MORE work needs to be done to increase the number of care leavers going into education, training or employment, senior councillors have been told.

The council's ruling cabinet has reviewed a pledge the council has made to looked after children and young people who are in care or leaving care. Coun Jenny Platts praised the work done to date but said it needs to monitor the number of care leavers entering employment, education or training programmes.

Latest figures show just 28 of the 65 care leavers had done so. Coun Platts said: "The number of care leavers in education, training and employment in May 2017 was at 42 per cent which we know we're working on but we need to keep an eye on that and get more children into that."

Coun Margaret Bruff, cabinet spokeswoman for safeguarding, said management action has been instigated where areas need further attention such as how many young people leaving care are going into education, training or employment.

She added: "It's good but we recognise there are areas of improvement needed and it is certainly a big issue and there is lots of work being done to ensure we move that forward."

The latest council data available shows there are 291 children in care with most (86 per cent) placed in Barnsley or in neighbouring authority areas.