Catherine McKinnell MP used Education Questions in Parliament today to add her backing to the NSPCC’s It’s Time campaign, which calls for more support to help children rebuild their lives after abuse.
The NSPCC estimates that, every year, over half a million children are abused in the UK, but many are facing unacceptable waits for support services whilst others are simply turned away.
Yet no one is keeping track of the scale of this problem, with the NSPCC stating: ‘We’d love to be able to tell you precisely how many children are left without help, but the heart-breaking reality is that, as a society, we’re failing children who’ve suffered abuse so badly that we’re not even keeping count.’
Addressing the Children’s Minister in the Commons this afternoon, the Newcastle North MP said:
‘The vast majority of children entering the care system have experienced abuse and neglect, and are particularly vulnerable in regard to their mental health needs.
‘Will the Minister accept the concerns expressed by the NSPCC, which I share, that if the Department does not commit to counting and tracking abused and neglected children, those children will continue to be at risk of falling through the cracks, and not receiving the mental health support they need to rebuild their lives?’
‘I know from constituency cases just how devastating and lifelong the effects of abuse and neglect in childhood can be. It’s clearly vital that those who have faced this trauma are provided with the right support – at the right time – to help them rebuild their lives.
‘Yet – as the NSPCC’s campaign makes clear – far too many children are falling through the cracks, and risk being let down by a system which doesn’t even know the scale of the problem it’s tackling.
‘The Minister’s commitment today to look at what more the Government can do on this issue is welcome, but how can we possibly know the level of support required without understanding with the numbers of children and young people involved?’
The NSPCC’s It’s Time campaign calls on the Government to deliver increased funding for therapeutic support and mental health services for children who have suffered abuse; for the Government to produce clear guidelines on when a child should be offered therapeutic support – with children in care to be given an automatic specialist mental health assessment; and for more research into the scale of the problem.
The mental health and wellbeing of children in the care system – also known as looked-after children – is currently under investigation by the Commons’ Education Select Committee, of which Catherine is a member.