THE TREASURER of the Tywyn NSPCC has expressed her concern at the sharp rise in referrals from the NSPCC helpline to the police.

There were 2,494 referrals made by the helpline to external agencies in Wales in 2020/21. This is a 28 per cent increase in comparison to figures for 2019/20.

Referrals are made when concerns reported to the helpline are considered serious enough to warrant further investigation.

Ann Lloyd Jones, who also represents Tywyn on Gwynedd Council, said: “The sharp rise in referrals from the NSPCC helpline to the police and social services during the past year is truly concerning with a 28 per cent increase compared to 2019/2020.

“I attended a Zoom meeting of the North Wales NSPCC group recently and the information we were given as to the increases were shocking.

“There has been a greater demand for the Childline service with the calls covering mental health issues, isolation, increased domestic abuse and violence and online abuse.”

She continued: “The past year has been very difficult for the NSPCC staff and volunteers, the majority who have had to work from home.

“Also its been a difficult year for raising awareness, as the staff working for the NSPCC school service have not been able to go into schools, and local volunteers like our group in Tywyn have not been able to raise as much money as we normally would.”

Cllr Lloyd Jones added: “However, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who gave donations in memory of my mother, Beryl Lewis, who died on Christmas eve 2020, when over £550 was raised for the NSPCC and over £445 for the British Heart Foundation, her two chosen charities who she volunteered and raised money for during her lifetime.”

The top reasons for referrals being made go unchanged, with concerns relating to parental and adult mental health and behaviour leading to 932 referrals to Wales-based agencies.

This includes worries about parental alcohol and substance misuse, domestic abuse and parental mental health.

Policy and public affairs manager for NSPCC Cymru/Wales, Cecile Gwilym said: “To build a better future for children in Wales, we want to see a big focus on prevention and protecting children from neglect and abuse both online and offline.

“As well as delivering a supportive environment in the early years and helping children to speak out about abuse, we want the next Welsh Government to ensure that services are available, accessible and well-equipped to help children recover from traumatic experiences.”