Poor parental mental health overtakes domestic abuse as most common factor in assessments

New research shines a light on the pressures facing children’s social care with a chronic shortage of affordable housing, ongoing cost of living pressures and poor access to mental health support all having a direct impact on the safeguarding and child protection system, resulting in poor outcomes for children.

The Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) publishes its latest Safeguarding Pressures report today (Weds 15 January), which draws on data returns, surveys with local authorities across England plus interviews with leaders of children’s services.

The research, which covers the period 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2024,

The research also highlighted changes in safeguarding activity which have not previously been seen, or not previously seen to this extent.

One such aspect was poor quality housing. Overcrowding, use of temporary accommodation and the affordability of housing is very clearly contributing to family distress and breakdown against the backdrop of a cost-of-living crisis, researchers found. Children’s services are now routinely supplementing rents under Section 17 duties of the Children Act 1989 to sustain families and keep them together. The research also draws out challenges linked to an increasingly transient population, with families moving far from their homes and communities often due to high housing costs.

Health challenges also came through as a key theme in the research, from the impact of delayed access to assessment or treatment plans for parents and carers, particularly for alcohol and substance misuse, to growing concerns about poor mental health among adolescents. And, for the first time, poor parental mental health has overtaken domestic abuse as the most common factor in children’s social care assessments. The lack of focus on, and prioritisation of, children and young people in recent health reforms and in the operation of integrated care boards was also frequently raised as a concern for leaders of children’s services right across the country.

The lasting impact of COVID-19 on children and young people’s lives and on their outcomes is increasingly visible in growing levels of mental health need among children plus their parents and carers, via heightened inequalities, deteriorating behaviour in schools resulting in rising exclusions, as well as social and developmental delays in younger children. Families are less resilient and have more entrenched, overlapping needs and challenges as the pandemic aggravated or accelerated these. The impact on children and young people has been significantly underestimated and will continue for many years to come.

ADCS argues that this research makes it clear that the poor state of our public services is leading to poor outcomes for children. In order to improve children’s lives who are part of the social care system we need to improve public services as a whole and ensure that parents have the access to the mental health support they need, families are able to be housed in safe, decent homes in the communities they have connections in.

Andy Smith, ADCS President, said the latest phase of our research makes it clear that the stripping back of our public services has led to, and continues to result in, poor outcomes for children.

“In order to improve children’s lives, we need to improve public services as a whole and ensure that parents and carers have the access to the support they need and families are able to be housed in safe, decent homes in the communities they have connections in.

“Children, young people, and families do not live their lives according to service structures or departmental remits, we are dealing with multifaceted needs which require joined up, multi-agency responses.

“It is encouraging to see that the government has reaffirmed its commitment to keeping children safe and helping families to thrive and backed this up with new investment, however, evidence presented here shows the stark impact of poverty, the housing crisis and failing health services on children’s lives and on their childhoods is undeniable. It is clear that the government needs to take bolder, swifter action to truly improve children’s life chances now and in the future. The research also demonstrates the value and impact of early help and family support in terms of preventing future misery and harm as well as future spend, so sustainable, equitable investment here should be part of any long term plans.

This is now the ninth iteration of the Safeguarding Pressures research, which brings the evidence base up to date from April 2007 – the end of March 2024. This latest report draws on quantitative data from over 124 local authorities and qualitative survey returns from 86 local authorities plus interviews with 34 senior leaders of children’s services.

Additionally, the research tracks the key domains of safeguarding and child protection activity, which found initial contacts and early help assessments up 8% since 2021/22, while also seeing small increases in the number of referrals (1%) and the number of children in care (2%) over the same time period. Meanwhile, the numbers of Children in Need were down 6% and the number of children on Child Protection Plans were down 3%.

“The essential foundations that children need to thrive are now absent for a large proportion of children, which results in them arriving at our door in need of help and protection. This isn’t good for children, families or for communities,” Andy Smith added. “It’s time to think and work differently. We need to work more collaboratively, with children and families in the round, if we are ever going to achieve our ambitions for children to thrive. And we need joined up government to tackle these core challenges of family life because childhood matters.”