Council chief calls for Government action over child care charges which 'wreck' budgets'
Plus, work on the canal to make it accessible for all!
Hello and welcome to The Calderdale Lead.
I hope you’ve had a cracking week and are enjoying your weekend, whatever it is that you’re up to.
In today’s edition, we’ve got a call for Government action from the leader of Calderdale Council over the fees some private firms charge for child care places.
Plus, in better news, we’ve details of a new scheme to make a 12-mile stretch of the Rochdale Canal fully accessible for the first time ever.
So, on with the news…
Private firms have council’s ‘over a barrel’ on child care charges
By Andrew Greaves and John Greenwood
The leader of Calderdale Council has urged the Government to curb the amount private companies can charge for care places for children.
Coun Jane Scullion, said charges for external placements were wrecking council budgets.
Councils have to statutorily provide care placements for children and in some cases have no choice but to use private providers.
Coun Scullion said one placement cost her council £6,000 a week for a particularly complex case.
Her comments came as the council’s Cabinet debated the authority’s annual financial out-turn for day-to-day revenue spending in 2024-25, approving use of £9.1 million from the authority’s dwindling reserves to cover overspending.
Cabinet member for Resources, Coun Silvia Dacre said very close oversight of budgets through the year was reducing costs and in the last three months of 2024-25 had reduced projected overspend by £3 million.
But the report showing where the overspends were highlighted ongoing challenges despite those efforts, and using reserves was becoming less of an option – use this year reduces reserves from £50.7 million to £38.4 million.
“Clearly, we are not in a position to use reserves in the way that we did last year and therefore we have to bear down on our current costs to an even greater degree,” she said.
Rising residential care costs for young people which need them are one of the key drivers of overspending, said Cabinet member for Children and Young People’s Services, Coun Adam Wilkinson.
Officer work has seen the numbers of children needing to be looked after by the council reduced, but the cost of external placements, particularly for complex cases, and rising numbers of children subject to Education, Health and Care Plans – which the council has to support – needed national action, he said.
A white paper on some of the issues is due later this year.
Coun Scullion said residential care costs were a real concern to councils across the country.
“We would like to see the Government take the step of regulating or capping some of that cost,” she urged.
As an example, she said two complex cases had arisen one Saturday morning and it was a struggle to find the right accommodation for the children concerned, despite the council growing fostering in recent years.
Coun Scullion added: “But people are at capacity really and we have no choice but to go to the private sector – and they have us over a barrel in relation to some of the weekly costs.
“We had quoted, I think last year, £6,000 a week for one particular child with complex needs.
“That has to end.
“I don’t see how any council in the country can continue to sustain that level of money going into the private sector,” she said.
We’re super excited to have had Chris Packham write a piece for us this week, calling on the Government to BAN fossil fuel advertising.
You can read how he wants YOU to get involved on our national edition below…
New investment will see Rochdale Canal stretch accessible to all for first time ever
By Andrew Greaves
A 12-mile stretch of the Rochdale Canal is to become fully accessible for the first time ever in a boost for walking and cycling in Calderdale.
Calderdale Council has been successful in its bid for funding to support improvements to active travel routes in the borough.
The funding received is part of the fifth phase of the Government’s Active Travel Fund (£700k) and Consolidated Active Travel Fund (£1.85m), via the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
Around £400k of this significant funding will support work in partnership with the Canal and River Trust to improve access across the seven weirs on the Rochdale canal between Todmorden and Luddendenfoot.
New bridge decks will be created at each weir, improving accessibility and making the area safer.
The planned improvements are based on feedback collected as part of previous engagement work which asked people to choose their preferred option for improvements to Kilnhurst Weir.
These improvements will make travelling along this stretch of the canal fully accessible for the first time.
Detailed plans for the seven weirs will now be developed, with planned delivery later this year.
Cllr Scott Patient, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Action and Housing, said: “The improvement work along the Rochdale Canal between Todmorden and Hebden Bridge has made a big difference for people travelling along the towpath.
“The route is really popular with people enjoying activities such as walking, jogging and cycling and this funding will allow more people to safely enjoy this part of the canal.
“When the weirs are in use, the water can be high which is hazardous. The improvements will support safer journeys and allow access for cyclists or those using wheelchairs or pushchairs.
“The plans will make the roughly 12 mile stretch of towpath from Luddendenfoot to Walsden fully accessible for the first time in its history, with step-free access opening up opportunities for all.”
The works will complement recent work to the canal towpath between Todmorden and Hebden Bridge, as part of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s City Connect programme.
The latest active travel funding will also support further improvements planned to the towpath between Todmorden and Walsden as part of the Active Todmorden project, supplementing funding from the Todmorden Town Deal.
Other improvements supported by the funding include renewing the markings of zebra crossings at schools across the borough and further signage upgrades in Brighouse and Halifax.
That’s it for this edition.
If you’re looking for something else to read on this fine Sunday morning then may I suggest our report card on the Labour Government.
Over two parts - both linked above - our Westminster editor Zoe Grunewald has taken a deep dive into the first 365 of Sir Keir Starmer’s Premiership. It’s a fascinating read and one which the PM would do well to look over!
Don’t forget if there is anything that you think I should be looking into around the borough then you can drop me a line on calderdale@thelead.uk with a tip-off.
Until the midweek edition, enjoy the weekend!
Andrew