child abuse | LocalGov

Child neglect ‘normalised’, professionals warn

28/08/2024

Child neglect has become ‘normalised’ amid financial strain on families and a lack of early support, a major children’s charity has heard.

Levelling up sexual health services to protect children

14/08/2024

Sue Bunn, Commercial Director, Inform Health, looks at how sexual health services are levelling up to better protect children from harm.

Grooming gangs unit arrests 550 child predators

21/05/2024

A specialist grooming gangs unit has helped arrest over 550 suspected child predators over the last year, according to the Home Office.

Safeguarding panel calls for register of home-educated children

15/05/2024

An expert child safeguarding panel has joined calls for a statutory register of children who are electively home educated.

Mandatory reporting exemptions a 'fudge'

13/05/2024

Ministers’ decision to exempt instances of child abuse from a new reporting law means they have dodged the mandatory duty demanded by a national inquiry.

Child sexual abuse review to inform new strategy

09/05/2024

Findings of a review of Walsall Safeguarding Partnership’s strategy after the largest child sexual abuse case investigated by police will now be published.

Kent CC faces legal action over alleged abuse

06/02/2024

Nine former residents of a children's home in Kent are suing the county council over abuse allegations.

Worcestershire council contacted 36 times before child’s death

29/01/2024

Worcestershire County Council was contacted multiple times about the welfare of nine-year-old Alfie Steele, who was killed by his mother and her partner.

Newsom report reveals Rochdale exploitation failings

15/01/2024

Failings by officials at Rochdale Council and senior police meant vulnerable girls were targeted by a child sexual abuse gang for years, report has concluded.

Court provides clarity on duties owed to children at home

21/12/2023

Court rules that Wolverhampton did not have a duty of care to protect a child because it could not be established they had assumed responsibility for them.

The role of councils in supporting child victims of abuse

20/12/2023

Dr Jo Casebourne, chief executive of Foundations, discusses the crucial role local authorities play in supporting child victims of domestic abuse.

Child trafficking victim owed back payments

19/12/2023

A child trafficking victim is entitled to back payments after the Home Office and Barnet Council left him without adequate care and support, High Court finds.

Cruelty to children doubles in five years

08/12/2023

The number of reported cases of children in England being subjected to cruelty or neglect has doubled in the last five years, a children’s charity has warned.

Child abuse inquiry chair criticises Government response

23/10/2023

The chair of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) has warned ministers’ response to her recommendations has been ‘weak’.

Councillor charged over child grooming allegations

30/08/2023

A Scottish Labour councillor has been suspended from the party after he was charged over allegations of child grooming.

Case review requirement ignored

27/07/2023

Safeguarding partners in Walsall have admitted failing to send a serious case review to the education secretary as required.

Ministers promise CSA compensation scheme

23/05/2023

Ministers have promised a compensation scheme for survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA) including those abused in council care.

Safeguarding overhaul called for after ‘horrific’ child abuse case

20/04/2023

Council leaders have called for more powers to hold partners to account after a review into the abuse of children with disabilities at Hesley Group of homes.

Safeguarding review of child sex abuse case withheld

11/04/2023

Walsall Safeguarding Partnership (WSP) will not be publishing its review into the largest child sex abuse case investigated by West Midlands Police.

Child sexual exploitation taskforce announced

03/04/2023

PM Rishi Sunak has announced the establishment of a new taskforce of specialist police officers to help investigate child sexual exploitation and grooming.

10,000 cases of child exploitation ‘tip of iceberg’, charity warns

27/10/2022

More than 10,000 cases of child exploitation have been recorded by councils over the last year but this is just the ‘tip of the iceberg’, charity warns.

Councils face ‘mandatory reporting’ of child sexual abuse

20/10/2022

Local authorities and their partners face a legal requirement to report child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSA) under hefty proposals outlined by an independent inquiry.

Facing up to historic child sex abuse

05/10/2022

Alan Collins, a partner in the abuse team at Hugh James Solicitors, calls on local government to step up and be accountable for child sexual exploitation.

Support for county lines victims gets £5m boost

26/09/2022

Services aimed at supporting victims of county lines gangs received a multi-million-pound bump over the weekend.

Council calls for removal of child sex abuse councillor

13/09/2022

Derry City and Strabane councils contacted the NI Electoral Office yesterday to discuss the disqualification of a councillor convicted of child sex abuse.

Cost of living crisis to lead to ‘catastrophic’ winter

07/09/2022

The cost of living crisis will have a ‘catastrophic’ impact with an increase in the number of children entering care and a rise in domestic violence.

Victims of child abuse sent to care homes 350 miles away

30/08/2022

Local authorities in England and Wales are being forced to send some of the most vulnerable children to care homes in Scotland, new research has revealed.

Children’s charity raises alarm over modern slavery

12/08/2022

A charity has called for action as figures show record numbers of children are being referred to the authorities as suspected victims of modern slavery.

Council apologises for child sexual exploitation

13/07/2022

Telford & Wrekin Council has apologised ‘wholeheartedly’ after an inquiry concluded more than 1,000 children were sexually exploited over at least 30 years.

