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Austerity, rationing and inequity: trends in children’s and young peoples’ services expenditure in England between 2010 and 2015

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  • Calum J. R. Webb
  • Paul Bywaters

Abstract

This article investigates local authority (LA) trends in expenditure on Children’s and Young Peoples’ services in England between 2010 and 2015, a period of government characterised by measures of fiscal austerity. We draw on a rationing framework to contextualise the levels and trends in expenditure under observation. The article analyses trends in various groupings of expenditure, using a latent growth modelling approach to identify significant trajectories in spending across LAs with different deprivation tertile membership. We find that although some kinds of children’s and young peoples’ services expenditure have been largely maintained during this period, preventive family support and early intervention services (such as Sure Start Children’s centres) have seen substantial reductions in expenditure, in contrast to the dominant narrative that children’s services have been protected. LAs in the most deprived tertile have faced the greatest cuts, mirroring other research findings on the distribution of austerity measures.

Suggested Citation

  • Calum J. R. Webb & Paul Bywaters, 2018. "Austerity, rationing and inequity: trends in children’s and young peoples’ services expenditure in England between 2010 and 2015," Local Government Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(3), pages 391-415, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:flgsxx:v:44:y:2018:i:3:p:391-415
    DOI: 10.1080/03003930.2018.1430028
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    Cited by:

    1. Hood, Rick & Goldacre, Allie, 2021. "Exploring the impact of Ofsted inspections on performance in children’s social care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    2. Bilson, Andy & Munro, Elizabeth Hunter, 2019. "Adoption and child protection trends for children aged under five in England: Increasing investigations and hidden separation of children from their parents," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 204-211.
    3. Bilson, Andy & Bywaters, Paul, 2020. "Born into care: Evidence of a failed state," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    4. Janet L. Warren, 2023. "Young Carers’ Needs and Changing Experiences during an Era of Austerity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-18, February.
    5. Bywaters, Paul & Scourfield, Jonathan & Webb, Calum & Morris, Kate & Featherstone, Brid & Brady, Geraldine & Jones, Chantel & Sparks, Tim, 2019. "Paradoxical evidence on ethnic inequities in child welfare: Towards a research agenda," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 145-154.
    6. Shirley Lewis & Geraldine Brady, 2018. "Parenting under Adversity: Birth Parents’ Accounts of Inequality and Adoption," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 7(12), pages 1-14, December.
    7. Bennett, Davara L. & Webb, Calum J.R. & Mason, Kate E. & Schlüter, Daniela K. & Fahy, Katie & Alexiou, Alexandros & Wickham, Sophie & Barr, Ben & Taylor-Robinson, David, 2021. "Funding for preventative Children’s Services and rates of children becoming looked after: A natural experiment using longitudinal area-level data in England," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    8. Bach-Mortensen, Anders Malthe & Goodair, Benjamin & Barlow, Jane, 2022. "Outsourcing and children's social care: A longitudinal analysis of inspection outcomes among English children's homes and local authorities," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 313(C).
    9. Wood, S. & Scourfield, J. & Stabler, L. & Addis, S. & Wilkins, D. & Forrester, D. & Brand, S.L., 2022. "How might changes to family income affect the likelihood of children being in out-of-home care? Evidence from a realist and qualitative rapid evidence assessment of interventions," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    10. Nigel Ashmore Parton, 2022. "Comparative Research and Critical Child Protection Studies," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-15, April.
    11. Webb, Calum & Bywaters, Paul & Scourfield, Jonathan & McCartan, Claire & Bunting, Lisa & Davidson, Gavin & Morris, Kate, 2020. "Untangling child welfare inequalities and the ‘Inverse Intervention Law’ in England," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).

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