Press Releases

NSPCC acting chief executive Wes Cuell said: "The horrific cruelty inflicted on this defenceless infant is shocking. One cannot imagine the excruciating pain and sadness this little boy suffered before he died.

"Even with substantial child protection reforms, spotting the danger to an individual child remains fraught with difficulty - especially when the child is too young to speak out.

"Abusers will lie about what they have done and cover up their crimes. They may threaten and intimidate social workers and other professionals to stop them discovering the truth.

"All those working with vulnerable children must ask the right questions and make the right call for the sake of the child. They need sufficient skill, experience and courage to challenge parents and carers effectively. And they need enough time to spend with families and proper support to do their investigations.

"Dedicated professionals successfully protect thousands of children every year. But frankly they are being overwhelmed by the scale of child abuse. Supporting them properly as they, and the children they look after deserve, is an issue for the government and the nation and everyone has a responsibility for acting on their concerns about a child.

"This will build on the reforms to the system to help make our child protection arrangements fully fit for the children they were built to protect."

Half of the children killed or seriously injured through abuse and neglect are babies less than a year old. A further 20 per cent are toddlers or under the age of five. On average 47 preschool children are killed every year, mostly by their parents or carers.(1) Some may not be known to local agencies before they are killed.

The NSPCC believes this issue of support must be addressed across the children's workforce including health workers, social workers and other professionals. A recent health visitors' survey found one in five were responsible for more than 1,000 children.(2) A survey of child protection arrangements at hospitals found fewer than half had a dedicated children's social work team on site.(3) And there are growing concerns that there are too few paediatricians to provide comprehensive safe services for children.(4)

In addition, a recent Joint Chief Inspectors report found there is still a long way to go before different practitioners will be fully trained and competent in dealing with child protection cases.(5)

The NSPCC welcomed the recent government announcement to study how reviews of child deaths can be used to strengthen local arrangements to protect children and inform national policy. It is also pleased the government earmarked £73m extra money in April for training, supporting and supervising children and families social workers. But more needs to be done. The Society is now calling for:

• The recently announced review of Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs) to identify adequacy in staffing, resourcing and training within the sectors and to make recommendations on how any identified shortfalls can be addressed.
• All new first-line managers in child care teams to receive training within the first six months on supervising staff and decision-making in child protection.
• All doctors and other health professionals working with children be required to receive training in recognising child abuse and how to respond to families where concerns are raised.
• Training for all professionals in regular contact with children and families should be updated every three years and this should be built in as a requirement for continued professional registration.

Ends

NSPCC Media Office on 020 7825 2514 Out of Hours mobile 07976 206 625

Notes to editors
1 Home Office Statistical Bulletin Homicides, Firearm Offences and Intimate Violence 2006/07. January 2008.
2 Community Practitioners and Health Visitors Association press release 18 Sep 2008
3  Jessica Datta and Di Hart (12 November 2007). A Shared Responsibility: Safeguarding arrangements between hospitals and children's social services. National Children's Bureau.
4 Dr Hamilton, President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, quoted in RCPH press release May 2008
5 3rd Joint Chief Inspectors Report on Safeguarding OFSTED 2008