Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure a child-focused approach to safeguarding children is taken in homes with domestic violence.

Domestic abuse can have a devastating and longstanding impact on children and young people’s health, wellbeing and development. Therefore, this government is committed to passing the landmark Domestic Abuse Bill, which includes the first ever statutory definition of domestic abuse, recognises children as victims of domestic abuse and introduces an independent Domestic Abuse Commissioner, who will be required to consider the impact of domestic abuse on children and the services available to them.

Our statutory guidance on inter-agency working to safeguard children, Working Together to Safeguarding Children (2018), is clear that ‘a child centred approach is fundamental to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of every child; whatever the form of abuse or neglect, practitioners should put the needs of children first when determining what action to take’. This includes families where children are experiencing domestic abuse.

We are strengthening social care delivery through our children’s social care reform programme of initial education, continued professional development and professional regulation. Under the post qualifying standards, all social workers should be able to identify the impact of domestic abuse and act to protect vulnerable children.

This year, we have also invested £6.5 million to place social workers in schools to help teachers to identify signs of children at risk of exploitation or neglect. We have also provided more than £12 million for 14 children’s social care innovation projects across the country to continue delivery and extend their evaluation to capture further learning. These projects aim to support children and young people at increased risk of harm, including domestic abuse programmes.

For children experiencing domestic abuse during the COVID-19 outbreak, attending an education setting plays a key safeguarding role. We have, therefore, asked schools to remain open for children who are vulnerable, as well as for those children of workers critical to the COVID-19 response. The government is also providing support for school staff who are concerned about children experiencing domestic abuse, through the Operation Encompass Teachers’ National Helpline, which remains available to all staff in educational settings during term-time and the current lockdown restrictions.