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Latest children’s services spending boost absorbed entirely by care system, figures show

Data suggests funding on family support and lower level statutory social work being squeezed, as government seeks to shift children's social care system towards earlier intervention and reduce placement spending

By Mithran Samuel on September 24, 2025 in Children, Social work leaders

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The increase in children’s services spending last year was entirely absorbed by the care system, official figures have shown.

English councils boosted expenditure on children’s social care by £297m (2%) in real terms in 2024-25, when they spent £15.5bn on the service, according to Ministry of Housing, Communites and Local Government figures published last week.

However, this rise was more than consumed by expenditure on looked-after children, which increased by £322m (4%) in real-terms last year.

By implication, spending on other areas of children’s social care – family support, children’s centres, youth services, youth justice or safeguarding provision – was static or fell.

Children in care services absorbing increases in spend

The figures are part of a trend of looked-after children’s services – predominantly the costs of placements – absorbing the bulk of increases in expenditure on children’s social care. In 2023-24, councils spent £998m (9.9%) more in real-terms on children’s social care than the year before, with please sign and share ASAP and promote  this petition