Hartlepool Council Criticizes Minister Over Social Care Funding
Leaders in Hartlepool have expressed strong dissatisfaction following a meeting with Steve Reed, the housing, communities and local government secretary, regarding the escalating costs of social care.
Steve Reed has been accused by Hartlepool council of demonstrating “arrogance, indifference and moral bankruptcy” in relation to children in social care.
In a notably direct critique, Labour leaders of Hartlepool council stated they were “furious and appalled” after their meeting with Reed last week.
A cross-party delegation had requested £3 million from the secretary of state to help address the increasing expenses associated with social care.
Hartlepool is among the most deprived towns in England and holds the third highest number of children in care per capita nationwide.
Labour Leader Pamela Hargreaves Responds
Pamela Hargreaves, the Labour leader of Hartlepool council, told that during the meeting, Reed stated the government would not “reward councils for having high numbers of children in care” and then dismissed the issue by saying: “That’s life.”
“That comment tells you everything,” Hargreaves said. “Shrugging at abused and exploited children is not policy, it is moral bankruptcy.
“Calling proper funding for children in care a ‘reward’ is obscene and offensive. Protecting vulnerable children is a basic moral and legal duty of the state.”
“Our children and our families deserve far better than arrogance, indifference and a shrug of ‘that’s life’.”
Government Response and Funding Reforms
The government stated it is addressing an outdated and unfair council funding system and has allocated £78 billion for local authorities next year, including a 33% increase in funding for Hartlepool council by 2028-29.
A government spokesperson commented:
“Our fair funding reforms will ensure councils get the funding they need to deliver high-quality public services that local people deserve.”
Steve Reed has indicated that ministers are “realigning” funding to ensure poorer areas receive a fairer share.
However, local government leaders have emphasized that a significant increase in funding is necessary to prevent more local authorities from facing bankruptcy due to rising costs and cuts implemented under the Conservative government.
Challenges Faced by Hartlepool Council
Hargreaves expressed that their area is being failed by ministers within a system that “punishes deprivation.”
Hartlepool’s Labour group highlighted that it receives substantially less than the national average for looked after children through the government’s children in social care prevention grant, amounting to £6,674 per child.
They reported that children are being placed in costly private and unregulated placements due to a nationwide shortage of foster carers, with each placement costing the council between £13,000 and £20,000 per child weekly.
Jonathan Brash, the Labour MP for Hartlepool, noted that the government had offered a £3 million cash increase, which he described as “the equivalent of funding around six children in care,” and stated that an additional £3 million is required to balance the council’s budget.
Hargreaves also revealed that numerous vulnerable families have been relocated to Hartlepool by southern councils over the past year, effectively “dumping millions of pounds of additional need into one of the poorest boroughs in the country.”
She criticized the government’s “high handed and dismissive attitude,” which reduces vulnerable children to “a line on a spreadsheet.”
“They are children with a legal right to protection. Refusing to fix a rigged funding system and telling deprived communities to tax themselves harder is not leadership, it is abdication.”
Political Tensions and Future Prospects
The group of 21 Labour councillors expressed feelings of betrayal by ministers in February.
Hargreaves indicated that a mass resignation remains a possibility. The Labour group is not expected to raise council tax when finalizing the budget on Tuesday.
Labour regained control of the authority two years ago from a Conservative-independent coalition, but Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party is aiming for significant gains in the upcoming May elections, when a third of council seats will be contested. The party’s predecessor, the Brexit party, briefly led the council in coalition with the Conservatives during 2019-20.