Child sexual exploitation inquiry clears council of cover up

20/06/2022

An inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Oldham has found that there were serious failings in the handling of some cases but no cover up by the council.

Child cruelty and neglect up by 25%

10/06/2022

Child cruelty and neglect offences increased by a quarter last year as the country emerged from the pandemic, a children’s charity has revealed.

Review calls for creation of local child protection units

26/05/2022

A review into the deaths of Star Hobson and Arthur Labinjo-Hughes has recommended that specialist units with a child protection focus should be established.

Report warns of stark variation in the identification of child sexual abuse

20/04/2022

Some local areas are failing to identify and respond to child sexual abuse, a new report has warned today.

Stopping child exploitation

06/04/2022

Iryna Pona, policy and impact manager at The Children’s Society, looks at the issue of children and modern slavery.

‘Shocking figures’ reveal only 185 modern slavery prosecutions

30/03/2022

There have only been 185 prosecutions under modern slavery legislation despite tens of thousands of children being referred for support in exploitation cases.

Children still not safe from sexual abuse in schools, inquiry finds

01/03/2022

Children are not as safe as they should be from sexual abuse in residential schools, a damning new report has warned today.

Councils guilty of ‘extensive failures’ when identifying child abuse

02/02/2022

An inquiry has identified ‘extensive failures’ in the way councils tackle child sexual exploitation, especially when it comes to abuse perpetrated by networks.

Abused school pupils threaten council with legal action

25/01/2022

Former pupils of a council-run school are considering legal action against Lincolnshire County Council after two former staff members were convicted of abuse.

Over 16,000 children face abuse over Christmas

23/12/2021

More than 16,000 children will be victims of domestic abuse over the Christmas fortnight alone, a children’s charity has warned.

Council chiefs welcome new measures to improve children’s social care

16/12/2021

Local authority leaders have welcomed new measures aimed at stopping poor quality supported accommodation providers and rooting out bad practice.

Cuts undermine fight against child criminal exploitation

16/12/2021

Local authority leaders have warned that cuts to local government funding have made it difficult to tackle child criminal exploitation.

Society has allowed child sexual abuse to exist - now we must do more to help those affected

13/10/2021

Kit Shellam says that while it is vital we make progress in preventing the sexual abuse of children, we must also support those who have been abused and who continue to live - and suffer - in silence.

Police criticised for handling of child abuse cases

01/09/2021

Police criticised for delaying alerting children’s social care when they have found children living in houses where they might be vulnerable to abuse.

Calls for more funding as child abuse increases

20/08/2021

Incidents involving death or serious harm to a child have risen in the past year, leading to calls for further funding.

Children abused for decades under care of Lambeth Council, inquiry finds

27/07/2021

Hundreds of children were subjected to decades of cruelty and sexual abuse while in the care of Lambeth Council, a damning inquiry has found.

More training needed to identify child sexual abuse ‘swiftly’, council chiefs say

09/06/2021

Council leaders call for more training to be given to those working with children and young people so that victims of child abuse can be identified ‘swiftly’.

Listening to the voices of survivors

13/11/2020

Nujoji Calvocoressi describes how the voices of survivors are central to the Inquiry’s work, and argues that if things are to change, it’s essential we listen to those voices.

Spike in child abuse since pandemic

06/11/2020

Ofsted’s chief inspector has warned of an increase in the number of child injuries and deaths uncovered by local authorities since the onset of the pandemic.

Child abuse survivors' experiences of support services

21/08/2020

Alison Spence, lead researcher at the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, looks at abuse survivors’ experiences of support services.

Most sexual abuse survivors struggling to access support, inquiry finds

13/08/2020

Three quarters of child sexual abuse survivors have been unable to access any support services, new research has found.

Social workers to be placed in schools to spot children at risk

22/05/2020

The Government has committed £6.5m to place social workers in schools to help spot the signs of child abuse and neglect.

Survey highlights child abuse could go unreported during lockdown

18/05/2020

Child abuse could go unreported during lockdown as a quarter of adults do not know where to go for help, a survey has found.

We can’t let the loudness of lockdown drown out the voices of the most vulnerable

29/04/2020

Emma Lewis describes why now more than ever we must shine a light on the experiences of those who cannot speak up for themselves.

‘We’re not in it for the money’

14/04/2020

Emma Lewis, a member of the Victims and Survivors Panel at the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, explores what redress really means for survivors.

New programme launched to support fight against ‘witchcraft allegations’

20/03/2020

The centre dedicated to fighting female genital mutilation (FGM) has launched a first-of-its-kind e-learning programme to address the startling rise of witchcraft allegations against children.

Local agencies 'woefully ill-equipped' to stop child abuse

04/02/2020

Children are being left at risk because local agencies – including social care – are often ‘woefully ill-equipped’ to prevent and respond to child sex abuse in families, four inspectorates have warned.

Future Forum North: Rotherham flood response hampered by scandal

06/12/2019

The child abuse scandal in Rotherham continues to cast a long shadow over the work of the council - even affecting its work to tackle last month’s flooding.

