Stoke-on-Trent City Council has secured more than £9 million from government to support ambitious plans to accelerate improvements in social care.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government confirmed today that the council had been successful in a bid for support from the government’s transformation fund.
The total award will be £9.14 million – with £4.14 million in 2026/27 and a further £5.0 million in 2027/28. The second year’s award will be dependent on satisfactory progress in the first year.
The money will help fund specialist improvements in children’s social care including investment in family group decision making, reunification services, fostering recruitment and support, and a support hub to reduce the need for expensive external residential placements.
It will support the council’s aim of becoming a national test best for children’s social care reform, leading the way in reducing demand and creating a more sustainable system that delivers better results.
In adult social care, the money will support plans to strengthen community-based prevention, including through Community Lounges, in partnership with voluntary sector partners. It will help ambitious plans to redesign adult services around a therapy-led model aimed at helping people live thriving, independent lives for as long as possible.
A total of 14 councils were allocated a total of £91 million from the transformation fund. Stoke-on-Trent's allocation was the second highest, after Bradford.
Jane Ashworth, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “This is great news for the city and a vote of confidence in the transformation work that is already under way.
“Protecting children and giving them the best start of life, and helping adults live thriving independent lives, are two of the most important things that councils do.
“But like many councils we face rising cost pressures caused by soaring demand over which we have little or no control. And we need to balance this rising demand from high fees in the private sector.
“We are changing the way we deliver services in order to meet this demand and provide the standards of care that people expect.
“In order to do that it is vital that our services are adequately funded. We are pleased the government has listened to our proposals and provided this much-needed support.”
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