Cooperation needed to tackle rise in child neglect and abuse, Lincolnshire councillors warn

Greater cooperation with local organisations is needed to tackle a rise in child neglect and abuse cases in Lincolnshire, councillors have warned. 

The number of cases involving children reported to have suffered emotional abuse or neglect in this area rose from 1,337 in 2019/20 to 1,588 in 2023/24, according to figures from Lincolnshire County Council. 

The number of cases reported to the county council involving physical abuse increased from 987 in 2019/20 to 1,049 in 2023/24. 

At a children’s and culture scrutiny committee meeting at Lincolnshire County Council on September 5, councillors heard that there has also been a ‘significant’ rise in children suffering from online harm, mental health issues and eating disorders. 

Members backed a proposal for the county council to work more closely with local schools, charities and the police to protect children and young people from harm. 

Chris Cook, Independent Chair and Scrutineer at Lincolnshire Safeguarding Children Partnership (LSCP), said: “Education plays an important role in protecting and safeguarding children from harm. 

“We’ve developed our engagement with schools. We’ve reviewed our existing involvement with local educational institutions and we’ll continue to work with our other partnership organisations. 

“It’s about cooperation with local partnerships and working together to provide effective safeguarding.”

Mr Cook told councillors he was concerned about cuts to Lincolnshire Police and warned councillors against reducing the provision of its services to support children. 

He said: “I’ve written to the policing minister personally expressing my concerns on behalf of the public of Lincolnshire. 

“We need to have an efficient and effective police force and we cannot have this without additional funding from the government. 

“It’s so important because the chief constable is reaching the point where he will have to make a decision about where he cuts his resources. 

“This will be a difficult choice for the partnership but we must ensure that we don’t reduce the resources that we provide for our children’s services.”

Stacey Waller, LSCP Manager, said the partnership was working to improve its response to cases of child neglect. 

She said: “We’ve been working within the partnership to provide information and support on healthy relationships. They work directly with children in secondary schools across the county. 

“Child neglect has been a really big issue in Lincolnshire over the last couple of years, but we have made significant progress in trying to tackle this.”

Ms Waller went on to say that the partnership is working with the police and local schools to tackle incidents of domestic abuse and online harm among children. 

She added: “When the police are going to an incident of domestic abuse and there’s a child present, they will send a note within 24 hours to the school. 

“This means the school is able to check in on the child and make sure that they’re ok. Our connections with schools and other local educational institutions means that we’re able to support them during that process. 

“I’ve also had meetings with the chief constable of Lincolnshire Police and the police and crime commissioner and we will continue to work with them. 

“A lot more work is going to be done with parents and carers on how they can better protect their children from the dangers of the internet.”

Ms Waller also told councillors that mental health issues among children and young people were rising. 

She said: “We have seen an increase in children with mental health problems and we’re working with our partnership to address this. 

“We’re also seeing a rise in complex cases involving eating disorders and we’re working really hard to address this.”

Heather Sandy, executive director of children’s services at the county council, told members that the authority is working with the partnership to prepare children and young people to make safe and informed decisions once they reach the age of 18.

She said: “Those partnerships work together on this. They look at individual children and specific cases and it really depends on the development of that individual child. 

“Children in care will continue to receive some kind of support until they reach 25. Children with special educational needs will also have the opportunity for additional support until they reach 25. 

“But once they become an adult, they are legally entitled to make decisions for themselves without our guidance. 

“What’s important is that we prepare those children up until they turn 18 to have more responsibilities and to make their own choices in a safe and informed way.”

Coun Cain Parkinson (Reform UK), who represents Grantham East, said it was ‘incredibly important’ for the county council to safeguard children in Lincolnshire. 

He added: “It’s fantastic that we’re able to work with so many other industries. Protecting and safeguarding children is incredibly important. 

“I think protecting children should be a top priority for this council. We have a responsibility as a council to protect our young people. It’s such an important job.”

Coun Brenda Collier (Reform UK), who represents Birchwood and was chairing the meeting, said: “Cooperation with other organisations is the biggest thing here, I think. If we don’t work with each other, then we’ll be lost.”