Recommendation 11

The number of referrals to children’s social care services, during the weeks surveyed between 27 April and 16 August 2020, was around 15% lower than the average for the same period over the previous three years.17 In its written evidence, the NSPCC told us that, under normal circumstances, universal services like schools and children’s centres were vital for detecting and escalating early signs of abuse. It said that there was no national expectation about who was accountable for following up and ensuring children were safe if they did not attend school.18