The heightened concerns come as the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government confirmed the ministerial line-up at the new Department for Education, which oversees children's and young people's services. Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather was a surprise appointment to the post of minister for children and families.

CYP Now understands that a significant proportion of cuts may fall on youth services, as Education Secretary Michael Gove has outlined his priorities elsewhere. But all children's services are facing budget cuts under the coalition's plans to slash £6bn in public spending this year.

Sir Paul Ennals, chief executive of the National Children's Bureau, and vice-chair of the Children's Inter-Agency Group, said the cuts would cause "real pain" to frontline services.

"We will lose some services that we really valued. But we have to find a way to help the government achieve their reductions with the least possible damage," he said.

Ennals said the reforms of the Every Child Matters agenda should remain, arguing that integrated services save money by reducing duplication. "Integrated services are not the problem," he said. "They are actually part of the solution to the cuts."

John Chowcat, general secretary of children's services union, Aspect added: "Our main concern is the £6bn cuts. There will be big implications and it will impact on jobs."

He warned that councils are already facing a drive to slim down managerial posts in children's services. "Some really crucial expertise is being lost. Services face a bleaker future," he said.

The government has pledged to protect frontline services, but Haroon Chowdry, senior research economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, warned that the definition of "frontline" could be open to interpretation.

"It's not inconceivable that what is counted as a frontline service by Michael Gove might be defined by his priorities, which are teaching and learning."

Chowdry warned that bigger spending cuts are imminent: "The big worry is a rumour that the Treasury is considering 15 per cent cuts across unprotected government departments."

Marion Davis, president of the Association of Directors of Children's Services, said professionals are acutely aware of the difficult financial climate. But she added: "We are committed to working with the new government."

TARGETS FOR EARLY CUTS

• ContactPoint database, expected to cost more than £40m to run annually, set to be scrapped as part of a "great repeal" bill
• Child Trust funds and tax credits to be means-tested for higher earners
• £60bn Building Schools for the Future programme likely to be scaled back or stopped altogether
• The nine English regional government offices likely to be abolished
• Large number of quangos, including Ofsted and Ofqual, could be merged or scrapped altogether
• Labour's costly plans to raise the participation age to 18 by 2015 could be dropped

http://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/ByDiscipline/Social-Care/1003731/Frontline-...

The survey of 700 young carers aged six to 18 found that 60 per cent do not feel their teachers understand what life is like for them, 38 per cent worry abut the person they care about while at school and 39 per cent said that none of their teachers are aware of their caring role.