INADEQUATE: Children who need help and protection

The report raised a number of concerns and critical observations in this area, including:

Children in need of help and protection are not adequately protected. They do not receive services that meet their needs at the right time. While an increasing number of families access early help, early help responses are delayed for some families. Early help planning is not of good enough quality. Too much emphasis is placed on the adult rather than the child’s needs and experiences.

Some children and their families experience delays in accessing services to support victims of domestic abuse.

Inspectors identified a small but significant number of children were not identified by social workers as needing protection, meaning some children were left at risk of significant harm.

Children in need assessments ... are too long, and lack analysis, a clear sense of purpose or the use of evidence-based approaches.

Children who go missing from home and those who are at risk of child sexual exploitation are not adequately safeguarded. They do not receive a well-coordinated multiagency response in order to reduce risk and keep them safe. Risk assessments are not thorough and they are not updated when children’s circumstances change. Safety plans are not routine.

Children aged 16 and 17 who present as homeless are not routinely informed of their right to be accommodated or helped to understand how they could benefit from this.

Safeguarding and promoting the wellbeing of disabled children remains an area for improvement