High Peak MP urges support for local charities as 'shocking' figures highlight childhood vulnerability

High Peak’s MP is asking constituents to show their support for charities working with vulnerable children following the publication of new statistics on the problems faced by families in the borough.
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Last month the Children’s Commissioner launched a new online data service which compiles information from 130 different measures of the underlying needs of children by local authority area.

Robert Largan MP said: “These figures are a shocking reminder of how millions of children across the country are exposed to domestic abuse and other dangers.”

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In 2018-19, there were 1,905 local under-16s growing up in absolute poverty, of whom 1,370 were in working families.

Robert Largan MP on a visit to the Crossroads Derbyshire HQ last year.Robert Largan MP on a visit to the Crossroads Derbyshire HQ last year.
Robert Largan MP on a visit to the Crossroads Derbyshire HQ last year.

Given the economic impact of the pandemic, the situation is unlikely to have improved. As of August 2020, there were 1,725 High Peak households with children claiming Universal Credit.

The data also includes modelling estimates which suggest that in 2019-20 there were 2,791 children were in a local household affected by at least one of domestic abuse, poor parental mental health, or substance abuse. That includes 251 aged under one.

The most common of those three issues was likely to be poor parental mental health, with 1,987 children thought to be living in such households. Estimates suggest 994 under-16s were living with a parent suffering domestic abuse.

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The difficulties faced by some families were being compounded by their living conditions, with a significant number of children living in flats and maisonettes and 900 households officially classed as overcrowded in 2018.

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Mr Largan, who this week joined Conservative colleagues in abstaining on a vote to maintain extra financial support for the poorest households during the pandemic, hopes constituents will get behind organisations working to address such social challenges.

He said: “We all want to see the country emerge stronger and more united after Covid. This has to include a better future for every child. Please do your bit and support great local charities like Crossroads Derbyshire so we can help victims of domestic abuse.”

For the full data tables, see childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/chldrn.

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