Multi-agency report warns ‘far too little’ being done to prevent child domestic abuse

By Peter Cary19th September 2017News EnglandChild Abuse, Child Protection, Childrens Services, Domestic Abuse / Violence, News England

“Far too little” is being done to prevent child domestic abuse and repair the lasting damage it does, a report has found.

The second of a two-part “targeted area inspection” focused on the child protection practices of six local authorities: Hounslow, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Bradford, Lincolnshire and Salford.

The joint study by Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), HMI Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) and HMI Probation (HMIP) said that while much is being done to protect children once abuse has taken place, local authorities needed to do more to guard against future abuse and its after-effects.

It said: “Accepted practice in tackling social problems is to prevent, protect and repair.

“While much good work is being done to protect children and victims, far too little is being done to prevent domestic abuse and repair the damage that it does.”

The report – The Multi-Agency Response To Children Living With Domestic Abuse – also said a “notable absence of attention” had been paid to the perpetrators of abuse, compared with victims.

In some cases, the report noted that victims had been made to sign “clearly inappropriate” written agreements with social workers, which placed responsibility for managing the risk to children with the victim.

Of the 1.03 million domestic abuse incidents recorded in the year ending March 2016, the report said police concluded that a domestic abuse-related criminal offence had been committed in around four in 10 (421,000).

The inspection recommended that interventions should place greater onus on the perpetrators, and seek greater clarity and consistency over prioritising the needs of those involved.

Katie Ghose, chief executive of the domestic abuse charity Women’s Aid, welcomed the “landmark” report and called for more to be done to tackle the causes of abuse before it takes place.

She said: “This is a social epidemic that needs to be urgently tackled and we support this landmark call for a fundamental rethink in how we prevent and tackle domestic abuse.

“For far too long, the focus on cases deemed to be ‘high risk’ has failed to provide women and their children with the support they need to recover in the long term and it has failed to tackle the root causes of domestic abuse.

“It is critical that all parts of the public sector – from midwives to teachers and social workers – recognise and understand domestic abuse so that they can intervene early and effectively support women and child survivors to help them escape abuse. Sadly, as the report shows, victim-blaming attitudes across all agencies are still far too common.”

She added: “We believe survivors’ and their children’s experiences and needs must be factored into all responses to tackling domestic abuse. As a survivor quoted in the report states, the public sector must start asking what she needs, rather than telling her what’s best for her.”

A spokesman for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) said: “Domestic abuse can have a huge impact on a child, and it is the most common reason for a child to be considered at risk of serious harm at home – the very place they should feel safe and protected.

“While it is encouraging that some progress has been made, there needs to be a greater shift to prevention so that children are not growing up in the shadow of violence at home.”

A Government spokesman said: “Domestic violence and abuse shatters the lives of its victims and we are determined to make sure that anyone facing this threat has somewhere to turn.

“We are pleased that this report highlights the progress that has been made – however we know that more must be done.

“That is why we are introducing a landmark bill to protect and support victims, and we are taking forward important measures to improve the police response. As part of our children’s social care innovation programme, backed by £200 million, we have funded a number of projects with a specific focus on tackling domestic abuse.

“Schools have an important role to play in educating children about abuse, which is why we are making it a requirement that all schools teach about healthy relationships.”