‘ Vulnerable children lost contact with authorities’

HOUSE OF LORDS

ONLY ONE in 10 children defined as vulnerable attended school or early years education during coronavirus lockdown, according to a new Parliamentary report.

The House of Lords Public Services Committee said that Covid- 19 restrictions hit children, disabled people and the BAME ( Black, Asian and minority ethnic) community the hardest.

The report found that hundreds of thousands of “invisible” children are falling through gaps between social and education services across England.

Peers found that disadvantaged and vulnerable children “face more risk of abuse and dropping further behind due to Covid- 19 school closures”.

Fewer home visits by social workers due to Covid made the situation worse, the study noted.

The committee heard that “just one in ten vulnerable children went to school during lockdown.”

Andthattherewas“notenough support for prevention and early intervention services”.

The report also insisted that the “fight against health inequality” should be Government priority and that good work “will be lost” without fundamental reform.

The committee said “fundamental weaknesses” need to be addressed to make services resilient enough to withstand future crises.

Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top, chairwoman of the Public Services Committee, said: “Government, local authorities and other public service providers are not working together effectively to protect vulnerable children.

“Before Covid- 19 many vulnerable children couldn’t get the public services they needed. With most unable to attend school because of the lockdown they had little support and many more have become invisible after losing contact with public services during the pandemic.”

The study called for the Troubled Families Programme and community services such as children’s centres and family hubs to be extended and expanded.