A new preventative fund should be created in Wales to help ease the strain on children's services, councils have said.

In a joint statement, the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) and the Association of Directors of Social Service in Wales warned children's services needed urgent investment to meet increased demand.

The organisations called for the new funding to be ring-fenced to establish a preventative fund.

Figures show that councils' expenditure on children's services has increased by 30% in real terms over the last decade despite core grant funding reducing by 22% over the same time period.

The WLGA's spokesman for health and social care, Cllr Huw David, said: ‘As Welsh Government considers its plans for next year's budget it is vital that real additional funding is provided to local government to meet the growing funding gap being seen across councils and within social care - otherwise our vital services will continue to be at considerable risk and will not be sustainable in the longer-term.'