Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department takes to publicise to the public information on how to report abuse against children.

The government wants to strengthen the public and parents’ understanding of the ‘signs of abuse’ and knowledge of how to report these suspicions. Since March 2015 the department has been working with the Local Government Association, local councils, police forces, and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) to run a communication campaign called ‘Together we can tackle child abuse’ which helped people spot the signs of abuse and neglect.

The department has also worked closely with the Cabinet Office and Home Office to support the ‘Stop Abuse Together’ and ‘ParentWise’ campaigns.

In addition to directing people to report concerns to their local authority, or to the police if the child is immediate danger, we direct people to the NSPCC Helpline. In recognition of the importance of this national helpline, the government is continuing to provide £1.6 million to help support the operational cost. The Adult Helpline number is 0808 800 5000.