Councils struggling to cope with surge in child protection referrals

Government urged to act on domestic violence reforms promised in Queen’s speech

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.

Failure to invest in these services will have long-term consequences for our country’s children and families

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from Children | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2o5c3Pq