Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

As children across the country return to their classrooms, it is crucial they are given the support they need to help them recover from difficult and traumatic experiences they may have encountered over the last few months.

Home is not a safe place for all children and we know that problematic parental behaviour and the risks of abuse and neglect are increased during stressful times. This is reflected in the rise in contacts to our Childline service about mental and emotional health, and the 721 referrals made by our NSPCC helpline for adults to local authorities in Wales since the start of April.

Adults in schools are well placed to recognise signs of abuse and as children go back to school we need to make sure that children are supported to speak out and access the support they need. The Welsh Government, health boards and local authorities need to ensure that they have sufficient resources in place to provide children and young people in every area of Wales with specialist support to recover from their experiences. As we are expecting a surge of referrals from families experiencing domestic abuse during lockdown, this needs to include dedicated children workers in both refuge and community services to provide play and therapeutic work for families in crisis.

 Vivienne Laing

Policy & Public Affairs Manager

NSPCC Cymru

Children and young people can get help from Childline at www.childline.org.uk or by calling 0800 1111 for free.

Any adults concerned about a child’s wellbeing can contact the NSPCC Helpline at help@nspcc.org.uk or on 0808 800 5000.