1 ADCS Safeguarding Pressures Research – Phase 9 www.adcs.org.uk 2 Contents Foreword ................................................................................................................................................ 4 Introduction.............................................................................................................................................. 6 1 Safeguarding in a context of austerity, fragility and disparity 2022–2024 ............................................ 8 1.1 Short-term funding ...................................................................................................................... 10 1.2 Impact of funding pressures on leaders ..................................................................................... 10 2 Overview of safeguarding pressures on children and families’ lives ................................................. 12 2.1 Child and family poverty ............................................................................................................. 12 2.2 Housing and homelessness pressures ....................................................................................... 13 2.3 Out of area housing arrangements ............................................................................................. 14 2.4 Lasting effects of the COVID pandemic and lockdowns ............................................................ 16 2.5 Increasing prevalence of poor mental health.............................................................................. 17 2.6 Parental factors ........................................................................................................................... 18 2.7 Harms outside the home and online ................................................