One in 10 of England’s largest councils at risk of effective bankruptcy, survey says

County Councils Network says local bodies are ‘running out of road’ to avoid insolvency after sharp rises in child protection costs

“Out of control” increases in child protection spending since the outbreak of the Covid pandemic have put one in 10 of England’s biggest councils at risk of effective bankruptcy in the next few months, a survey has revealed.

Many county councils and unitary authorities are “running out of road” to avoid insolvency as they grapple with high inflation, increases in children being taken into care, and massive bills for children’s homes, the County Councils Network (CCN) said.