In Focus

In depth

Children’s centres have a role to play in safeguarding

When young children are at risk of harm, the children’s centre is both the place where the issue is often likely to be identified and the place that can offer most protection. That’s why the recent joint meeting of the all-party parliamentary groups on Sure Start and child protection was both fascinating and insightful, exploring how there could be better synergy to prevent child abuse and facilitate early intervention when families are experiencing difficulties.

Children’s centres provide crucial support to children and their parents in the earliest years of a life and are increasingly becoming the hub for a wide range of professionals from family support to health visitors and midwives. With centres working with some of the most vulnerable families, the potential for a joined-up and integrated approach to help build the strengths of families and protect children is clear.

While the causes of child neglect or abuse are varied, it is known that children are more at risk if their parents experience one or more of three key risk factors: drug abuse; domestic violence; and mental ill health. Other risk factors include social isolation and lack of access to support. These are just the kind of areas in which so many children’s centres provide specialist services – working with parents to overcome addiction and preventing further problems developing. By building close and trusted relationships, centre workers will often escape the badge of “officialdom”, helping to increase the likelihood that parents will ask for help and providing an understanding of the kind of support that is likely to have the greatest impact.

Though children’s centres are well placed as contact points for support, more needs to be done in many to improve their reach. There is a notable level of variation between children’s centres in their work in this area, with some of the most vulnerable family groups, such as teenage parents, not accessing the services available, either because they are unaware of what is offere