London's forgotten children: Warning that thousands are failing to get the support they need

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Charities and social workers are warning thousands of children are failing to get the support they need as school closures and lockdown put the most vulnerable at risk.

With the summer holidays starting the prospect of another six weeks at home has led councils to warn of the risks young people face.

More than 20,000 calls have been made to the NSPCC in London by people worried about children. But from behind closed doors it is much harder to spot those who need help.

Dan is Lambeth’s lead social worker and has been in the job for 16 years. He said the past few months were the most challenging yet.

Dan told ITV News he recently visited a mother and her baby after he had concerns about drug and alcohol use while she was pregnant. He said after making good progress he was worried lockdown could impact on the adult’s recovery in a "stressful, difficult" situation.

But the number of children being referred to social services has fallen significantly in Lambeth.

Until then it’s social service workers who have the difficult job of stopping vulnerable children from slipping through the cracks.