Watch more of our videos on Shots!
and live on Freeview channel 276

A specialist therapy service helping some of the city’s most troubled families could be axed, raising fears of more children being taken into care.

Leeds City Council could save £330,000 by cutting its Multi-Systemic Therapy Child Abuse and Neglect team (MST-CAN) as part of widespread budget cuts at the authority.

Therapists provide intensive treatment over six to nine months for families with child protection concerns, also addressing trauma and substance misuse problems.

The service, designed to prevent children facing abuse and neglect ending up in the care system, is under review as the council faces a multi-million pound budget gap.

Leeds City Council could save £330,000 by cutting its Multi-Systemic Therapy Child Abuse and Neglect team. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe

The council’s Children and Families scrutiny board was told the future of the service was out to consultation.

Coun Ryan Stephenson, Conservative member for Harewood, said cutting MST-CAN could cost more in the long term if it led to more youngsters in care.

He said: “The proposal is to cut a service that was set up in 2013 due to an increasing number of children coming into the social care system.

Leeds City Council to consider cutting children's therapy service, in bid to save £330,000