100,000 vulnerable children missing

[KangSaeByeok]

This is why schools should never be wholesale closed again

www.theguardian.com/society/2021/dec/12/hunt-launched-to-find-ghost-children-missing-from-schools-in-england

Oh please don't hold back.

I'm not bitching about school closures. I'm sharing the view of the current and previous children's commissioners that the blanket closure of schools put some children at risk. That 'some' may be a large number. If a single school puts children at risk due to high staff absence that's absolute no reason to close a school thousands of miles away.

The current commissioner off rolled students when Ofsted came. She did not have a good record on excluding vulnerable children. I hope she isn't just paying lip service and actually wants root and branch change and will push for proper funding.

What she has @piggywaspushed is a predecessor who is determine not to let these children down again and will absolutely be holding her to account. That's already clear, and I hope so because what these kids go through is just devastating..

Why would her predecessor have influence? She tried to call the government to account on many things. Failed tbh. But if they can see a way to score political points they will do something. Years of austerity and woeful underfunding have led us here. They'd rather we forgot that.

I have dealt with several CME cases. It was alarming how long it took anything to happen. Teachers are pretty toothless. And often ignored or threatened by parents, and sometimes lawyers.

the blanket closure of schools put some children at risk

Indeed. But open schools are not the solution to child abuse. Children were abused before, during and after school closures. Children are abused and sent into school. Children are abused and kept home from school.

In Arthur's case, clearly being home from school did not help. But he would also have been home for 6 weeks in that same house during the summer holidays. Would they have sent him back in September? Would they have refrained from abusing him over the summer? As mentioned, he was reported to social services, he was reported to the police. Their failings to act appropriately are important lessons to learn from. We need these services appropriately trained and resourced to act when concerns are raised. Because whether schools are open or closed, concerns will be raised.

Linking his death to school closures and ONLY school closures in your OP is just grim.

Not sure this should be on the coronavirus board tbh. It does rather imply children are only abused during pandemics.

Schools were not properly "open to vulnerable children". (And that's even if one assumes schools know which children are vulnerable)

My son's school know he has reported abuse by his dad to them several times yrg didn't speak to him once between March- September. (Obviously I try my best to keep him safe but dad charms cafcass.... A whole other story)

Linking his death to school closures and ONLY school closures in your OP is just grim.

Rather it was the article that you linked to.

Schools were as open as they were allowed/able to be.

KeyboardWorriers your last paragraph is a bit confusing. I'm very sorry to hear that your ds is being abused by his father.

As far as I know, schools refer abuse allegations to social services, to ensure investigations are conducted within safeguarding protocols.

That may be why they didn't contact your ds directly.

As you know, social services and child protection services have been cut to the bone.

Yes, the article reads as 'we've got another stick to beat teachers with' tbh.

Although it does point out that more persistent absences has led to a significant fall in referrals to social care as so many come from schools.

If they really gave a shiny shit about children, they'd invest in schools and children's services.

@Piggywaspushed

Not sure this should be on the coronavirus board tbh. It does rather imply children are only abused during pandemics.

Yes.

@noblegiraffe

the blanket closure of schools put some children at risk

Indeed. But open schools are not the solution to child abuse. Children were abused before, during and after school closures. Children are abused and sent into school. Children are abused and kept home from school.

In Arthur's case, clearly being home from school did not help. But he would also have been home for 6 weeks in that same house during the summer holidays. Would they have sent him back in September? Would they have refrained from abusing him over the summer? As mentioned, he was reported to social services, he was reported to the police. Their failings to act appropriately are important lessons to learn from. We need these services appropriately trained and resourced to act when concerns are raised. Because whether schools are open or closed, concerns will be raised.

Linking his death to school closures and ONLY school closures in your OP is just grim.

Agree.