Inspectors are to carry out a new round of checks on how councils, police and health services respond to neglect among England's youngest children.
Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, and HM Inspectorate of Probation will begin the joint inspections in autumn 2026.
They will look at how local agencies work together to spot, assess and respond when unborn babies and children up to age 11 are at risk of or living with neglect.
The watchdogs said they also want to know how well councils work with schools, nurseries and charities, and whether families are properly supported to help keep children safe.
Ofsted's national director for social care, Yvette Stanley, said neglect could ‘go unseen’, with harm building up gradually and often being missed – and that it was now ‘the right time’ to focus specifically on younger children.
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