What is neglect?

“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.”

Working Together 2018

Halton Neglect Strategy 2022-2025

The Neglect Assessment Framework – Practice Standards and Practice Guidance

https://hcypsp.haltonsafeguarding.co.uk/docs/toolkits/NeglectAssessmentFramework.pdf

This Neglect Assessment Framework has been developed to:

  • assist professionals in identifying and assessing neglect
  • inform multi agency planning when the needs of a child are being neglected
  • set out multi-agency practice standards for use in Halton

The framework includes;