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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/feb/17/councils-struggling-cope-surge-child-protection-referrals-domestic-violence
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| Councils struggling to cope with surge in child protection referrals | Councils struggling to cope with surge in child protection referrals |
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| Half of all children identified as being in need of help by councils have experienced or witnessed domestic violence, the Local Government Association has said. | Half of all children identified as being in need of help by councils have experienced or witnessed domestic violence, the Local Government Association has said. |
| But cuts to local services mean councils are struggling to cope with an avalanche of child protection referrals, with a child referred to children’s services every 49 seconds. Councils began more than 500 child protection investigations every day last year – up from 200 a decade ago, according to the LGA. | But cuts to local services mean councils are struggling to cope with an avalanche of child protection referrals, with a child referred to children’s services every 49 seconds. Councils began more than 500 child protection investigations every day last year – up from 200 a decade ago, according to the LGA. |
| Councils are increasingly only able to address “critical” situations and help the most at-risk children instead of carrying out vital preventive work to stop domestic violence and its devastating impact on victims, said the organisation that represents 370 councils in England and Wales. | Councils are increasingly only able to address “critical” situations and help the most at-risk children instead of carrying out vital preventive work to stop domestic violence and its devastating impact on victims, said the organisation that represents 370 councils in England and Wales. |
| Simon Blackburn, chair of the LGA’s safer and stronger communities board, warned that children’s services would face a funding gap of £2bn by 2020, and called on the government urgently to put in place a promised comprehensive package of reform around domestic violence announced in the Queen’s speech last year. | Simon Blackburn, chair of the LGA’s safer and stronger communities board, warned that children’s services would face a funding gap of £2bn by 2020, and called on the government urgently to put in place a promised comprehensive package of reform around domestic violence announced in the Queen’s speech last year. |
| “It’s awful to imagine the pain and hurt that perpetrators [of domestic violence] inflict on victims and to think of children witnessing or even being victims of abuse,” said Blackburn. | “It’s awful to imagine the pain and hurt that perpetrators [of domestic violence] inflict on victims and to think of children witnessing or even being victims of abuse,” said Blackburn. |
| Failure to invest in these services will have long-term consequences for our country’s children and families | Failure to invest in these services will have long-term consequences for our country’s children and families |
| “We need the government to include early intervention and preventive measures in its reforms to address domestic abuse as the best way to tackle this issue ... Failure to invest in these services will have long-term consequences for our country’s children and families and create crises which are much more expensive to solve in the long run.” | “We need the government to include early intervention and preventive measures in its reforms to address domestic abuse as the best way to tackle this issue ... Failure to invest in these services will have long-term consequences for our country’s children and families and create crises which are much more expensive to solve in the long run.” |
| The proposed legislation would allow the UK to ratify the council of Europe’s convention on preventing and combating violence against women, known as the Istanbul convention, and put the focus on preventing abuse and protecting victims. | The proposed legislation would allow the UK to ratify the council of Europe’s convention on preventing and combating violence against women, known as the Istanbul convention, and put the focus on preventing abuse and protecting victims. |
| Some organisations working in the domestic violence sector have privately expressed concerns that an all-consuming preoccupation with Brexit risked delaying the proposals. “We’d like them to move faster and further, particularly with the latest domestic violence stats showing just what a huge issue this is,” said one. | Some organisations working in the domestic violence sector have privately expressed concerns that an all-consuming preoccupation with Brexit risked delaying the proposals. “We’d like them to move faster and further, particularly with the latest domestic violence stats showing just what a huge issue this is,” said one. |
| Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in November revealed there were 1.9 million victims of domestic violence in the year ending March 2017. | Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in November revealed there were 1.9 million victims of domestic violence in the year ending March 2017. |
| Sarah Green of the End Violence Against Women coalition said the figures were upsetting but were of no surprise. | Sarah Green of the End Violence Against Women coalition said the figures were upsetting but were of no surprise. |
| “It is the everyday job of local councils’ child protection teams to be dealing with children who have witnessed and experienced domestic violence,” she said. | “It is the everyday job of local councils’ child protection teams to be dealing with children who have witnessed and experienced domestic violence,” she said. |
| “The LGA is right that we need systemic change, not a bit more patching up – something Ofsted has called for, too. So where is the commitment to ensuring every child is kept safe and that real work is done to prevent domestic violence in the first place?” | “The LGA is right that we need systemic change, not a bit more patching up – something Ofsted has called for, too. So where is the commitment to ensuring every child is kept safe and that real work is done to prevent domestic violence in the first place?” |
| Child protection | Child protection |
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| Office for National Statistics | Office for National Statistics |
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