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Social care staff are failing to follow government child protection guidance when working with children exposed to domestic violence or substance misuse, according to new research.

The Department for Education and Skills commissioned research, which looked at 357 case files, found that staff did not always carry out core assessments alongside investigations into whether such children were at risk (section 47 inquiries), contrary to procedure.

The study, which was carried out from October 2002 to June 2005 and covered six English councils, found that there was great variation. In one council, all section 47 inquiries were accompanied by a core assessment, while in another this only took place in 16 per cent of cases.

● The Response of Child Protection Practices and Procedures to Children Exposed to Domestic Violence or Parental Substance Misuse