To think that social services aren't always managing a complex child protection situation is perhaps naive. Their current workload is likely complicated and increased by the Covid-19 emergency.
There is no 'likely complicated' about it.
It is not simply about workload it is about increased actual risk of harm to already very vulnerable children.
(extract)
"Children’s commissioner for England Anne Longfield estimates that up to 2.3 million children in England are at significant risk, on the very edge of coming to social services’ attention – but not currently getting help.
There will be [foster] placement breakdowns because of [Covid-19]
Jane Collins, director of the Independent Foster Carers Alliance
“These children are in families that are already unstable, and this crisis is going to put them under even more pressure,” says Longfield. “For these children, school tends to provide one, and often two, hot meals a day; it provides structure and support from peers and teachers, and gives professionals direct line of sight to children, with a well-established escalation procedure. All this is lost if a child isn’t in school, and, even with the government’s announcement, most won’t be.”
With many children’s centres, nurseries, libraries and youth services closed down or cut, “there will be the best part of 1 million children who have needed a social worker in the past three years now becoming invisible to professionals, just as their families come under unprecedented strain”, adds Longfield.
Even for those children who are in care, stability cannot be guaranteed. Foster carers are increasingly anxious about the capacity of the system to support them when social workers – already a scarce resource – fall ill or self-isolate. “There will be [foster] placement breakdowns because of this situation,” says Jane Collins, director of the Independent Foster Carers Alliance." (continues)
www.theguardian.com/society/2020/mar/25/coronavirus-puts-vulnerable-uk-children-greater-risk-campaigners-warn