YOU may have read recently about the huge increase in recorded child cruelty offences across the country over the last year.

Information from police forces showed a national increase of 25per cent in the number of cases of adults neglecting, mistreating or assaulting children in a single year. That’s a concerning rise, but more locally in Yorkshire, those crimes have risen by a shocking 83per cent, with 3,454 recorded in 2021/22 - an average of nine offences per day.

As the pandemic increased anxiety among parents and carers, made children more vulnerable and disrupted normal protective services, we expected the risk of abuse to increase. But as the national review into the tragic deaths of Star Hobson and Arthur Labinjo-Hughes showed, there is a lot of work that can and must be done to improve this situation on a national and local level.

That requires a complete overhaul of the child protection system, a focus on early intervention and political leadership from the very top of Government to ensure the right resources are in place to make this happen. But what can you do on a local level to help keep children and young people Yorkshire safe?

You might have seen NSPCC staff and volunteers fundraising recently for Childhood Day - our flagship fundraising event. Maybe your children took part in The Big Breaktime at school. Aside from fundraising and volunteering, there’s still more you can do to help ensure children and young people in your community are safe. Any concerns you might have about a child, however small, can be reported in confidence to the NSPCC helpline. Even if your call doesn’t immediately lead to action, it might be one of several contacts we’ve had from people worried about a child, so the details could help create a picture that leads to real change and potentially ensuring a child is better protected thanks to you.

The safety of children is everyone’s responsibility, so even if you’re unsure and just looking for advice, remember the NSPCC helpline is available on 0808 8005000 or by emailing help@nspcc.org.uk

Our Childline counsellors are also available around the clock on 0800 1111 or via online chat at childline.org.uk.

The scale of abuse and neglect detailed by police forces is worrying, and now is the time for action. Child abuse can be prevented, provided there is a willingness by politicians, communities and individuals to play a part in keeping children safe.

* Debra Radford is NSPCC Assistant Director for Yorkshire and the North East