Child neglect cases in Walsall on the rise

An annual report of the Walsall Safeguarding Children Board will be presented to the council’s children’s services overview and scrutiny committee on Tuesday.

And members will be told that the number of referrals to Walsall’s multi-agency safeguarding hub (MASH) – made up of professionals working together to protect children – was 5,135 in 2018/19.

This was a slight decrease of around two per cent from 2017/18, which saw 5,229 cases referred.

The report said the number of these incidents being as a result of neglect had risen from 18 per cent in 2017/18 to just over 30 per cent last year.

But Liz Murphy, chairwoman of the Walsall Safeguarding Children Board, said this was a positive step as there has been work to increase identification of neglect and to ensure intervention takes place.

The main factor for referrals remains domestic abuse, which accounted for 44 per cent of cases, although this is a reduction of six per cent from 2017/18.

Committee members will also be told that the number of the section 47 enquiries – where a child is thought to be at risk of significant harm – has increased, although more than half led to no further action being required.

The report also said that the number of looked after children had reduced from 636 in 2017/18 to 614 in 2018/19.

Of these, 78 per cent were taken into care due to abuse, neglect or family dysfunction while 36 per cent of them were aged between 10 and 15.

Ms Murphy said: “The findings indicate that the quality of safeguarding practice is improving; areas for further development include information sharing and contribution to the delivery of child protection planning.

“The rate of repeat child protection plans has reduced which suggests that the help being provided to the most vulnerable children and their families has become more responsive to their needs.

“Neglect has been a priority for the Walsall Safeguarding Partnership and through the council’s Walsall Right for Children Programme, there have been conversations with parents who have helpfully shared their experiences.

“They tell a powerful story of the importance of workers building relationships with them.

“It is recognised that there is a need to increase the pace of the delivery of key aspects of the neglect strategy.

“To be successful, this will require partner agencies to embrace the important role they play in responding to the early signs of neglect.”