The number of vulnerable children who do not have access to the
public services they need has seen a marked increase since the
beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now peers will probe how well public services
tackle underlying causes of child vulnerability in families,
including domestic abuse, poor mental health and addiction. They
will also investigate what more services can do to ensure that
vulnerable children get vital support.
The House of Lords Public Services Committee -
which published its first wide-ranging report ‘A
critical juncture for public services: lessons from COVID-19’
late last year - has launched a new inquiry and Call for
Evidence today (16 February) to look at whether reforming
public services can address the growing child vulnerability
crisis.
The inquiry will focus on public services for children and
families in England. It will consider how mothers and families
are helped during pregnancy, and the important support that
public services bring to vulnerable children from their early
years to the time they leave school.
Areas the committee will explore
include:
-
Do vulnerable children and their parents and
guardians receive enough support from early intervention and
preventative services?
-
How should the Government coordinate public
services to support vulnerable children to recover from the
effects of the COVID-19 pandemic?
-
How should the Government work with providers
to integrate public services to better meet the needs of
vulnerable children and their parents and
guardians?
-
What can the Government and public service
providers do to encourage different agencies – for example, the
NHS, councils, schools and police – to share the data that
helps keep vulnerable children safe?
-
How could the Government’s ‘levelling-up’
agenda address regional and local disparities in children’s
education, health and wellbeing
outcomes?
, chair of
the committee, said:
“The number of vulnerable children invisible to public services
has seen a significant and worrying increase since the beginning
of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our new inquiry will consider public services in the broadest
sense: it will look at all those services that give vital support
to vulnerable children. We’ll be exploring community-level
initiatives and the role of the private, voluntary and charitable
sectors in the delivery of services to children and families.
“We’re really keen to hear from anyone who works with vulnerable
children and to amplify the voices of vulnerable children
themselves.”
The committee hopes to receive evidence from a wide
range of stakeholders, in particular from frontline service
providers, those working with vulnerable children and from
vulnerable children themselves. The committee would welcome
information on any practical solutions to the problems that it
has identified.
