Record low referrals at Guernsey's child protection services during pandemic

Referrals to Guernsey's Children's Convenor hit a record low in 2020, prompting fears that young people in need were less visible to services because of the Covid lockdown.

The annual Convenor and Tribunal Board Report for 2020 found there was an increased need caused by the pandemic, but the referral of children at risk dropped.

It comes as the pandemic is known to have had a detrimental effect on mental health and led to an increase in domestic abuse cases.

Key facts from the report:

During the lockdown, hearings were held remotely to comply with regulations in place at the time.