END CHILD POVERTY JOINS CALL FOR GOVERNMENT TO PUT CHILDREN AT THE HEART OF THE BUDGET
More than 120 national organisations accuse Government of ‘ignoring children’
An influential group of over 120 children’s charities, teaching unions and other organisations have accused the Government of ignoring children and young people in its spending commitments.
In an open letter to Downing Street, the organisations have demanded that the Government recognise compelling evidence that the services and support that children and young people rely on are at breaking point.
The call comes from one of the broadest coalitions to assemble around such a cause, with representatives working across child health, education, social care, disability and poverty all signing the letter.
As the Chancellor prepares his 2018 budget, and with a spending review looming, signatories have insisted that urgent action must be taken to put children at the heart of Government spending plans.
The letter, sent to both the Prime Minister and Chancellor, highlights the pressing challenges facing services and other support for children, showing that:
- Ninety children are being taken into care every day – this is a record high[i];
- Less than a third of children and young people with a diagnosable mental health problem will get access to NHS funded treatment this year[ii];
- Only three in a hundred families of disabled children think the health and care services available to their children are adequate[iii];
- Almost three-quarters of school leaders expect they will be unable to balance their budgets in the next financial year[iv];
- The number of children with special educational needs who are awaiting provision has more than doubled since 2010[v];
- Up to 3 million children are at risk of going hungry during school holidays[vi].
Theresa May has promised to bring forward the ‘end of austerity’ and increase investment in public services, however the letter points to a growing body of evidence showing that significant challenges lie ahead.
The coalition of organisations is asking parents, families and other members of the public to show their support by signing a public petition to the Government and using the hashtag #ChildrenAtTheHeart on social media.
Anna Feuchtwang, Chief Executive of the National Children’s Bureau and Chair of End Child Poverty, said:
‘We’ve seen successive budgets come and go with token spending commitments for children and families. If austerity is really coming to an end, its high time the Government puts its money where its mouth is, and makes a concrete financial commitment to the welfare of children.
‘Things we once took for granted, like family support, children’s centres, and respite care for families with disabled children are now the privilege of the few. In some areas of the country, over half the children are growing up in poverty. For these children and the many others who need urgent help, the services, benefits and support that could provide a lifeline have been cut to the bone. We are failing our children if we don’t put them at the heart of government spending.’
Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
‘School funding is at breaking point with many head teachers having to drastically cut back on courses offered, resources, building repairs, school trips and after school clubs. Class sizes are being increased and the numbers of teachers and support staff are being reduced while begging letters for money to parents and carers are commonplace. Enough is enough – our schools need more funding if we are to give all our children, including those with SEND, the education they deserve.’
Dr Carol Homden CBE, CEO of Coram, said:
‘Working with more than one million children, young people, families and professionals, we have seen first-hand how severely cuts to services and support have affected them.
‘Children are waiting longer to be adopted, others have been denied access to free legal advice and representation – going homeless or being excluded from education, and too many parents are frozen out of work and trapped in poverty because of high childcare costs.
All children should have the chance and the resources they need to live a fulfilling life and to succeed, and we urge the Chancellor to put children at the heart of decisions about spending and increase the investment in children and families.’
Laurence Guinness, Chief Executive of The Childhood Trust, said:
‘Before Universal Credit is fully rolled out children are already going hungry in increasing numbers and hard-working families are breaking down because of static, poverty inducing wages and ever rising prices. The government urgently needs to show moral courage by adequately funding Universal Credit and stopping the cruel punishment it’s inflicting on many of the poorest and most vulnerable in society.’
Kathy Evans, Chief Executive of Children England, said:
‘We can’t stand by and watch children pay the bill for the recklessness and debts of bankers and politicians. Austerity is not over for children, it’s getting worse – and Theresa May must stop it.’
Alison Garnham, Chief Executive of Child Poverty Action Group, said:
‘Big social security cuts are pulling more and more of our children under the official poverty line so nine children in every class of thirty are living under the official poverty line now – and most have at least one parent in work. Children’s health and wellbeing, their educational outcomes, their life chances and what they will earn as adults are likely to be jeopardised by growing up in poverty. If we want a fair start for every child, we need to reinstate the funding that has been cut from financial support for children. Restoring the value of child benefit, ending the freeze on working age benefits and reinstating the huge sums that were taken out of Universal Credit are essential first steps.’
