About this book

Part 1: Introduction and context

Protecting children from harm is far from straightforward. During 2013/14 we have seen an increased and nationwide focus on the tragic deaths and serious injuries of children across the country and arguably more awareness of the risks facing young people in relation to sexual exploitation and sexual abuse. The public insistence that children should be safe and an understandable shock at the tragic circumstances in which some children die or are seriously harmed has been exacerbated by the number of high-profile serious case reviews (SCRs) published during 2013 (eg Daniel Pelka, Coventry; Keanu Williams, Birmingham; Hamza Khan, Bradford). Of the 133 SCRs under way in November 2013, it is expected that 94% will be published (Association of Independent Chairs of LSCBs, 2013). At best, this has allowed a candid dialogue about the challenges facing front-line professionals and organisations tasked with protecting children from maltreatment and poses fundamental questions for us as a society. At its worst, the requirement to publish SCRs has led to a tide of disquiet from the media and public, suggesting that the focus of these inquiries on ‘learning lessons’ has become a meaningless mantra. The alarming failures within the system when information is not shared, when teachers, GPs, paediatricians and police officers, as well as social workers, fail to recognise abuse and act swiftly, have become the central story. The fact that in the cases outlined earlier adults deliberately sought to hurt children in their care and ultimately cause their deaths, while successfully deceiving professionals, is a fundamental message lost in most reporting. Instead, criticism has fallen on local authorities, and social care departments in the main, which, as well as dealing with increased workloads, are faced with rapidly diminishing resources.