The toolkit can be used throughout a child and family’s journey.  It should be used before a referral to wider support services, such as Children’s Social Care, during support being provided and at the point a child and family may not need to access further support.

The assessment should only be introduced to a family as a way to ensure the needs of a child are being met, and what additional support they can access. When completing the assessment, the focus should be on the child(ren), with their voice always being sought and responded to. Completing the assessment with a family will mean holding respectful but appropriately challenging and honest conversations with a parent/carer in relation to neglect as well as taking on a strength-based approach.

Neglect is the most prevalent form of child maltreatment in the UK and can have a devastating impact on all aspects of a child’s life.

Neglect differs from other forms of abuse because it is frequently passive, it is more likely to be chronic than crisis-led and often overlaps with other forms of maltreatment. There is a repeated need for intervention with families requiring long-term support.

The indicators of neglect can often be missed resulting in no early support and a lack of clarity between practitioners on the agreed next steps.

The WSCP Neglect Toolkit, underpinned by the Continuum of Need: A Framework for Making Decisions, provides a shared benchmark and understanding of neglect for all practitioners and volunteers who work with children and families to refer to.