Comment: DfE vulnerable children and young people survey

Commenting on findings from the DfE’s vulnerable children and young people survey an ADCS spokesperson said:

“Referrals to children’s social care fell during lockdown, but as the survey shows they are starting to pick up again as restrictions ease and children are more visible. We fully expect referrals will continue to rise as children come into contact with more professionals who would usually raise safeguarding concerns. The pandemic has placed new and additional pressures on many children and families and we are seeing newly vulnerable families because of domestic abuse, neglect and financial hardship, in addition to those we were already supporting. When all pupils go back to school in September, we are expecting and planning for a surge in referrals to children’s social care services, this will create significant funding pressures, both in-year and into 2021/22. When this happens, we will need to be in a position to meet their immediate and long term needs but in order to do this we need government to support us. However, we are concerned that by the time we reach our peak in demand there will be no emergency funding left for us to draw on. Children’s services need the certainty of an ambitious and sustainable long term funding settlement and, crucially, children and their families deserve more than just the bare minimum levels of resourcing and support.”

ENDS

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