Children at risk total jumps

[Alison J Stevens]

Children at risk total jumps

Saturday, April 07, 2012

Leicester Mercury

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The number of children deemed to be at risk has increased by two-thirds in the past three years.

A total of 950 youngsters are in the care of the city and county council's social services departments, compared with 582 in 2009.

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The figures were revealed as the NSPCC this week called for more to be done to protect children.

Caroline Tote, head of children's social care and safeguarding at the city council, said: "Safeguarding children is everyone's business and all agencies that work directly with children, young people and families should be aware of signs and indicators of abuse.

"The key message is that if you are worried about a child's safety or well-being, talk to someone from either social care or the police and share those concerns."

In the past three years, the number of children subject to a child protection plan has increased in Leicester from 323 to 428.

This includes 36 children suffering emotional abuse, 138 for neglect, 167 for physical abuse, 25 for sexual abuse and 62 with more than one category.

Ms Tote said: "The child protection plan determines what needs to change in order for the risk to the child to reduce and what agencies need to be involved with the family to help them make the changes.

"Those agencies involved are determined by the needs of the child and family but will always include social care, education and health representatives."

In Leicestershire, the number with a protection plan rose from 259 in 2009 to 522 in 2012.

Fifty-eight of the youngsters are under child protection plans because of sexual abuse.

A county council spokeswoman said: "Our central duty team makes sure that we give the best and most immediate response we can to anyone who calls with concerns about a child's welfare.

"Trained officers deal with calls to ensure a quicker and more consistent response and free up social workers to spend more time in communities working with children and their families.

"Nationally, there has been a rise in the number of children at risk.

"In response to this, some of the £2.5 million increase in the children's social care services budget will be used to bolster early intervention approaches."

The NSPCC this week called for more action to protect children after releasing national figures that showed a child was sexually attacked on average every 20 minutes last year.

The charity said more than 60 child sex offences were reported to police nationwide every day.

http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/Children-risk-total-jumps/sto...

MY THOUGHTS

“Who are they kidding,? this is because of over zealous Social Workers who snatch children and babies to gratify the Governments adoption targets.
Local Authority's that do not push through adoptions quicker will be named and shamed.
Post Baby Peter Care Proceedings within the UK have risen alarmingly,Cafcass figures will also show this with their statistics with regards to the amount of children that are being removed from their parents in the last few months.
In some parts of the UK care Proceedings have risen by as much as 80%.
Babies are being removed on the filmiest of evidence, given by the so called medical experts, who also lie in court, to support the wishes of Social Services departments, for a large remuneration,many thousands of pounds.