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A HUGE rise in calls to social services has seen Edinburgh's annual bill for protecting vulnerable youngsters from abuse and neglect soar to £53 million. High-profile cases such as that of 11-week-old Caleb Ness - who was shaken to death by his brain-damaged father in 2001 - are thought to be behind a 75 per cent increase in calls since 2000. The service received 1018 calls last year. Now education leaders are accusing the Scottish Government of failing to fund the city's child protection service properly. Ministers give the city less than half the cash it needs to look after vulnerable children, leaving the local authority to find £30m a year to prop up the service. Leading councillors say the Scottish Government has failed to appreciate the rising cost of child protection. Councillor Marilyne MacLaren, the city's children and families leader, said that although the service is vital and one the council must provide funding for regardless of its financial position, more money would allow the council to employ more social workers. The council recently received a damning HMIE report into its child protection service, which found it to be inadequate and slow. Cllr MacLaren said: "I'm not so cowardly as to say we got a bad report because of money problems, but there's a link between not having enough money and not being able to provide a first-class service. It's certainly to do with why the department is in debt. £30m a year would make a huge difference to our children and families budget.
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