Child abuse linked to faith rises by ‘a third’, council chiefs warn

14/11/2019

The number of children identified by councils as having been abused for reasons associated with belief has risen by a third in three years, the LGA reports.

'It should’ve been a place of safety'

07/11/2019

Beth Mooney and Grace Ablett examine the extent of child sexual abuse in children’s homes and residential care.

Abuse ‘endemic’ in children’s homes

07/11/2019

An independent inquiry has found physical and sexual abuse was endemic in children’s homes and residential care homes.

Nottinghamshire councils apologise for ‘decades’ of child abuse

01/08/2019

Nottinghamshire councils have apologised for letting survivors ‘down in worst possible way’ after an inquiry found hundreds of children were abused in care.

Council apologises for failing to protect girls from grooming gang

11/06/2019

Kirklees Council has apologised for failing to protect two girls from abuse, after an independent review found opportunities were lost to protect them from exploitation.

Domestic abuse services ‘struggling’ due to budget cuts

01/04/2019

Nearly 60% of women accessing domestic abuse support services have children and one in 15 are pregnant, according to a new report.

Child abuse costs taxpayers over £1bn

06/03/2019

Action must be taken to protect children from domestic abuse which is costing the nation millions of pounds, a welfare charity has demanded.

Nine men convicted of child sexual exploitation

27/02/2019

Bradford council has insisted that safeguarding young people is its ‘top priority’ after nine men were convicted of child sexual exploitation.

Police arrest 55 in connection with child sex abuse cases

15/01/2019

Police have arrested 55 men in connection with historical child sex abuse cases in West Yorkshire.

Child cruelty and neglect crimes double in past five years

04/12/2018

The number of child cruelty and neglect cases recorded by police have doubled over the last five years, a children’s charity has warned.

Council offers convicted sex offender access to victim’s child

28/11/2018

Rotherham Council has come under fire after offering a convicted sex offender access to the child of one of his victims.

‘Lessons have been learned’ after child abuse case, council says

22/10/2018

Kirklees Council insists ‘lessons have been learned’ in the wake of what has been described as a seven-year campaign of rape and abuse in Huddersfield.

Home Office announces £13m fund to support vulnerable children

22/08/2018

Councils have welcomed £13m of funding to help vulnerable children but warned cuts to children’s services are making it ‘difficult’ to help families.

Brokenshire to end intervention at Rotherham Council

24/07/2018

Rotherham Council looks set to regain full control of its services, after communities secretary James Brokenshire said he was 'minded' to end intervention.

Telford takes decisive action

07/06/2018

Clive Jones hits back at recent news coverage surrounding child sexual exploitation in Telford and Wrekin.

Inquiry into child sexual abuse warns of ‘lack of transparency’

26/04/2018

There has been a ‘lack of transparency’ on the part of some leaders in relation to failures to protect children from sexual abuse, inquiry finds.

Former council leader ‘lied’ about child sexual abuse, inquiry finds

13/04/2018

The inquiry into child sexual abuse in Rochdale has accused the former leader of the council of lying and said his refusal to accept responsibility was ‘shameful’.

Council leader welcomes independent inquiry into child sexual abuse

27/03/2018

The leader of Telford & Wrekin Council, Shaun Davies, has welcomed the decision to bring an independent inquiry into child sexual abuse to Telford.

Councils join new alliance to help people report child abuse

16/03/2018

Local councils have joined forces with police chiefs, charities and the Government to help encourage the public to report suspicions of child abuse.

Mandatory reporting calls rejected by Government

05/03/2018

Ministers today rejected calls for the mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse – claiming an effective case for a new law has not been made.

Rotherham's children's services rated 'good' in dramatic turnaround

29/01/2018

Rotherham Council’s children’s services have been rated as ‘good’ by Ofsted, following three years of Government intervention in the aftermath of the child sexual exploitation scandal.

Calls for independent panel to administer compensation for child abuse

12/12/2017

Compensation for survivors of child abuse in Lambeth should be decided by an independent panel rather than the council, a councillor has warned.

Councils dealing with 500 child protection investigations every day

12/12/2017

The number of child protection investigations being started by councils has risen at an ‘alarming’ rate of more than 500 a day, according to new figures.

Council to launch £100m scheme for sexual abuse survivors

08/12/2017

Lambeth LBC is set to launch a £100m redress scheme for survivors of historic sexual, physical and psychological abuse.

Over 14,000 FGM cases recorded in two years, NHS reveals

06/12/2017

The NHS has recorded more than 14,000 new cases of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) over the past two years, new data reveals.

Councils face child sex abuse compensation claims

28/11/2017

Two local authorities are facing a string of compensation claims following the exposure of historical sexual abuse linked to staff at council-run care homes.

Child sexual exploitation case reveals ‘missed opportunities’ to intervene

03/11/2017

A serious case review into the sexual exploitation of teenage girls in Somerset has found ‘missed opportunities’ for earlier intervention by the council.

Children’s charity report’s increase in domestic abuse

02/11/2017

Children’s charity providing financial support to children in crisis has reported grants awarded to families affected by domestic abuse rose by quarter. 

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