Seriously stretched frontline staff warn of ‘perfect storm’ brewing in children’s social care. Social workers, education and law enforcement workers in England are facing a ‘perfect storm’ of complex growing need. Causes include increased poverty and lack of mental health services, combined with a crisis in confidence in their ability to provide the support needed.
The majority (60%) of those responding to a YouGov poll for Barnardo’s have seen an increase in overall numbers of particularly vulnerable children in the past 5 years.
Strikingly, across-the-board, professionals say more early intervention services are needed. An overwhelming number (67%) of those reporting an increase in the numbers of particularly vulnerable children attribute this to a shortfall in early intervention.
The polling confirms anecdotal evidence from Barnardo’s services, which are increasingly reporting cases of children with complex and overlapping vulnerabilities (early trauma, neglect, grooming, sexual abuse, exploitation, gangs). This complexity of caseload is set against a backdrop of severe local authority cuts with more than three quarters (77%) now saying there is insufficient resource to meet demand across services.
This is creating major barriers to children with complex needs getting access to the support before issues reach crisis point.
A significant 72% of all those polled think social workers are unable to give all children on their caseloads the support and time they need, as a result of increased pressure on the agencies that interact with particularly vulnerable children. (The figure among social workers themselves is a breath-taking 85%.)
And the wait for help is too long: 68% say children and families are waiting too long for help and support- a figure that confirms anecdotal evidence on the ground from Barnardo's service users, staff and supporters.
44% have seen an increase in the number of children who have experienced multiple forms of abuse or trauma in the last 5 years.
40% say children experience increased incidents of abuse and trauma whilst waiting to be offered a service as a result of the increased pressure on agencies.
Barnardo’s Chief Executive Javed Khan said: “The results of this survey are a real wake up call. What we’re seeing is a ‘perfect storm’ of more children needing help, increasingly complex challenges, and a system struggling to cope.
“With less and less resource for early intervention, and long waits for specialist mental health services, we are in danger of failing a generation of vulnerable children who face a future without hope. It’s also a false economy – young people who don’t get help now will develop far deeper and more costly problems in the future.”
