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“This report highlights the multiple factors that impact on children’s health and wellbeing, and demonstrates the importance of all agencies at local and national level considering how their policies and practice will impact on young people."

“Councils’ youth offending teams have an exceptional record of reducing youth crime and making a real difference to young people’s lives, but they are under huge pressure after seeing their government funding halved over the last decade."

Vice Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Children and Young People Board, Cllr Roy Perry, responds to The Children’s Society’s annual Good Childhood Report, which examines the state of children’s well-being in the UK.

“The Government needs to use the forthcoming Spending Review to ensure councils have long-term, sustainable funding to invest in preventative, universal and early help services so children, young people and families receive the practical, emotional, educational and mental health support they need, as soon as they need it.”

"We need to develop a system that says yes to all children and young people, rather than no, when they ask for help. Children and their families need help and support right now - depression, anxiety, bereavement, and family crises do not wait."

“Early intervention services such as children’s centres and family support services play a crucial role in supporting children and helping to prevent problems becoming more serious later on."

"Councils share the Commissioner’s concerns about the impact of the coronavirus crisis on vulnerable teenagers."

“Councils have been working closely with schools throughout the coronavirus pandemic to ensure they remain open for vulnerable children and families, and where needed, councils have delivered vital IT equipment for children."

“Every child should have a fair chance of getting into their parents’ preferred school and councils and schools work extremely hard to try and ensure that as many pupils as possible are allocated their first preference.”

“Councils have a track record of doing everything they can to rise to the challenge of ensuring no child goes without a place, having created more than 800,000 new places since 2010."