One in five social workers have removed a child from their family due to horror homes

A fifth of social workers said they have removed children from their families because they live in cold, damp or mouldy homes, according to a new poll.

The Social Workers Union quizzed more than 2,000 of its members and found that the housing crisis is having a big impact on children and their families with 21% of social workers admitting having to step in due to housing situations over the last three years.

Three-quarters of social workers agreed that housing conditions are a concern for the people they support while just over a third – 36% – said the number of people living in unsafe or inappropriate homes has increased since 2022.

• Mouldy homes on London estate leaves dozens of tenants with serious health issues
• London councils face bankruptcy over £330m overspend on homelessness
• Craig David returns to childhood social home in plea to build: ‘I could play my melodies and dream’

The union has called on the government to take action to improve the standard of housing across Britain.

Labour has plans to introduce Awaab’s Law to force social landlords to fix hazards at a quicker rate and is looking to introduce a decent homes standard to the private rented sector.

The £13.2bn Warm Homes Plan is also set to upgrade five million homes to boost energy efficiency and tackle damp and mould.

John McGowan, general secretary of the Social Workers Union, said “fully functioning and well-resourced public services” must accompany the plan.

“Removal of a child from their family is always a last resort, but sadly when conditions become dangerous action has to be taken,” said McGowan.

“This data shows that the reality of life in modern day Britain is a struggle for many households. The country’s poor housing stock poses a danger to the wellbeing and development of children and poses a risk to the health of many adults with pre-existing health conditions.

“Social workers go above and beyond to help those at most risk in the country and are highlighting safeguarding concerns on a regular basis. However, addressing the housing challenge is more than social workers can do themselves.”

A record 160,000 children are living in temporary accommodation in England while the English Housing Survey shows 5% of homes across the country have a problem with damp – equivalent to around 1.2 million homes.

It’s a similar story in Scotland where a record 10,360 children are homeless whereas an estimated 9% of homes – around 250,000 – have damp and mould.

Meanwhile, 1,698 families with children are living in temporary housing in Wales and Warm This Winter has previously estimated more than half a million adults in the country are living in damp and mouldy homes.

Amaran Uthayakumar-Cumarasamy, an NHS children’s doctor based in South Yorkshire, said the social workers’ poll highlights a situation that health workers have noticed too.

“Whilst the findings of this report are shocking, they won’t come as a surprise to many of us working in the NHS,” said Uthayakumar-Cumarasamy. “Increasingly, children’s health professionals across the UK are witnessing cases of respiratory illness, undernutrition and worsening mental health all linked to undignified housing circumstances. 

“What’s more, rather than providing a foundation for their health, unfit, unsafe and expensive housing continues to severely impact their educational attainment, social health and life chances.”

The health implications of poor quality housing or living in homes with disrepair cost the NHS millions of pounds each year.

Shelter has previously argued that building 90,000 social homes each year could end up saving the NHS as much as £19bn annually.  

Matthew Scott, senior policy officer at the Chartered Institute of Housing, said ministers must use June’s Spending Review to roll out money from the Warm Homes Plan and “put the finances of housing providers on a more stable footing”.

Simon Francis, coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, added: “Ministers are making the right noises when it comes to helping improve housing, but the chancellor needs to put the money where their mouth is and commit the funding needed for a Wam Homes Plan which will help people improve the energy efficiency and insulation of their homes.”

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. Big Issue exists to give homeless and marginalised people the opportunity to earn an income. To support our work buy a copy of the magazine or get the app from the App Store or Google Play.