"Their door is shut - Ours is open." Watching out for children's welfare in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland during lockdown.

Residents are being urged to be extra vigilant on children's welfare during lockdown and report any concerns they may have.

The "Their door is shut - Ours is open" campaign has been launched following a fall in numbers to safeguarding teams since the beginning of social distancing measures.

However the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Safeguarding Partnerships are concerned despite the fall, cases of child abuse may be on the rise, with fewer opportunities for it to be seen, reported and stopped.

Local Councils, police and health partners acknowledge there are additional pressures on families at the moment which could potentially lead to increased safeguarding concerns for children.

The number of people children see and are able to talk to about their concerns are reduced so partners are asking everyone to be vigilantabout safeguarding concerns for children in the community.

Residents are asked to look and listen for signs that indicate may be abuse:

• Very young children being left on their own
• Children looking dirty or not changing their clothes
• Children are withdrawn or anxious
• Aggressive or repeated shouting
• Sounds of hitting or banging and things being broken
• Children crying for long periods of time
• Relatives denied access to talk to children by phone or video call

To report concerns about children's welfare in Leicester call: 0116 454 1004 or visit: www.leicester.gov.uk/health-and-social-care

To report concerns about children's welfare in Leicestershire call: 0116 305 0005 (for urgent situations) or report online www.leicestershire.gov.uk/report-abuse-of-a-child

To report concerns about children's welfare in Rutland call: 01572 758 407 or email: childrensreferrals@rutland.gov.uk.

If a child is in immediate danger call 999 and ask for the police.