NSPCC calls for Government support to ensure ‘All babies count’ as new figures show 198,000 babies are at risk in families with complex needs

The NSPCC has today launched its 'All babies count' campaign to highlight the vulnerability of babies and to call for better and earlier support for new parents.

Babies are eight times more likely to be killed than any other age group in childhood. And factors such as domestic violence, mental health problems, and drink and drug dependency among parents are known to be important risk factors for abuse and neglect. Two thirds of serious case reviews for infant fatalities or serious cases of abuse involve one or more of these problems. And over half the contacts to the NSPCC Helpline involve concerns about children in families with these issues.

Whilst of course not all families with these issues neglect or harm their babies these types of family factors are important markers of risk. New figures published today show that over 198,000 in the UK (one in four) (168,000 in England) are at high risk because they are born into homes with domestic violence, mental health problems, or drink and drug dependency. The NSPCC's report shows that in the UK (note: there is some overlap in the figures below):

• 144,000 babies under one are living with a parent who has mental health problems.
• 109,000 babies have a parent with drug or alcohol problems.
• 39,000 babies are living in a home where there is domestic violence.

Support for babies living in homes with these problems needs to be early and effective. The impact of early trauma, abuse or neglect is particularly acute in the first year of life and is linked to negative outcomes such as behavioural problems in childhood; antisocial behaviour in adolescence; and even physical and mental health problems, including heart disease, in adulthood.

The financial cost of a failure to act is also huge and continues to build the longer that intervention is delayed. By the age of 28 costs to public services for individuals with conduct disorder are 10 times higher than for those with no problems. A child living in care with complex needs can cost over £200,000 per year.

The NSPCC is calling on the Government to ensure vital services in England (there are separate calls for the devolved administrations) are there when families need them. The call to action includes:

•  Ensuring that there are sufficient resources in place to fund services for families, recognising that cutting services that support families during pregnancy and infancy is a false economy. Investment in early intervention will prevent problems from occurring and therefore save the taxpayer money in the long term.
• Giving commissioners at a local level - in health services and local authorities - the powers and responsibility to ensure the right services are in place to protect vulnerable babies and prevent abuse at the earliest opportunity.
• Reviewing the early intervention services available for families every two years, and using this to deliver a clear action plan to address gaps.

NSPCC's chief executive, Andrew Flanagan, said:

"It is a major concern that the NSPCC's new findings show the most vulnerable and helpless members of our society are often at risk because of a lack of support. All babies count is about making sure all babies get the care they need, when they need it most.

"Evidence from early intervention programmes shows that intervening early can remove the future risk of abuse or neglect. And it also makes sound economic sense. Investing in preventing harm is a more effective way of spending money than trying to pick up the pieces of children's broken lives in the years after abuse has happened.

"We're calling on the Government to join us in focussing attention, resources and expertise to demonstrate that All Babies Count. The Government's focus on early intervention is welcome, but we now need action."

The NSPCC is also rolling out a range of innovative services to support new parents and their babies. (Further details in note to editors pt 3).

For more information or case studies and spokespeople please call the NSPCC media team on 020 7825 2712 or 07976 206625 (out of hours)

Notes to editors
1. The policy calls in this press notice apply to England only; press notices for the devolved nations have also been issued.

2. Successful programmes such as the Family Nurse Partnership, which supports young or vulnerable mothers, show that for every one pound spent up to four pounds can be saved.

3. Alongside the call on Government the NSPCC is launching a range of new services to find even more effective ways to protect babies and support parents. These new services include:

• Preventing Non Accidental Head Injury (NAHI) in babies - an innovative hospital based education programme, preparing new parents for pressures such as crying and sleeplessness, highlighting the risk of head injuries at this age.
• Parents under Pressure (PUP) - an intensive home visiting and parenting programme working with parents receiving drug or alcohol treatment who have a child under two in their care. Originally developed in Brisbane, Australia.
• Mind the Baby - an intensive home visiting programme for vulnerable first time mothers and their babies. Originally developed at Yale University, the programme aims to improve attachment and reduce the risks of maltreatment.
• Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond - a new group-based antenatal education programme, aiming to set the template for positive parenting and help vulnerable parents manage the major transition to parenthood. 
  

4. Full details of the NSPCC's new services will be announced over the next six months as the new services open up across the country.

5. Helpline Calls: the sample size is 144 referrals to social services, which represent just over two per cent of all referrals made by the NSPCC Helpline between April - June 2011 (5988 referrals). The sample is representative and was weighted by type of caller and nature of concern, with the cases selected randomly from within these groups.

6. Full details of the NSPCC research can be found on the NSPCC website.

7. The direct costs of abuse and neglect: being nursed on a neurosurgical unit and having on going assessments costs in excess of £1500 per day. For long term physical and mental disability, short break services cost £6,635 a year and key worker services cost £2,505 a year. These are just some of the costs.

8. The full details of the NSPCC's calls are below:
Ensuring people at the local level have the levers to make a reality of 'early intervention' and a clear responsibility to focus on services for vulnerable babies.

• Use the NHS mandate to send a clear signal to the NHS Commissioning Board of the Government's priority to prevent abuse and protect the most vulnerable babies.
• Require joint strategic needs assessments to capture the needs of vulnerable babies and families at risk.
• Make local health and wellbeing boards responsible for ensuring there is sufficient support for the most vulnerable babies and their families, including support to address parental risks (such as mental illness, domestic abuse and substance abuse), promote secure attachment and prevent abuse.
• Give directors of public health clear accountability for local delivery of outcomes for vulnerable babies.
• Require local safeguarding children boards to monitor local provision of prevention and protection services for babies and their families and provide tools to help them in this role.
• A full review of the services currently available across the country and clear action plan to address gaps and monitor progress.
  

9. The public can also do their bit by signing an online pledge on the NSPCC's website www.nspcc.org.uk/allbabiescount (goes live on 10 Nov) asking the Government to take action. And anybody worried about a baby, or any child, can call the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000.