ADCS responds to Children’s Commissioner’s report on the number of child Prevent referrals

Helen Lincoln, Policy Network Chair for Families, Communities, and Young People at the Association of Directors of Children's Services (ADCS), released the following statement in response to the Children’s Commissioner’s report on Prevent referrals involving children:

“Our thoughts remain with the families and communities whose lives were changed forever by the events in Southport. ADCS is conscious that the issues outlined in today’s report are currently the focus of Phase 2 of the Southport Inquiry and ADCS will want to respond to any recommendations that the Inquiry makes at its conclusion.

“Prevent and Channel can and do work, but the risks facing children and young people are changing, and our systems to safeguard them and our communities must keep pace. Increasingly, relationships, identities and risks develop online, with some children becoming fixated on violence without a clear ideology or affiliation. Identifying those at risk and providing the right support is complex. Online harmful content can be a contributing factor to escalating risk, however, restrictions and bans alone will not address the vulnerabilities or circumstances that put children at risk.

“There is currently no national framework or evidence based interventions to direct our work with children who have a fixation on violence.  When concerns do not progress through Prevent, agencies need a clear understanding of what is driving a child’s behaviour, who should respond and what support is available.

“ADCS awaits the Inquiry’s second phase and hopes it will offer further insight into how agencies can better understand and respond to these evolving risks.”