Children’s services departments dealt with 217,800 of the most urgent referrals – those in which significant abuse or harm is suspected – during 2021-22, new research has revealed.

Safeguarding data released by the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) on 14 December shows that almost a quarter of a million ‘Section 47’ referrals were made to councils during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Section 47 inquiries are initiated to safeguard and promote the welfare of a children and lead to multi-agency assessments to determine risks.

Last year’s data showed that, after an initial slump in referrals during the early days of the pandemic, social workers’ renewed access to children, parents and assessments after lockdowns meant referrals increased after children spent much more time at home.

The ADCS’s annual Safeguarding Pressures report shows the number of Section 47 inquiries has soared by 184% since 2007-08.

In total, there were 2.8 million initial contacts received by children’s social care departments in 2021-22 – an increase of 10% in two years. An estimated 282,320 early help assessments were also completed in 2021/22 - a 16% increase in two years.

The new figures reinforce the view that demand on services has soared while council resources have been stretched by high costs and wage demands.

ADCS officials have called for ‘a long term equitable and sufficient funding settlement for all local authorities’.

Steve Crocker, ADCS President, warned: ‘It will still be some time until we see the full impact of the pandemic and we are now facing a cost of living crisis. [We] should be readying ourselves for whatever comes next, but our staff are stretched to breaking point. Families are less resilient than they were, and so are public services.’

Responding to the report, Cllr Louise Gittins, chair of the Local Government Association’s (LGA) Children and Young People Board, said: ‘These figures highlight the increasing numbers of vulnerable children in need of vital support and the huge pressures on council services.

‘It is absolutely critical that the Government ensures that children’s services are adequately funded so councils can meet this rising demand and ensure children and their families get the support they need, as soon as they need it.

‘It should also not delay any further its response to the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care so that we can get on with the job of reforming the system and councils can protect vulnerable children and keep them safe from harm.’

This article was originally published by The MJ (£).