Attacks on children brings rise in Sandwell care cases
Children who have suffered assaults make up the majority of the hundreds of youngsters who have been taken into care in Sandwell in the last two years.
Figures were revealed following a Freedom of Information request which showed that since April 2017, 208 children who suffered repeated attacks were supported by social workers.
In the same period, Sandwell Children’s Trust rescued 85 youngsters who were victims of sexual abuse or exploitation.
At present, the Trust looks after 906 children – up from 607 in April 2017.
The Freedom of Information request shows many children enter care suffering multiple problems, including mental illness and neglect, alongside physical and sexual abuse.
Other causes are parents who cannot cope with or protect their kids because of ill health.
The increase has put massive strains on the service which reported a £3.6 million deficit earlier this year.
Darren Carter, Executive Director for Resources, told a meeting of the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee in April that the rising numbers were part of a national problem of increasing demand.
He added: “I have been involved in children’s care services since 2003 and demand levels we see in the system now far outstrips anything that I’ve ever seen in that 15 year period.”
A Sandwell Children’s Trust spokesman said: “The rising number of children in care is a national issue and many areas of the country are facing an increase in the number of children entering care.
“In the Trust we work with families who are struggling to keep children safe at home by providing them with early help to prevent abuse.
“However, if children are unable to live with their families, it is our duty to do all we can to provide a home where they are safe and cared for.
“Sadly, in the majority of cases, abuse happens in the home or is committed by a family member or someone the child knows.
“We work closely with our partner organisations through an established hub to ensure that vulnerable children and young people are protected against exploitation.
“The reasons that a child should brought into care are varied and complex. No two cases are the same and we respond to each individual child’s circumstances.”
