Comment on DfE Children in Need statistics

27 Oct 2023 in Safeguarding and Child Protection > Safeguarding & Child Protection >

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Commenting on the latest Children in Need statistics, Helen Lincoln, Chair of the ADCS Families, Communities & Young People Policy Committee said:

“These statistics further highlight the rise in activity in local authority children’s services over the past decade and the pressures that we are all under. Within this, we are seeing greater complexity of need amongst the children and young people who come into contact with our services, often when needs have already escalated beyond early help. Vital preventative services that we know reduce demand for high end intervention have been stripped back and are now stretched due to over a decade of austerity. This has undoubtedly impacted on our ability to meet need sooner within our communities, resulting in a significant rise in the number of Section 47 enquiries over the same period when these children could potentially have been supported earlier were the resources available. We must view the system as a whole, not just through the single lens of child protection.

“We are still feeling the effects of the pandemic and we anticipate this will remain for years to come. Added to this, more and more families are experiencing hardship, or have reached crisis, and we know that there is a strong correlation between poverty, deprivation and involvement with children’s social care. We need government to address the root causes of these issues and commit to a long-term plan for children, along with a funding settlement that commits more than the bare minimum and prioritises those most in need of support.”

ENDS