Services are in serious jeopardy unless substantial, immediate and long term financial investment is made in social services

Sir Jeremy Beecham

Five months ago a survey of social services departments showed the majority had overspent their budgets.

The government responded by giving them an extra �300m over two years to help relieve the pressure.

But now as they approach the end of the financial year, the situation appears to have worsened.

Councils say they have had to find an extra �200m simply to keep existing services afloat.

The survey survey found one of the major causes of the funding problem is that the number of youngsters who require local authority care continues to soar.

More than two thirds of social services departments say they have to spend more on children's services than the government gives them.

The greatest pressures were in residential care, including specialist and secure provision, and foster care, including specialist placements.

Services missing out

The extra cash has been found at the expense of investment in other services and through council tax increases, the survey found.

The financial problems will also be carried forward into next year as councils seek to pay for this year's deficits from funds raised by the council tax levied in April.

Sir Jeremy Beecham, chairman of the LGA, said: "Local government is committed to providing high quality services for children, elderly people and people with disabilities.

"These services are in serious jeopardy unless substantial, immediate and long term financial investment is made in social services."

Michael Leadbetter, president of the ADSS, said social services departments were performing "astonishingly well in very adverse financial circumstances.

He said: "Local authorities are fighting the battle on behalf of vulnerable people with one arm tied behind their backs."