UNISON called for an urgent cash injection into social work yesterday after a report showed vulnerable kids are being failed due to cuts in child protection and mental health services.

The report from the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), which is published today, found that children are suffering because of service underfunding. 

Official figures show that councils reduced spending on staff in children’s social services by £147 million between 2010 and 2013 following cuts of more than £5 billion by central government on local authorities.