CHILDREN'S services in Barnet are facing “financial armageddon” as the council prepares to lose £18 million in grants to help look after youngsters.

The council is limited in what it can provide, with an estimated overspend on this year's budget of more than £840,000.

Robert McCulloch-Graham, head of children's services, told members of the budget scrutiny committee: “These are very difficult times we're entering into.

“We've called it financial armageddon in children's services as everything has come at the same time.

“We've had the general reduction everyone is facing but we're also expecting to lose £18m of grants while facing an increase in demand at the same time.

“All this coming together does make it particularly challenging for us.”

Other problems include an increase in children being referred to the service, which has nearly doubled in three years to 430, and the amount of time it takes for court cases involving families to get through the courts.

Mr McCulloch-Graham said more concentration on early intervention in troubled families, by liaising with schools and other groups more closely, could help reduce the number of kids coming into care.

He added: ““We're looking to completely reshape children's services over the next 12 to 18 months. There is a great deal of goodwill within the public and we're looking towards the Big Society idea and trying to enable their support.”

He said there would also be more calls on the charitable and voluntary sector to take some of the burden under the plans, which Councillor Alan Schneiderman said would also incur costs.