Managing budgets in children's services
Key Questions

QUESTIONS Click here for more information
1. Is your expenditure on children's services higher/lower than your comparators? Are children's services budgets overspent? Expenditure data, then
Financial management module
Then go to Q2, then Q3
2. Does your performance on children's services compare favourably with other councils? National performance Indicators and Q3
3. Are all children in need offered an appropriate assessment and care plan to meet their needs? Go to section Assessment and care planning
4. Is the right range of services available to meet the needs of children and families and to prevent family breakdowns? Go to section Family support
5. Do you have high numbers of looked after children? National performance indicators, then
Go to section Managing the demand for placements
6. Do you have high numbers of Looked After Children placed in residential care as opposed to family placements? Go to section Managing the demand for placements
7. Does the Council have a range of local placement options to improve outcomes for looked after children? Go to section Managing the supply of placements
8. Is there evidence that the needs of disabled children are having a particular impact on the budget? Go to section Services for disabled children
9. Are you confident that you are correctly calculating the costs of children's services? Go to section Costing children's placements
10. Is there evidence that the unit costs of children's placements are particularly high? Go to section Managing the supply for placements
11. Are you concerned about the impact of staffing costs, including agency staff, on your budget? Go to section Human resources
12. Are councillors' priorities clear? Do councillors feel informed about their responsibilities to provide good parenting for looked after children? Go to section Corporate parenting
13. Are all council departments working well together to deliver effective and efficient services for looked after children?

Go to section Corporate parenting

 

 

Click here to view comparative spend on services for children per head of population aged under 18
Source: Department of Health Key Indicators, 2001/2- EX61

Click here to view gross expenditure on services for children per head of population aged under 18 (Wales)
Source: National Assembly for Wales revenue outturn returns 2001-02,
Published by the Local Government Data Unit - Wales at www.lgdu-wales.gov.uk.