The problem for the Council is not that it is taxing too little. It is not that is has been unfairly treated. The difficulty is that it is spending too much.
The educational benefits are well established. But progress will be derisory until the social worker veto is removed.
The sixth article in a new series on ConHome about how government might be made smaller, taxpayers better off and and society stronger – through strong families, better schools and good jobs.
Our spending on Children’s Services this year in Middlesbrough will be £56 million – out of an overall budget of around £116 million. We need to reduce the number of children needing our help in the first place.
We are reducing our property portfolio by 40 per cent. Using technology and innovation has delivered savings. Greater use of partnerships has also saved money while delivering ease and convenience for the public.
£50 million of funding was announced this week for 13 councils to research “health inequalities”. The practical benefit has not been made clear.
The children’s care system delivers poor outcomes for both taxpayers and our most vulnerable children. Reform must be a priority.
Only by comprehensively shining a light on institutional failures, do we stand a chance to reform the system and eradicate these horrors.
The council has announced a property development alliance with Lovell Partnerships to build 2,800 low carbon homes.
The man who confronted the education blob, and championed Brexit, has become officialdom’s poodle. A document of 332 pages has little to say.
Children’s Home charges have become extortionate. Part of the answer is a big push to recruit more foster carers.
We continue our series, putting this year’s local elections under the magnifying glass to find changes and trends.
Improved educational provision is key. Increased use of boarding schools can offer a greater chance of stability.
Children in care are denied the opportunities available to others. Levelling up must include transforming their life chances.
The seventh article in a new series on ConHome about how government might be made smaller, taxpayers better off and and society stronger – through strong families, better schools and good jobs.