Child neglect has become ‘normalised’ amid financial strain on families and a lack of early support, a major children’s charity has heard.
A survey by the NSPCC found that 54% of staff in healthcare, police, social care and education in England had seen a rise in child neglect cases in their professional lives.
Most respondents (83%) said there were not enough services to provide support for children and families experiencing neglect.
Half of teachers (52%) reported that children’s social care had responded slowly to a neglect referral.
Neglect was the top concern reported to the NSPCC helpline in 2023-24.
NSPCC head of policy Anna Edmundson said: ‘Resources and early help services that would help support children and families where neglect is a concern are at an all-time low, while economic pressures on families are at an all-time high.
‘This combination is proving disastrous for children and families.’
The charity urged the Government to introduce a national strategy to tackle the issue, and called for a focus on neglect in plans to reform children’s social care.
