Referral Guidance

Dear Sir/Madam;

We are an emergent team of professionals working in child protection and safeguarding roles focused on the risks and harms to children presented by the climate emergency. We are writing in support of the child protection referral instigated by Cllr [name withheld] on 17 Feb 2023. The referral noted that the children at Holt Farm primary and infant school are likely being exposed to high levels of air pollution which has been identified as causing significant physical and developmental harm to children (see British Association for Social Work and the Royal College of Practitioners for overviews of research and the coroner’s report for Ella Kissi-Debra who sadly died as a result of exposure to air pollution.

The Children Acts (1989 and 2004 and government guidance (Working Together, 2018, para 41) identifies that Local Authorities have a duty to ensure their functions have regard to the safety and welfare of children. Environmental factors are intrinsic to the health and wellbeing of children, and their effective protection. This was referred to as ‘contextual safeguarding. In 2018, Contextual Safeguarding was overtly identified as an area of specific child protection work. 

However, we are aware that many Local Authority Children’s Services departments have not yet implemented the necessary organisational changes to recognise and accept contextual safeguarding referrals. We have, therefore, been unable to action this referral via the formal referral system. 

We are concerned that the children at Holt Farm school are currently being exposed to high levels of air pollution. The loss of the tree outside the school has likely increased their exposure to this source of physical and developmental harm. The proposed widening of the road will certainly increase the levels of air pollution around the school, and the potential for road traffic accidents as heavy construction traffic increases to support the development nearby.

We would appreciate your support in enacting a child protection process to fully assess the risks and harms that children in the area are currently being exposed to, and may be further exposed to if current plans are enacted. We request that the work currently being undertaken is suspended whilst this assessment takes place as the work itself has been identified as requiring an assessment under the Children Act (1989). 

Yours faithfully

The Climate Child Protection and Safeguarding Team