Abstract
This study provides an analysis of the ‘investigative turn’ in England by comparing two large cohorts of children, one whose fifth birthday was in 2011–12 and the other in 2016–17. It shows a 35% increase in children investigated before their fifth birthday to a rate of one in every 16 children in 2017. Investigations were less likely to lead to a child protection plan and there was a 60% increase in children facing the collateral damage of an unfounded investigation. Where it was deemed necessary to respond to child protection concerns with a plan of action concerns were focussed less on immediate safety and more on the long-term effects of neglect or emotional harm caused by a range of family related problems. The rate of children separated from their parents at the age of five had substantially increased and there were wide variations in adoption and child protection trends between local authorities. The study shows that the chances of a family receiving support or being split up are determined by national and local policies, resources and a growing culture of child rescue responses to family difficulties.