Children's social services departments must improve their handling of ‘unseen men' often involved in cases where youngsters are harmed, a charity has warned.

Following a detailed analysis of serious case reviews published last week, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) said agencies monitoring youngsters must work smarter to identify unseen men who pose potential risks, and overlooked males in family networks who could protect and nurture youngsters.