Families across the UK are facing complex challenges:
- 11% of children in the UK report low wellbeing and our teenagers have the lowest life satisfaction in Europe [1].
- Over 1.2m pupils – 13.6% – in English schools have identified Special Educational Needs, a third of whom have the highest level of need [2].
- Domestic abuse remains the most common factor identified by social workers as being relevant in a child protection case [3].
Despite the very high prevalence of these issues for parents and children, the services that should exist to support them have been decimated over the past 15 years.
- Children in some areas are waiting for a year or longer to access SEND support [4].
- The number of children referred to CAMHS rose by 53% between 2019 and 2022 to over 1.2 million [5].
- Less than a third of survivors of domestic abuse reported in 2022 that they were able to get support for their children [6].
Poverty, discrimination, bullying, and caring responsibilities all play a role in the complex web of disadvantage which may impact children and families.
These factors can all lead to a child’s persistent absence from school. We all know that school attendance is essential for children’s education, as well as their social, emotional, and personal development.
But instead of reaching out a helping hand to families who are struggling, the system gives parents a criminal record.
Over 21,000 prosecutions and 18,000 convictions for truancy were recorded in 2023 and 70% were against women [7].
We know that schools and local authorities face significant challenges and often do not have the resources needed to help families access vital support. Prosecution only seeks to further damage the relationship between families and schools, lessening trust in the system which should exist to support them.
We want to see two changes from the Government to tackle this damaging injustice.
Amend the Education Act 1996 to remove the criminal offence of truancy.
Use the proposed Children’s Wellbeing Bill to fund and embed support services for children and their families.
Will you show your support for change sign our open letter to the Justice and Education Secretaries? Signing takes just 2 minutes.
Media enquiries
For more information, please contact Tracie Couper, Press Officer at Advance, at tracie.c@advancecharity.org.uk or on 0743 2700 287.
About Advance
- Advance’s vision is a world in which women and children lead safe, equal, violence-free lives so that they can flourish and actively contribute to society. The charity works with women who experience domestic abuse to be safe and take control of their lives, and women who have committed crime or are at risk of offending to break the cycle.
- As well as providing direct support, Advance works with statutory services, government agencies and other women’s charities to ensure a holistic approach to the issues these women face.
- Women must be referred to Advance, via statutory services or the charity’s self-referral scheme. For more information about who Advance is able to support, please visit Get help
- For facts and statistics about domestic abuse and women in the criminal justice system, as well as Advance’s work, please visit Our impact
Notes
[1] The Children’s Society (2024). The Good Childhood Report.
[2] Department for Education (2024). Special educational needs in England. Accessed 30/08/2024
[3] Department for Education (2024). Children in need. Accessed 30/08/2024.
[4] The Guardian (2024). ”Hundreds of children with special needs wait a year for support in England.” Accessed 30/08/2024.
[5] YoungMinds (2022) Yearly referrals to young people’s mental health services have risen by 53% since 2019. https://www.youngminds.org.uk/about-us/media-centre/press-releases/yearly-referrals-to-young-people-s-mental-health-services-have-risen-by-53-since-2019/. Accessed 21 August 2024.
[6] Domestic Abuse Commissioner (2024). A Patchwork of Provision How to meet the needs of victims and survivors across England and Wales.
[7] Where the status, age, and sex of the defendant is known. Ministry of Justice (2024) Offence by Outcome data tool: December 2023. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6646118dbd01f5ed32793d44/outcomes-by-offence-2023.xlsx. Accessed 21 August 2024.
