The number of looked after children in Sandwell Council’s care has risen by a third in just over 12 months - as councils across the country complain the increasing numbers of at risk children are pushing budgets into the red.

The local authority has now revealed it is having to cope with 800 vulnerable children, up by 200 from March 2017.

The increase is a major challenge for the service which in April was transferred to a government imposed trust after years of being branded inadequate by Ofsted.

The Right Honourable Jacqui Smith, the former Home Secretary, was appointed Chairwoman of Sandwell Children’s Trust which will run the service for the next ten years.

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Darren Carter, Executive Director for Resources for Sandwell Council, warned in June increasing numbers of children being taken into care could add to the council’s financial pressures in the future.

Speaking to councillors, he said: “We have had a, I think the appropriate word is, dramatic increase in demand for our children’s social care services in the last 12 months and that has come through as a significant financial pressure on those services.”

A freedom of information request by the Local Democracy Reporting Service has now revealed the scale of that rise, with the council reporting it was caring for 801 youngsters by May this year - up from 601 in March 2017. It is a rise of 33.3 per cent.

From 2017 to 2018 Sandwell budgeted £23.52 million for the service but actual spent £32.05 million, this year it has increased its predicted spend to £32.4 million.

The financial pressures Sandwell faces was illustrated by a report in July that revealed its neighbour, Wolverhampton Council, was predicting a possible £2.5 million overspend in its children's services when the number of youngsters it care for rose by just 13 to 648.

The issue comes as councils across the country report the number of youngsters being cared for is rising.

Somerset County Council has announced an extra £13m worth of cuts to accommodate an £11.4m overspend that came predominately in children's services.

Sandwell Council House
Sandwell Council House

Approached for comment, Sandwell Children’s Trust declined to say how much the increase in numbers had cost or if it had approached the government for additional funding.

A spokesperson for the trust, said: “If children are unable to live with their families, it is our duty to do all we can to provide a home where they are safe and cared for.

“The rise in the number of children in care is a national issue and not just specific to Sandwell.

“We have increased the number of social worker roles from 184 to 220 over the past two years.

“We are recruiting more social workers to Sandwell Children's Trust and we are offering incentives to retain and attract the best people.

"We are always considering options for securing extra funding from government when the opportunity to do so arises."