More investment in children’s services in budget proposals

In a budget report to go to Dudley Council’s cabinet, members will be asked to approve £1.54 million for children’s services this year, totalling an investment of £4.5m over three years.

An additional £620,000 will go towards developing an edge of care service, which will provide intensive support to children at risk of moving into care to remain with their families.

This will focus on providing a programme of targeted multi-disciplinary support for children and their families.

A further £260,000 will provide additional resources, including extra staff, to support the SEND and Children with Disabilities Improvement Programme.
The programme is focused on improving the lives of children with special educational needs and disabilities in the borough.

£660,000 will go to improving pay for existing and new social workers. This market forces supplement is being offered in areas where there have been long standing difficulties recruiting and retaining staff and to bring pay in line with the market rates.

Councillor Ruth Buttery, cabinet member for children and young people, said: 

We are fully committed to improving the lives and prospects of children and young people in our borough and this proposal for £1.5 million investment will support us in our work.

Our plans to develop a multi-disciplinary edge of care service will provide valuable targeted support to children at risk of moving into care.

It builds on the vision of a Child Friendly Dudley where all children should have the opportunity to fulfil their dreams, placing them at the front and centre of everything Dudley does.

As a service we have been committed to developing our SEND service and have been working with parents to build on the progress we have made over the last two years to make the service better for our children.

“We’re proud of our children’s services workforce and all they do to support children and young people in our borough, however, Dudley, like many authorities, has longstanding difficulties in recruiting and retaining social workers in some areas. These budget proposals include a market forces supplement to bring pay in line with market rates.”

Dudley Council cabinet meets on Wednesday December 15.