EARLIER this summer when Northamptonshire County Council revealed the scale of its financial woes, the story made national headlines. There was an angry backlash from protestors as its leader said the authority may no longer be able to protect some of the county’s most vulnerable residents, including children.

Fast forward a month, and both Durham County and Redcar and Cleveland councils are forecasting overspends on children’s services – £0.83m and £3.5m respectively.

At Redcar, officers are warning that cutbacks will be needed to balance the budget.

Will the plight of these two councils attract the same sort of national publicity as Northamptonshire? Unlikely, but the challenges of caring for growing numbers of children and families in need are the same.

If help is not available before matters get to crisis point, then situations escalate and ultimately become more expensive and time consuming for the authorities to deal with.

And let’s not forget, these are not just cases, or figures on a spreadsheet, these are troubled children and young people facing issues with mental health, domestic violence and abuse.

Too many councils and charities are now issuing similar warnings, and the Children’s Commissioner for England has called for the government to intervene.

A study has been commissioned by the government but it is clear that if extra funds are not found, or a new model for providing the service created, then things are only going to get worse.