our SEND children have – which is good – and it saves us money, because it stops us having to put them on expensive buses and taxis across the county.

“In our children’s homes we are investing huge amounts of money. We just opened a new one in Pegswood which will stop expensive out of county placements. We have also agreed in principle an increase in payments to foster carers for the same reason.”

Labour’s manifesto stated that it would provide councils with multi-year funding settlements and provide “capacity and support to councils”. It also pledged to end “wasteful” competitive bidding and overhaul local audit systems so taxpayers receive better value for money.