The new president of the Association of Directors of Children's Services (ADCS) has warned public spending cuts pose a ‘real risk' to early intervention programmes.

Speaking at the beginning of her year in office at an event in London, Kirklees MBC's director for children and young people, Alison O'Sullivan, said shrinking budgets could mean local government ‘will forever lose significant capacity to intervene early' and prevent the need for more expensive action later on.