Neglect: guidance for professionals

Neglect is defined in Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023 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.'

What is considered neglect?

Neglect may occur during pregnancy due to maternal substance misuse. After birth, it 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 inappropriate caregivers)
  • Ensure access to appropriate medical or dental care
  • Ensure access to suitable education
  • Provide appropriate emotional support

Our Joint Neglect Strategy

We are now working collaboratively with Croydon, Merton, and Wandsworth Safeguarding Children Partnerships as part of a unified South West London Joint Child Neglect Strategy. This strategy recognises that child neglect is the most prevalent form of abuse, and sets out a coordinated, multi-agency approach to prevention, identification, and intervention.

The strategy is built on the following key principles:

  • Child-centred approach – placing children’s rights, needs and voices at the centre
  • Early intervention and prevention – identifying concerns before harm escalates
  • Multi-agency collaboration – ensuring consistency across health, education, social care, police, housing, and the voluntary sector
  • Respect for diversity and inclusion – ensuring interventions are equitable, culturally sensitive, and responsive to the unique needs of families
  • Evidence-based practice – using standardised tools like the Graded Care Profile 2 and Neglect Toolkit

The strategy also recognises neglect in complex contexts, including affluent families, the cost-of-living crisis, cultural barriers, and parental mental health.

Other helpful resources: