Dear Constituent,
Thank you for contacting me about funding for services for children, the role of the Spending Review in supporting those services, the funding of and eligibility for free school meals and the option for support hubs.
It is welcome that in the 2020 Spending Review (SR20), £300 million of new grant funding was announced for adult and children’s social care, in addition to the £1 billion social care grant announced at SR19 that is being maintained in 2021-22. Further, I was encouraged that a new funding package of £104 million will be provided by 2024-25 to help reform unregulated provision in children's social care. which will improve safeguarding standards for vulnerable children and young people. I understand that £259 million will also be made available during the 2021-22 financial year to maintain capacity and expand provision in secure and open residential children's homes.
That said, I recognise that there needs to be a longer-term solution to ensure sustainable funding for children’s social services. I welcome the conclusion of the review into the support available for children in need, which looked at what makes a difference to the educational outcomes of children in need and what works in practice to improve those outcomes. In line with the review's commitment, the Department for Education consulted on changes to the annual children in need and children looked after by local authorities outcomes statistics.
In relation to free school meals, estimates suggest that by 2022, around 50,000 more children will benefit from a free school meal compared to under the previous benefits system. Children must be supported to go as far as their talents will take them and I am glad that, following public consultations, free school meals can be extended to more disadvantaged pupils.
The most recent statistical publication shows that there are around 1.74 million children were eligible for and claiming a nutritious FSM, based on the January 2021 school census, saving families more than £400 per year. The 2020 publication is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/ and there is further information here - Child and Food Poverty - October 2021 | Richard Fuller
In relation to children’s mental health, supporting the mental health of our children and young people is an issue of great urgency. Whilst access to services varies across local areas, the Government has established 24-7 NHS urgent mental health lines to ensure that children and young people can access advice and support around their mental health. In addition, I understand that the Cabinet Office ran a consultation on the National Resilience Strategy between July and September 2021, and will be publishing the next steps over the coming months.
Funding for the Public Health Grants in England will be announced with the Local Government Financial Settlement later this year. However, I note that the current Public Health Outcomes Framework includes a number of measures around mental health where local authorities are expected to address in their communities and I was also pleased to see the Government’s recent announcement of £200 million funding to support local community projects across the UK.
Thank you once again for taking the time to contact me about these issues.
Sincerely,