By putting families at the centre of their policies, the government can make a huge difference

We tend to think about family in an emotional way, so the challenge of making interventions in this space can sometimes be dominated by feeling, writes Salma Shah

Family does not always indicate a supportive and loving household, where children are safe and adults can be relied upon to be responsible (PA)

“Family is everything” was the most common theme in an open text question in the Independent Family Review, a report published today by the children’s commissioner, Rachel de Souza.

There will be many people who relate to this sentiment, especially after the pandemic when many of us were either deprived of family or managed to spend more time with them. The importance of the family unit has never been more felt.

But family does not always indicate a supportive and loving household, where children are safe and adults can be relied upon to be responsible. In recent times we have witnessed the most depraved acts of cruelty endured by innocent children, and have been exposed to the horror of the safe haven of the family being transformed into the source of danger. It shocks us because it goes against all our ingrained beliefs of the natural order: parents and carers should be protecting children from harm, not be the cause of it.