Coronavirus: Rise in number of children referred to social services

There has been an increase in the number of children referred to social services since last year, Northern Ireland's health minister has said.

There was also an increase in children on the child protection register and more children in care, according to Robin Swann.

He said data collected during the pandemic had built a picture of "what is happening in families".

As a result, Mr Swann said children's services must be a priority.

It comes as measures to ensure that children's services can continue to operate effectively were announced.

According to provisional figures released by the Department of Health (DoH), the number of children referred to social services rose from 646 per week pre-Covid to an approximate weekly average of 759 by October.

The number of children on the child protection register rose from 2,246 pre-Covid to 2,369, while the number of children in care rose from 3,362 to 3,439, the department said.

A register must be maintained by a health trust listing every child from the area who has been abused or who is considered to be at risk of abuse and who is subject of a child protection plan.

The largest increase was in the Southern Trust area where the number of children on the register rose from 545 to 600, the department said.

According to the figures, the number of child protection referrals fell slightly from a weekly average of 56 to 55.3 during that time.

"I am acutely aware that Covid-19, and the public health measures we've had to put in place to control the spread of the virus, have brought increased pressure to children and families in Northern Ireland," said Mr Swann in a statement.

"In recognition of this, the DoH has put in place a range of measures to ensure that children's services can continue to operate effectively."

The following measures were adopted to allow health and social care trusts to adapt quickly to the situation as it develops:

• Legislation has been changed to make it possible for social workers to complete their work within longer timescales or to deliver services in different ways.

• Health and education have worked together to get vulnerable children into school during lockdown and put in place similar arrangements to open up childcare provision for vulnerable pre-school children, including those who may not have needed childcare prior to Covid-19.

• Guidance for the childcare sector ensured access to childcare for key workers and vulnerable children has been protected since the beginning of the pandemic.

• Additional funding was provided to support a range of measures targeted at alleviating pressures for children's social services and for foster carers, as well as providing extra support for vulnerable young people aged 16 - 21+ living in supported accommodation.

Health Minister Robin Swann pictured at a coronavirus briefing at Stormont

The DoH also confirmed progress on an Adoption and Children Bill, a Regional Care and Justice Campus and the completion of a Looked After Children Strategy, which will be published in the coming weeks.

The latest figures from the DoH show there have now been 653 Covid-19 related deaths in Northern Ireland, with eight deaths recorded on Sunday.

There were 896 new positive cases on Sunday.

In the Republic of Ireland, no additional deaths related to Covid-19 were reported on Sunday, with its death toll remaining at 1,882.