Rising cost of social services in England putting arts and youth services at risk, say councils

The CCN said the government must boost local authority budgets or face an ‘unpalatable trade off’ between reducing councils’ statutory duties and insolvency. Photograph: Piranhi/Alamy

The spiralling cost of social services is eating into the budgets of England’s largest councils to the extent that many will soon be forced to abandon “nice to have” functions such as arts and youth clubs and Sure Start centres.

Council leaders are concerned town halls are at risk of becoming “care authorities” focused primarily on the provision of care packages to an expanding number of at-risk children and frail adults at the expense of other services.