Schools and children’s social work are seeing a rise in the “scale of need” as Renfrewshire households face financial turmoil during the cost-of-living crisis.
The “challenging context” has been outlined in a report introducing the council’s improvement plan for children’s services for the next three years – a document explaining the department’s key priorities, budget position and direction.
The service is responsible for a range of areas including early learning and childcare, primary and secondary education, social work for children and families and other specialist work such as child protection and additional support needs provision.
“Council services continue to operate in a challenging context,” the report said.
“Our communities face a cost-of-living challenge, and we will respond by addressing the causes of inequalities.
“Schools and children’s social work services are also witnessing increases in scale of need and demand caused by households facing financial difficulty.
“Children’s services will continue to draw upon relevant insight to target its resources appropriately, with contributions complementing the activity outlined in the Renfrewshire children’s services partnership plan, the education improvement plan, and the Fairer Renfrewshire programme.”
The plan for 2023 to 2026 has a “cross-cutting theme” of working towards “loving and happy lives” for children in the area and cooperating to “get it right” for them and their families.
Steven Quinn, director of children’s services for Renfrewshire Council, said: “Our communities face a cost-of-living crisis, health and wellbeing challenges and we will continue to respond by providing services and addressing the causes of inequalities.
“These challenges are experienced in our early years centres, schools and social work services.”
He added children’s services would “continue to listen” and target resources to the programmes in the local authority that need it most.
The children’s services revenue budget for this financial year is around £230 million, which the plan said accounts for “almost half” of the council’s general services budget.
A series of key priorities are outlined in the document, which include tackling child poverty, protecting the most vulnerable members of the community and supporting and nurturing children and families.
Additionally, the service wants to boost attainment while “ensuring equity”, enhance learning and teaching and deliver a “meaningful, relevant and progressive curriculum”.
Renfrewshire Council members will be asked to approve the plan at Thursday’s education and children’s services policy board.
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