MORE than four in five professionals who deal with children experiencing neglect say there are not enough services to support them in England, according to new research.
The NSPCC said its poll of 700 workers from across police, healthcare, social care and education found they believe child neglect — defined as a persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and psychological needs — has become normalised.
More than half of those surveyed said they had seen an increase in neglect cases during their professional life, with nine in 10 saying the rising cost of living and poverty rates were driving factors.
NSPCC head of policy Anna Edmundson said: “We want to see a national strategy to tackle neglect rolled into the Children’s Wellbeing Bill and work to address child poverty delivered at the earliest opportunity.”
A government spokesperson said that any instance of “child cruelty, abuse or neglect is abhorrent,” and it is investing £45 million in new multi-agency child protection teams.
