Professionals feel ‘powerless' when faced with neglect

The study, carried out by the University of Stirling on behalf of the charity Action for Children, warns that up to 1.5 million UK children are living in neglect.

Almost 6,000 people including the general public, professionals and 27 local authorities took part in the research.

Of the professionals questioned, 14 per cent said they had seen a rise in suspected child neglect cases over the past 12 months.

Of these, 70 per cent said a deterioration in parenting skills was to blame, 66 per cent cited increasing poverty as a factor, and 55 per cent blamed a rise in family breakdown.

Half of professionals told researchers that there are barriers that make it difficult to intervene in suspected cases of neglect, such as a lack of available services and sufficient staffing in children’s services.

Just 12 per cent of staff working in early intervention services, such as health visitors and teaching assistants, said they are able to respond directly if they suspect a child is being neglected, while 29 per cent of frontline professionals warned that their ability to intervene will become even more difficult as spending cuts continue.

Meanwhile, a third of the general public who had concerns about a child did not tell anyone, mainly because they thought they lacked enough evidence or were uncertain that it was a case of neglect.

To tackle the issue, Action for Children is calling on the government to introduce a new web-portal with a postcode function to enable the public to seek the most appropriate help, at the earliest opportunity, for children they are worried about in their local area.

The charity also wants government to meet its commitment to early intervention by further supporting children’s services professionals to make timely decisions across all levels of need, from the identification of suspected cases, to chronic neglect.

Dame Clare Tickell, chief executive for Action for Children, said the government’s commitment to early help services has been inconsistently translated into practice, leaving only piecemeal services in some local areas.

“It is of grave concern that one in every ten children could be suffering neglect,” she said.

“We know that early help has the potential to transform the lives of children and families, yet today's report tells us that the public aren't being given the know-how they need and professionals' best efforts are being hindered by stretched budgets and a lack of resources.

“With more and more families struggling, vulnerable children are falling through the cracks of a child protection system that is failing some of those who need it most – sometimes with tragic consequences.”