Cheshire East Council is supporting a national campaign launched by the Department for Education to tackle child abuse.
The campaign ‘Together we can tackle child abuse’ encourages members of the public to report child abuse and neglect. It highlights that we all have a role to play in protecting children and young people in our local area.
In 2014/15, more than 400,000 children in England were supported because someone noticed they needed help. Research shows that a third of people who suspect child abuse do nothing and a number of people do not act on their suspicions because they are worried about being wrong.
The campaign encourages people to report even if they are not absolutely certain about their suspicions and features an ‘ABC’ of spotting the signs of child abuse and neglect
Councillor Liz Durham, Cabinet member for children and families said: “All children have a right to be safe and should be protected from all forms of abuse and neglect. You don’t have to be absolutely certain about whether a child is being abused: if you have a feeling that something is not right, talk to our social care team who can explore it further.
“Information is usually gathered from many sources and your concerns would form one part of a bigger picture. Children and families can be helped at an earlier stage with preventative support, if more members of the public share their concerns.”