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Too little, too late: A multi-agency response to identifying and tackling neglect

Research and recommendations for England

Publication date August 2024

Neglect is the form of abuse most often listed as the initial category of abuse on child protection plans in England.1 This report explores the scale of the problem and examines the barriers and challenges that professionals face when identifying and tackling neglect.

The report draws on three strands of qualitative and quantitative research:

  • a YouGov poll in which 700 multi-agency safeguarding professionals were asked about their confidence in identifying and responding to neglect
  • a series of online focus groups with 15 multi-agency professionals, including social workers, teachers, police and healthcare professionals
  • insights gathered from the NSPCC Helpline between April 2023 and March 2024 regarding contacts relating to neglect.

The report outlines the challenges facing the multi-agency workforce and highlights the need for an ambitious policy vision to tackle neglect. It provides the government with a series of recommendations on what this vision should include.

Author: Eavan Mckay

 

References

Department for Education (DfE) (2023) Children in need: 2022 to 2023. [Accessed 28/08/2024].

Key findings

Neglect is becoming increasingly pervasive

Over half (54%) of respondents said they’d seen an increase in neglect cases during their professional lives, with the majority (90%) of these respondents saying they believed this increase was being driven by poverty rates and the rising cost of living.

Professionals feel confident in identifying neglect

Over 90% of multi-agency safeguarding professionals reported feeling confident in identifying the signs of neglect.

Professionals often feel powerless due to a lack of services and resources

The majority (83%) of respondents said there are not enough local services to support children and families experiencing neglect. 44% of those working in healthcare and 22% of those working in social care reported usually feeling like they couldn’t directly help a child who is being neglected.

The multi-agency response to neglect is slow

Over half (52%) of teachers said that children’s social care took too long to conduct an initial assessment after a neglect referral, and 43% reported feeling that intervention following the assessment was slow.

Recommendations for government

Introduce a national neglect strategy and improved guidance for tackling neglect

The government should develop a national strategy that draws together the latest best practice, learning and evidence on what works in tackling neglect. The strategy should also set out how the government will improve training opportunities for all safeguarding partner agencies.

Ensure the new Family Help model effectively addresses neglect

The new Family Help model set out in the Independent review of children’s social care2 should provide the best possible opportunity for the multi-agency workforce to identify and respond to neglect as early as possible.

Make sure neglect is considered as part of plans to eradicate child poverty

Neglect is a distinct form of harm that must be distinguished from poverty, but poverty is a risk factor for neglect. The government should consider neglect as part of their strategy to tackle child poverty.

Set out plans for how to make education the fourth safeguarding partner

Teachers and schools play a significant role in identifying and responding to cases of neglect. The government should recognise this significance and set out plans for how to make education the fourth safeguarding partner, alongside healthcare, local authorities and the police.

 

References

MacAlister, J. (2022) The independent review of children's social care: final report. [Accessed 28/08/2024].
“We understand the pressure all agencies are under. It comes down to the fact that demand outstrips the resources… we can make all the referrals we want but those neglect concerns have to go somewhere.”

Police Officer

Citation

Please cite as: Mckay, E. (2024) Too little, too late: the multi-agency response to identifying and tackling neglect. London: NSPCC.