Covid’s lost pupils ‘will cause huge crimewave’

BASW Chair outlines deep concerns in letter to The Times.

Read the full letter below.

Dear Editor, 

Covid’s lost pupils ‘will cause huge crimewave’ | The Times, 27th July 2023

It is with deep concern that I read today your front page headline reporting that lost children are primarily a serious threat to the safety of our streets. 

This runs the real risk of demonising children, rather than offering support and help. School attendance and the safety of our streets are not the only issues. These children are at serious risk of abuse both at home and on the streets. We have a duty to keep our children safe, not the other way around. 

Since Covid there have been Reviews of Childrens Services across Scotland, Northern Ireland and England. The Josh McAllister Review urged increasing investment in preventative children’s social care and educational services. This has not materialised in any real sense.

The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) supports the professional development of 22,000 social workers in the UK and urges government that, as well as taking action on school attendance, we consider the true plight of lost children and invest in services to support them.

Yours sincerely,

Julia Ross 
Chair, BASW UK