At the start of this month I became president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS). The president’s role is to speak up clearly on key national issues on behalf of ADCS members, while at the same time authentically capturing their views.
I feel it would be amiss not to focus my first column on an issue that is increasingly prevalent in our society and is the most common factor in situations where children are at risk of serious harm in this country today. Domestic abuse.
Domestic abuse can happen to anyone, anywhere – both men and women can be victims or perpetrators and it can be fatal. Witnessing or experiencing domestic abuse can have a devastating, lifelong and intergenerational impact on children and young people. There are huge human and financial costs associated with domestic abuse on everything from social care, to housing and the criminal justice system – it costs the nation £23bn each year. It makes sense, therefore, that in tackling this issue we must maintain a strong focus on early help and prevention.
