Written by Lauren Alexis

Globally, an estimated 400 million children under 5 experience psychological or physical abuse at home (UNICEF, 2024). Over the past 5 years in England alone, there have been almost 3000 serious incidents of harm and deaths to children, with many more going unreported. Most children were known to primary health services, yet only 1 in 11 were on a child protection plan at the time (Department for Education [DfE], 2024). With organisations’ efforts to improve early recognition of children at risk in health settings, are we actually sacrificing personalised, equitable care for standardised processes that overlook the complexities of families’ lives?