Mental health services are not meeting the needs of many hundreds of thousands of children
The expansion of children’s mental health services over the past four years is welcome but, such was the poor starting point, services are still nowhere near meeting the needs of many hundreds of thousands of children.
This is the stark warning from the children’s commissioner for England in her fourth annual report on the state of [...]
Sibling abuse is ‘most common form of intra-familial abuse’
Sibling abuse is the most common type of intrafamilial abuse, a report has stated.
Sexual abuse involving child siblings is thought to be the most common form of intra-familial child sexual abuse, perhaps up to three times as common as sexual abuse of a child by a parent, the report by the Centre of Expertise on [...]
Predatory groomers ‘grave threat’ as children not in schools
Organised “communities of sex predators” will be looking to take advantage of children being away from school and spending more time online to exploit more children and to share and distribute child sexual abuse material online.
The Internet Watch Foundation has reported processing record numbers of reports of online child sexual abuse and warned that predatory [...]
Almost 80% of social workers have increased concerns over ability to safeguard children
More than 65% of social workers in children’s services have seen an increase in the number of referrals and/or their caseload since the return to schools and colleges for autumn 2020, a survey by BASW has found.
At the same time, almost 80% of social workers encountered more difficulties in accessing essential support services for the [...]
NSPCC raises fears over rise in domestic abuse during lockdown
The NSPCC has raised concerns about an increase in domestic abuse as the average monthly contacts to the children’s charity has soared since last March when the first lockdown began.
The children’s charity helpline is receiving an average of over 30 contacts a day from adults worried about children living with domestic abuse. The monthly average [...]
Roadmap needed for re-opening of schools
The prime minister is being urged to set out a roadmap for re-opening schools to all pupils by the children’s commissioner for England and Solace, the members' network for local government and public sector professionals throughout the UK.
Anne Longfield and Ade Adetosoye, Solace spokesperson for Children and Families, have written to Boris Johnson outlining what [...]