A copy of the letter is available at: www.ncb.org.uk/childrenattheheart
ENDS
Notes to editors
For interviews, quotes and case studies, please contact the relevant organisations:
| Children’s rights, policy and practice | Action for Children | Huw Beale / Huw.Beale@actionforchildren.org.uk / 07718 114 038 |
| Childhood Bereavement Network | Richard Newson / media@ncb.org.uk / 07721 097 033. | |
| Children England | Chloe Darlington / chloe.darlington@childrenengland.org.uk / 0203 597 6296 | |
| Coram Family and Childcare Trust | Megan Jarvie / press@familyandchildcaretrust.org / 020 7239 7536 or 07538 334 772 | |
| National Children’s Bureau | Richard Newson / media@ncb.org.uk / 07721 097 033. | |
| The Children’s Society | Faith Dawes / media@childrenssociety.org.uk / 0207 841 4422 | |
| YMCA | Philippa Lewis / Phillippa.Lewis@ymca.org.uk | |
| SEN and Disability | Disabled Children’s Partnership / MENCAP | Stephen Kingdom / media@mencap.org.uk / 020 7696 5414 |
| Family Fund | Jim Paterson / Jim.Paterson@FamilyFund.org.uk / 01904 571094
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| Special Education Consortium | Richard Newson / medIa@ncb.org.uk / 07721 097 033 | |
| Education | Anti-Bullying Alliance | Richard Newson / media@ncb.org.uk / 07721 097 033 |
| NAHT | Steven George / pressoffice@naht.org.uk / 01444 472886. | |
| NEU – National Education Union | Caroline Cowie / caroline.cowie@neu.org.uk / 0207 380 4706 / 07879 480 061 | |
| Sex Education Forum | Richard Newson / media@ncb.org.uk / 07721 097 033 | |
| Health | Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition | Shizana.arshad@cypmhc.org.uk / 020 7717 1558 |
| Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health | press.office@rcpch.ac.uk / 0207 092 6067 | |
| Poverty | Childhood Trust | Laurence Guinness / laurence.guinness@childhoodtrust.org.uk / 07507 880 109 |
| Child Poverty Action Group | Jane Ahrends / JAhrends@cpag.org.uk / 020 7812 5216 | |
| End Child Poverty | Judith Cavanagh / judith@endchildpoverty.org.uk / 07918 567577 | |
| Unions – other | Prospect | media@prospect.org.uk / 020 7902 6707) |
For general inquiries, or a copy of the embargoed letter, contact the National Children’s Bureau media office: media@ncb.org.uk / media@ncb.org.uk 07721 097 033. For urgent enquiries out of office-hours call: 07721 097 033.
About the letter
The open letter to the Chancellor and Prime Minister is pasted below.
It is supported by over 120 organisations.
The letter is signed by 16 organisations, including: the National Children’s Bureau, The Children’s Society, the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition, End Child Poverty, Action for Children, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, the Disabled Children’s Partnership, NAHT, Coram, the Special Educational Consortium, the Childhood Trust, the Council for Disabled Children, Children England, the Child Poverty Action Group, YMCA and the Childhood Bereavement Network.
A further 112+ organisations have shown their support by adding their logos to the letter.
The full list of organisations supporting the letter includes:
| 4in10.org.uk |
| Achievement for all |
| Action for Children |
| Adfam |
| Adoption Matters |
| Association of Educational Psychologist |
| Afasic |
| Ambitious about Autism |
| Anna Freud |
| Anti-Bullying Alliance |
| Approachable Parenting |
| Article 39 |
| Association of Clinical Psychologists UK |
| Association of Mental Health Providers |
| BACD |
| BACP |
| BASW |
| British Dyslexia Association |
| Become |
| BHTA |
| Brentwood Catholic Children’s Society |
| Buttle |
| CAPE |
| Careif |
| Carers Trust |
| Centre for Mental Health |
| Challengers |
| Champs Academy |
| Changing Our Lives |
| Charlie Waller Memorial Trust |
| Children’s Links |
| Child Poverty Action Group |
| Childhood Bereavement Network |
| Childhood Trust |
| Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition |
| Children England |
| Children North East |
| Coram |
| Coram BAAF |
| Coram Family and Childcare |
| Council for Disabled Children |
| Disabled Children’s Partnership |
| Driver Youth Trust |
| Early Education |
| End Child Poverty |
| Escape Intervention |
| Family Action |
| Family and Childcare Trust |
| Family Fund |
| Greater Manchester Poverty Action |
| Healthy Teen Minds |
| Ican |
| Interact |
| Interchange Sheffield |
| Jack Petchey Foundation |
| Jigsaw4u |
| Just for Kids Law |
| Kids |
| Kidscape |
| Mental Health First Aid England |
| Mental Health Foundation |
| Mind |
| Mindfulness Foundation |
| Minds Ahead |
| NAHT |
| nasen |
| NASS |
| National Children’s Bureau |
| Natspec |
| NDNA |
| NDTI |
| Nepacs |
| NEU – National Education Union |
| NNPCF |
| Nurture UK |
| NYAS |
| Partnership for Children |
| Place2Be |
| Point |
| Prospect |
| Rainbow Trust |
| Resources for Autism |
| RJ Working |
| Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health |
| Royal College of Psychiatrists |
| Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists |
| Ryedale Special Families |
| Safe to net |
| Savana |
| School Cuts Campaign |
| Scottish Out of School Care Network |
| Seashell Trust |
| Sebastian’s Action Trust |
| SEBDA |
| Sense |
| Serenity |
| SMA UK |
| Special Educational Consortium |
| Special Needs Jungle |
| Stay Safe Workshops |
| Sussex Against Bullying |
| Terapia Centre |
| The Children’s Society |
| The Fostering Network |
| The Matthew Elvidge Trust |
| The Mix |
| The Mulberry Bush |
| The Standing Committee for Youth Justice |
| The Traveller Movement |
| Think2Speak |
| Thomas Pocklington Trust |
| Together for Short Lives |
| Together Trust |
| Unison |
| Volunteering Matters |
| Willen Hospice |
| YMCA |
| Young Epilepsy |
| Young Minds |
| Youth Access |
Embargoed content of letter
A copy of the letter will be available at: www.ncb.org.uk/childrenattheheart or contact media@ncb.org.uk / 07721 097 033. The content of the letter is as follows:
To the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer
We are writing to you because there is compelling evidence that the services and support that children and young people rely on are at breaking point. We believe this is because children and young people are being ignored in the Government’s spending plans.
- Ninety children are being taken into care every day – this is a record high[vii];
- Less than a third of children and young people with a diagnosable mental health problem will get access to NHS funded treatment this year[viii];
- Only three in a hundred families of disabled children think the health and care services available to their children are adequate[ix];
- Almost three-quarters of school leaders expect they will be unable to balance their budgets in the next financial year[x];
- The number of children with special educational needs who are awaiting provision has more than doubled since 2010[xi];
- Up to 3 million children are at risk of going hungry during school holidays[xii].
We have come together at this crucial time to urge you to put children and young people at the heart of government spending.
END OF NOTES TO EDITORS.
[i] In England and Wales 32,810 children started to be looked after in 2016-17
Department for Education, 2017, Children looked after in England (including adoption), year ending 31 March 2017:
[ii] Government estimate for 2018/19 from Implementing The Five Year Forward View For Mental Health, 2016, NHS England: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/fyfv-mh.pdf
[iii]Disabled Children’s Partnership survey of 2,600 parents, 2017
[iv] National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), 2018 , Breaking Point 2017/18, A snapshot of the continuing crisis in school and academy funding:
file://ncb-fs-01/User_Data/dhutchinson/Downloads/NAHT%20Breaking%20Point%20survey%202017-18%20(1).pdf
[v] Between 2010 and 2018 the number of children with statements or Education Health and Care Plans awaiting provision has risen from 701 to 2,060 children:
Department for Education, 2018, Statements of SEN and EHC plans: England, 2018, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statements-of-sen-and-ehc-plans-england-2018
[vi] Estimate from The All Party Parliamentary Group on Hunger, 2017, Hungry Holidays – A report on hunger amongst children during school holidays:
https://www.feedingbritain.org/Handlers/Download.ashx?IDMF=f1305288-754c-4a73-80c9-094331cdd4e1
[vii] In England and Wales 32,810 children started to be looked after in 2016-17
Department for Education, 2017, Children looked after in England (including adoption), year ending 31 March 2017
[viii] Government estimate for 2018/19 from Implementing The Five Year Forward View For Mental Health, 2016, NHS England https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/fyfv-mh.pdf
[ix]Disabled Children’s Partnership survey of 2,600 parents, 2017
[x] National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), 2018 , Breaking Point 2017/18, A snapshot of the continuing crisis in school and academy funding
https://www.naht.org.uk/news-and-opinion/news/funding-news/breaking-point-a-report-of-the-school-funding-crisis-in-2016-17/
[xi] Between 2010 and 2018 the number of children with a statements or Education Health and Care Plans awaiting provision has risen from 701 to 2,060 children
Department for Education, 2018, Statements of SEN and EHC plans: England, 2018, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statements-of-sen-and-ehc-plans-england-2018
[xii] Estimate from The All Party Parliamentary Group on Hunger, 2017, Hungry Holidays – A report on hunger amongst children during school holidays,
https://www.feedingbritain.org/Handlers/Download.ashx?IDMF=f1305288-754c-4a73-80c9-094331cdd4e1
