NSPCC reports huge rise in child neglect calls

The charity said that in 2016/17 the charity's helpline dealt with a record 19,448 calls and emails about child neglect, up 7,338, or 60.9 per cent, on the 2011/12 figure of 12,110.

Figures from the charity's annual How Safe Are Our Children? report, reveal that neglect was the main reason for calls to its helpline, accounting for 29.3 per cent of the 66,218 contacts made in 2016/17.

Of the calls relating to neglect, 16,882 (87 per cent) were referred on to children's services, the police or other support services.

The NSPCC said the rise shows that more members of the public are willing to speak up when they believe a child is being neglected.

"Neglect can have severe and long-lasting consequences for children, and can also be an indicator of other forms of abuse," NSPCC chief executive Peter Wanless said.

"This is why it is so important for anyone suspecting a child of being neglected to contact the NSPCC Helpline, so we can alert the authorities to quickly step in and help those in need."

The charity said it fears the prevalence of neglect could be even greater and is calling on the government to carry out a UK-wide study to gather up-to-date figures.

The last major study on the issue was carried out in 2009 and found that one in 10 children in the UK have been neglected.

"It is vital we understand the true nature and scale of child neglect in the UK so we can collectively tackle the fundamental causes," Wanless added.

"Therefore, a government-commissioned, nationwide prevalence study on child abuse and neglect needs to be conducted, and sooner rather than later."   

Forms of neglect highlighted in calls to the helpline included parents abusing alcohol and drugs and regularly leaving children unsupervised. Parents having mental health issues was another issue raised.

One caller told helpline staff: "The children are home alone again; I saw the mother leave the house earlier this morning and it's past midnight now.

"I've seen the children peer through the curtains a few times as if they're waiting for her. She does this every Friday night to go out drinking with her mates."

The NSPCC report also highlights an increase in recorded offences of cruelty and neglect of children by a parent or carer. In England there were 12,532 offences, a rate of 11.9 per 10,000 children aged under 16. In 2014/15 the rate was 8.3 per cent and in 2011/12 it was 5.8 per cent.