A newly-published report from the Care Quality Commission looks at how effectively health services provide safeguarding for children at risk of harm, how they identify and protect children at risk of harm and looked-after children’s health and wellbeing.
The report, called Not Seen, Not Heard, is the result of two years of research, drawing on findings from 50 CQC inspections of services across England, as well as focus groups.
The report concludes that health and social care professionals have improved how they assess risk and recognise safeguarding concerns and that there are many examples of outstanding and innovative care, but services are not protecting and promoting children’s health and welfare consistently.
The report makes four recommendations:
- Children and young people must be actively engaged in their care
- Services must ensure their focus is on outcomes
- More is done to identify children at risk of harm
- Children and young people must have access to the emotional and mental health support they need
Click here for more details and to download the full report and a special summary designed for children and young people.