Councils call for hospital advisers to protect children from domestic violence

The Local Government Association (LGA) said the advisers, who spot signs of abuse and help victims get support, alongside more funding for early intervention services, are needed to tackle the high prevalence of domestic violence in children in need cases. Currently only one in 10 hospitals have advisers in place.

Department for Education figures released in November show that domestic violence is the single most common problem experienced by children in need and occurs in 49.9 per cent of cases.

The LGA said the government should use its pledge to introduce a Domestic Violence and Abuse Bill, made in the Queen's Speech, to shift the focus of domestic abuse services from dealing with the aftermath to early intervention and prevention.

"It's awful to imagine the pain and hurt that perpetrators inflict on victims and to think of children witnessing or even being victims of abuse," Simon Blackburn, chair of the LGA's safer and stronger communities board, said.