The demand for children's services in Wales has surged, with one council seeing the number of safeguarding referrals double in a year. About 250,000 contacts were made with children's services departments in 2022-23, up from 201,452 the year before.
This increase in demand, coupled with limited resources, has put stress on social workers. Factors contributing to the surge include child exploitation, the cost of living crisis, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bridgend's social services cabinet member, Jane Gebbie, noted that children's services had overspent by £7.5 million in the current year alone. The Association of Directors of Social Services Cymru warned of a "perfect storm" due to financial constraints.