Helpline highlight: how the NSPCC protects babies Contacts to the NSPCC helpline
This report looks at the key concerns people who called the NSPCC between April and June 2011 had about babies.
Part of the Helpline highlight series.
Author: Richards Woods
Published: 2011
- Between April and June 2011, 851 people contacted the NSPCC's helpline service with concerns about a baby.
- Almost three quarters (74%) of all calls about children under one led to a referral to the police or children's services.
- 44% of people who contacted us about a child under one, were worried the child was being neglected.
- In over half (55%) of all calls that resulted in a referral, the caller said they had heard or seen the child in distress.
- Nearly two thirds (60%) of referrals involved either parental substance misuse, domestic abuse or concerns about the parent's mental health.
- One in three referrals for neglect also featured some form of emotional abuse, physical abuse or both.
| The vulnerability of babies | 3 |
| Janice's story | 6 |
| Kai and Milly's story | 8 |
| Risk factors | 10 |
| How we help | 14 |
| Conclusion | 14 |
| Bibliography | 15 |
| Appendix | 16 |
| Methodology | 18 |
Helpline highlight series
Helpline highlights is a series of reports looking at why people contact the NSPCC helpline and how we help.
Got a question?
Our Knowledge and Information Service answer over a thousand enquiries every year helping professionals find the information and resources they need to keep children safe.
Other research and resources
All Babies Count: prevention and protection for vulnerable babies
Helpline highlight 2012/13: more people speaking out to protect children
How safe are our children? 2017
How safe are our children? 2017 is the NSPCC's third annual report that compiles and analyses the most robust and up-to-date child protection data that exists across the four nations in the UK for 2017.
Handle with care
All Babies Count: support for parents
CASPAR
Our Current Awareness Service for Practice, Policy And Research delivers free weekly email alerts to keep you up-to-date with all the latest safeguarding and child protection news.
Information Service
Our free service for people who work with children can help you find the latest policy, practice, research and news on child protection and related subjects.
For more information, call us or email help@nspcc.org.uk.
How safe are our children? Growing up online
Our annual flagship conference is for everyone working in child protection.
Follow @NSPCCpro
Follow us on Twitter and keep up-to-date with all the latest news in child protection.
Library catalogue
We hold the UK's largest collection of child protection resources and the only UK database specialising in published material on child protection, child abuse and child neglect.
New in the Library
A free weekly email listing all of the new child protection publications added to our library collection.
Helping you keep children safe
Read our guide for professionals on what we do and the ways we can work with you to protect children and prevent abuse and neglect.
Impact and evidence
Find out how we evaluate and research the impact we’re making in protecting children, get tips and tools for researchers and access resources.
Training and consultancy
Sharing knowledge to keep children safe
Read our guide to the NSPCC Knowledge and Information Service to find out how we can help you with child protection queries, support your research, and help you learn and develop.