Article: Neglect
Neglect is defined as:-
The persistent failure to meet a child's basic physical and/or
psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of
the child's health or development. Neglect may occur during
pregnancy as a result of maternal substance abuse. Once a
child is born, neglect may involve a parent or carer failing
to:
- provide adequate food, clothing and shelter (including
exclusion from home or abandonment);
- protect a child from physical and emotional harm or
danger,
- ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate
care-givers); or
- ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment
It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a
child's basic emotional needs
Ofsted has recently published the findings from a thematic
inspection into neglect and how it can impact on the physical
and emotional wellbeing of children and young people.
"In the child's time" explores the
effectiveness of arrangements to safeguard children with
particular focus on those aged 10 and under.
Safeguarding Boards are required to identify the extent of
neglect in their area in terms of the numbers of children in
families where neglect may be a risk factor and ensure sufficiently
robust processes are in place to monitor whether interventions
for neglect are working.
The NSPCC publishes a series of
factsheets and useful information
about neglect
Barnsley Safeguarding Children Board Policies and
Procedures are available
here