Public service cuts and ‘stark impact of poverty’ are causing worse outcomes for children, according to survey

Poor parental mental health has overtaken domestic violence as the most commonly reported factor in social worker assessments into whether a child is at risk of serious harm or neglect, according to new research.

Growing rates of mental illness – in both parents and children – were an increasingly important driver of child safeguarding interventions in England, the latest comprehensive survey of children’s social care pressures found.

In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org