Kerry McCarthy Labour MP for Bristol East
Earlier this week I attended an event in Parliament co-hosted by Action for Children, Barnardo’s, NSPCC, The Children’s Society and the National Children’s Bureau. These charities have just published new analysis, which shows that children’s services are at breaking point. Government cuts mean that local councils are struggling to give vulnerable children the support they need. The charities also report that spending has shifted away from early intervention and harm prevention, to later intervention, putting children at risk of criminal or sexual exploitation.
Since 2011 Bristol has lost 36% of its Government funding, which makes it the second worst affected council in the South West. Despite this, Bristol City Council has done all it can to protect children’s services. But this situation cannot continue. The Government must properly fund children’s services to give every child and young person the best start to life, and I will be calling for this ahead of the Spending Review in March.
