Protect the most vulnerable children and young people
You can read the summary below, or access the full versions in the right-hand column.
What will be different in one year’s time?
What actions are planned over the next year?
Why does this matter?
All children and young people need to feel safe so that they can achieve their full potential. Some live in circumstances that can make them particularly likely to be unsafe. These are known as vulnerable children, and younger children are likely to be especially vulnerable.
Vulnerable children and young people include:
- Children and young people whose parents or carers have additional needs, which means that they need help to care for their children. This includes: parents or carers with learning difficulties, those who have mental health issues or those who misuse drugs or alcohol. Some children in these situations may take on caring roles for their parents or others
- children and young people who live in households where there is domestic violence
- children and young people who go missing or run away from home
- children and young people who are being bullied. Some groups of children and young people are particularly likely to be bullied, such as children with a disability and gay or lesbian young people
- some children and young people from black or minority ethnic backgrounds
- children and young people who are living away from home. This includes: those in local authority care, those in custody and those who are privately fostered.
Most children and young people are supported and protected by their parents or carers. Some parents or carers are unable to do this for a number of reasons. In these cases, the involvement of everyone who could help to keep children safe is vitally important. A small number of children will be made subject to a child protection plan because there is a high level of concern for their safety and welfare. When this happens, staff in all organisations will work together with parents or carers. The aim is to reduce the risks to the child so that a further child protection plan is not needed.
Across the country, some children are injured, or even die, in situations which might have been prevented. In Nottinghamshire, organisations work together to identify these situations and what action could be taken to stop children being harmed again in similar situations.
Where are we now?
What the local data tells us about Nottinghamshire
From April to December 2008, social care staff completed 2932 initial assessments for children. Of these, 836 (29%) identified that domestic violence was a feature in these children’s lives.
On 31 March 2009, there were 449 children with a child protection plan. Some of these will have had a child protection plan previously.
The number of children with a disability who have a child protection plan is low. The proportion of black and minority ethnic children who have a child protection plan is slightly higher than the proportion for the child population as a whole.
Between April 2008 and March 2009, 291 children were reported as missing to the police on two or more occasions.
What children, young people or families tell us
- 26% of children and young people in Nottinghamshire tell us that they have experienced bullying in the last year at school (the national figure is 25%)
- Only 23% of children and young people in Nottinghamshire say they feel safe in their local communities (the national figure is 28%). They say that they are worried about older young people bullying them. At the same time young people say that they do not want to be seen as a problem by adults and wider society
- Children and young people are very aware of newer risks, such as bullying through text messages or on social networking sites
- Children and young people think peer mentoring schemes are a good way to reduce bullying
- Parents say they want to be reassured that activities for their children are safe – that they are run by people who will not harm their children
- Children and young people from black and minority ethnic communities report that racism can still be a real problem for them, although it may be hidden and subtle
- Children and young people usually tell us they want to stay within their own families, even when there are difficulties at home – they just want the abuse or problems to stop
- Some children and young people who go missing say they have engaged in risky behaviour whilst away from home
- Young carers tell us they want people to talk to who can understand their position. They want better understanding from schools and health agencies. They also want more support for their parents or carers. They like talking to other young people in the same situation and they value having a break.
What will be different in one year’s time?
Each group of vulnerable children and young people has different needs. This is a list of the things we intend to do for each group.
| Parents with additional needs |
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The impact of domestic violence |
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| Missing children |
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Bullying |
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| Children living away from home |
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| Children who have a Child Protection Plan |
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| Child deaths |
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What actions are planned over the next year?
| Parents with additional needs |
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The impact of domestic violence |
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| Missing children |
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Bullying |
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| Children living away from home |
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| Children who have a Child Protection Plan |
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| Child deaths |
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How will we measure impact?
NI 64 - Fewer children will have child protection plans that last for more than two years.
NI 65 - Fewer children will need to have a child protection plan more than once.
NI 69 - Fewer children will have experienced bullying.
NI71 - Fewer children will have run away from home/care overnight (service self-assessment including monitoring of numbers).
- We will monitor the number of CAFs completed
- We will evaluate the quality of CAF work with a sample of children, young people and families
- We will evaluate how children and families feel about how support from specialised domestic violence services has helped them
- We will identify more children who are privately fostered
- Young carers will tell us that they feel better supported
- Children who have a Child Protection Plan will tell us that they feel better supported.
Contact Information
Lead Partnership Group:
Nottinghamshire Safeguarding Children Board (NSCB)
Strategic Lead:
Helen Ryan
Service Director
Social Care and Health
Nottinghamshire County Council Children and Young People's Services
For more information about how this work is being developed, contact:
Pam Rosseter
Service Head
Safeguarding and Independent Review
Nottinghamshire County Council Children and Young People’s Services
Tel: 0115 982 3823
