As the country gets to grips with coronavirus, it is vital we consider the profound impact school closures could have on children facing abuse and neglect.
On Wednesday, Boris Johnson announced that England would be following its neighbours Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to close all schools from Friday for the foreseeable future. But they will remain open for a select group of students, including children of “key workers” and vulnerable young people, such as those who have a social worker or a health and social care plans. At the NSPCC, we are cautiously optimistic about the government’s bold plans, which show that child protection is a central concern during this national health emergency.
To many people, sending children home may seem like the safest option, but the sad reality is that not all children are safe at home. Teachers act as the eyes and ears of the community, and are often the first to spot signs of abuse and neglect, and can be fundamental in ensuring children receive the right support and protection. Daily contact with these trusted adults, also including youth and mental health workers, means children can raise issues that are worrying them, including abuse.
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That is why it is encouraging to us that the most vulnerable young people will continue to go to school to find safety and support. However, this is a delicate process, and the government must ensure it is carried out sensitively – otherwise, children risk feeling as though they are being singled out.
It is important to recognise that, sadly, there will be children kept home from school who aren’t known to social services but who are still vulnerable to abuse. At the NSPCC, we will be looking closely at the detail of the plans and how they will work in practice to best protect all children. We will be urging the government to enable schools to take a broad, flexible approach to identifying vulnerable children, and ascertaining which would most benefit from remaining in school.
Critically, “key workers” whose children will be exempt from school closures will include charity staff and volunteers delivering key frontline services. This is crucial at a time such as this when more children and adults are being signposted to the NSPCC’s Childline and Helpline to ease pressure on key workers on the ground with limited resources and capacity.
Already, we have seen stellar examples from schools where they have been working to ensure safeguarding remains a top priority even as they close their gates. Headteachers and schools across the country have been working out plans to address critical issues, including how to feed children who cannot go in for their free school meals, by providing food hampers. Schools had prepared regular visits with young people on child protection plans, and are planning for teachers to liaise with other relevant safeguarding professionals to ensure children are not cut off from support. We would like to see the government support other schools to follow suit.
The entire way we keep children safe has changed overnight and in this new world other services must collaborate to fill any potential child protection void. We must be clear: it is everyone’s responsibility to safeguard children.
If it’s teachers who usually spot signs of abuse and neglect, the NHS, local authorities and police must figure out how they can fill the gap. Collaboration between these services is vital for there to be effective safeguarding arrangements in every area to ensure there is a rapid response to any concerns raised about a child. One cog simply will not work as effectively without the others, so when any service is alerted to potential abuse or neglect they must communicate with the others to assess the situation and work out the best approach to protecting children.
These services, that are already working tirelessly around the clock to protect children, will be under more strain than ever. Rather than let them cave under that pressure, the government must provide additional support to enable them to step up.
Finally, we must remember that this is a very confusing time for young people. Many have been contacting Childline because they are concerned they may catch Covid-19, are worried about dying and are being bullied because of their race or ethnicity. It is important for parents, carers and teachers not to shy away from talking about the coronavirus with their children and young people. Our website can provide essential expert-led support for adults with concerns about starting a tough conversation with children about coronavirus, while our Childline website offers message boards where children can support each other. Then there’s the Childline itself, where young people can share their worries with trained adults, and Helpline, where adults can raise concerns about children.
Of course, it is not just the home environment that can present a risk to children in isolation. The virtual world to which children can itself be risky. While more and more young people spend more and more time online, it’s more important than ever that they are protected from cyberbullying and harmful content. The joint NSPCC and O2 resource Net Aware can help parents and children understand how to minimise these potential risks and ensure that online resources can be a helpful part of coping with social distancing.
Children’s lives have changed and we are going to need to change with that to keep them safe.
Anna Edmundson is head of policy and public affairs at the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC). Children can get support on our message boards or can contact Childline on 0800 1111. Adults wishing to report abuse, or concerns about the wellbeing of a child, can phone the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000.