CHILD protection referrals in St Helens have nosedived during the lockdown, it has been revealed.
Local authorities across the country have reported falls in the number of children being referred to social services over child protection concerns.
St Helens Council would not reveal this information following a request by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, advising that a Freedom of Information Request would have to be lodged.
READ > This is what a St Helens Labour councillor warned would happen if a pandemic hit
However, on Wednesday, councillors were given an overview of the council’s response to the pandemic at its first virtual cabinet meeting.
During the meeting it was revealed that referrals to children’s services fell by 30 per cent compared to last year.
This is largely down to the partial closure of schools, as they are usually the main responsible authority that raises child protection concerns.
From March 23 to May 25, St Helens Council received 1,002 new referrals, compared to 1,429 contacts during the same period in 2019.
“The police continue to be the largest single agency that is contacting children’s social services,” said Rob Huntington, assistant chief executive of St Helens Council.
“A third (308) of all contacts are coming from the police in the current period, with domestic abuse being the top contact reasons, followed by neglect.”
The council has seen a reduction in the number of contacts received from various local partners, with schools showing the greatest rate of reduction.
From Monday, lockdown restrictions will begin to ease, with primary schools expected to start taking more children depending on a number of factors.
As we gradually exit lockdown, the council is anticipating a surge in domestic abuse referrals, including children who may be at risk.
Cllr Jeanie Bell, cabinet member for community safety, said the council needs clear information and guidance in a timely way in order to respond and recover from the pandemic.
The Labour councillor said it has been “incredibly frustrating” being faced with announcements from government without any prior warning or detail until much later on, with the expectation they are “rapidly” implemented.
Cllr Bell also questioned how the government is going to fund all of the additional pressures that are expected to come as lockdown is eased, saying children’s services are already dealing with “huge pressures”.
“In terms of domestic abuse, we know that there will be a surge in cases following lockdown,” Cllr Bell said.
“It’s the most dangerous time to escape an abusive relationship, and our services need to be ready to absorb that additional pressure.
“And we are working on that currently but again it’s the guidance from government that we need to be able to be pro-active.”
READ > Here's how many schools are going to reopen in St Helens on June 1
Cllr Bell added: “We have a local domestic abuse strategy that’s being implemented during lockdown, but government needs to be working with local authorities much closer in order to inform these national strategies and it’s just not happening.
“And of course, domestic abuse doesn’t just affect adults.
“Children are living with domestic abuse and those who are not already known to services are at real risk.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here