Stoke-on-Trent City Council has been awarded more than £9 million of government funding to transform social care and reduce spending.

The city council is among 14 authorities previously allocated exceptional financial support (EFS) that will receive a share of a new £91 million transformation fund.

Ministers say the money will allow councils to modernise high-cost services and reduce their reliance on emergency support.

Over the last three years the city council has received more than £60 million in EFS – effectively loans to help the authority balance its budget – largely due to huge overspends on children's social care.

The council will now receive £4.14 million from the new fund in 2026/27, with a further £5 million in 2027/28 if 'satisfactory progress' is made.

In children's social care, council leaders plan to use the money to improve family group decision-making, reunification services and fostering recruitment, which they hope will bring down spending on costly care placements.

Despite numbers falling over the last year, Stoke-on-Trent still has more than 1,000 children in care, and councillors were told in July that efforts to save £2.9 million this year by reducing external placements had so far been unsuccessful.

The council will also use the new funding to improve adult social care, with stronger community-based prevention, including through community lounges.

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Council leader Jane Ashworth said: "Protecting children and giving them the best start of life, and helping adults live thriving independent lives, are two of the most important things that councils do.

"But like many councils we face rising cost pressures caused by soaring demand over which we have little or no control.

"We are changing the way we deliver services in order to meet this demand and provide the standards of care that people expect.

"We are pleased the government has listened to our proposals and provided this much-needed support."

Local Government Minister Jim McMahon says the government is aiming to fix the 'broken funding system' for councils.

He said: "This targeted support for councils facing the toughest pressures is the next step forward, helping end reliance on emergency funding and providing a blueprint for reform across local government."