Government failing children living with domestic abuse, warns commissioner

Dame Nicole Jacobs said she was “deeply concerned” by the lack of urgency in the government’s formal response to her landmark report on child victims of domestic abuse, published in April. Of the 66 recommendations made, the government has acted on or committed to just 10, while the majority were either rejected, left for consultation, or marked for further exploration.

Among the recommendations implemented so far are updates to Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) guidance – ensuring all children learn about abusive behaviour in school – and additional funding for perpetrator behaviour change programmes. However, Jacobs warned that wider reform has stalled due to the heavily delayed Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy, which ministers had promised would set out plans to better protect child and adult victims.

“Tens of thousands of child victims are currently not getting the level of help and support they need to recover from abuse, and I remain largely unclear on what the government intends to do about it,” Jacobs said.

“Many children are growing up in homes where the rules are always changing, where they struggle to concentrate at school and do not know what devastating consequences the next day will bring. These children are our future – they need and deserve an ambitious plan from government on how it is going to ensure they are protected. But this has yet to materialise.”

The Commissioner’s report, Victims in their own right?, revealed how children are routinely turned away from specialist services or placed on long waiting lists, with providers struggling amid chronic underfunding and rising demand.

Jacobs has urged ministers to provide sustained funding for specialist domestic abuse services and to properly resource frontline agencies – including schools, the NHS, police and social care – so they can identify and respond effectively to abuse.

She welcomed the government’s ambition to halve violence against women and girls within a decade but said: “With the VAWG strategy still delayed and no major funding announced for specialist domestic abuse services, I fail to see where the momentum within government is coming from to ensure this commitment succeeds.”

Dr Jo Casebourne, Chief Executive of Foundations, the national What Works Centre for Children and Families, said the Commissioner was right to highlight the urgency of the issue and welcomed signs of progress in the government’s response.

“We know that there is an urgent need to increase effective support for children who experience domestic abuse. Domestic abuse is one of the main drivers of children’s involvement with social services and exposure to domestic abuse has a huge impact on a child’s future. To see this urgency reflected in the Commissioner’s report, and in the government’s response today to her recommendations, is very encouraging.”

Casebourne said the government’s commitment to improving data and evidence was an “important and welcome step forward,” but warned that the lack of evaluated services remains a major obstacle.

Foundations, she said, will publish the findings of new evaluations this autumn and is committed to working with partners and young people to strengthen services:
“As the government commits to strengthening data and evidence, Foundations has made huge progress with partners in developing our understanding of what works to support children affected by domestic abuse. As we prepare to publish our own research, we look forward to partnering with local services, children and young people, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner and the government, to strengthen services, and improve the outcomes of some of our most vulnerable children.”

Casebourne added that she expected the delayed VAWG strategy to set out concrete plans to expand evidence-based support for babies, children and young people.