Hartlepool leaders ‘furious and appalled’ after meeting with Steve Reed about growing cost of social care
The housing, communities and local government secretary has been accused by a Labour council of showing “arrogance, indifference and moral bankruptcy” towards children in social care.
In an unusually forthright attack, Labour leaders of Hartlepool council said they were “furious and appalled” at Steve Reed after a meeting with him last week. A cross-party delegation had asked the secretary of state for £3m to help alleviate the growing cost of social care.
The town in County Durham is one of the most deprived in England. It has the third highest number of children in care per capita in the country.
Pamela Hargreaves, the Labour leader of Hartlepool council, told the Guardian that Reed said the government would not “reward councils for having high numbers of children in care” and then “dismissed” the discussion by saying: “That’s life.”
