Section 7 - Emotional Support - Wakefield Safeguarding Knowledge Hub

Section 7 - Emotional Support

Use these sections to consider what you have observed, heard and been told and reflect to help you identify any aspects in relation to neglect.

These pages should guide you in your decision making on what needs to happen next in order to best support a child(ren). If felt appropriate to do so, the Toolkit can also be used with families in their homes to assist their understanding around neglect.

If you are unsure about how to proceed, please seek advice from your line manager.

Guidance on Neglect around Emotional Support

Approval
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Key:
- Green: Essential Needs met
- Amber: Many Essential Needs Unmet
- Yellow: Some Essential Needs Unmet
- Red: Most or All Essential Needs Unmet
- Green
  
  The parent/carer talks fondly about their child.
  
  Praise and emotional rewards are offered freely and without prompt.
  
  The child feels safe and secure.
- Amber
  
  The parent/carer shows clear indifference when the child seeks their approval.
  
  The child’s achievements are not acknowledged by the parent/carer.
  
  The parent/carer shows no insight in relation to the emotional needs of the child which has a detrimental effect on their wellbeing.
- Yellow
  
  The parent/carer responds positively to other people’s praise of their child but doesn’t initiate praise spontaneously.
  
  The parent/carer lack insight into the importance of emotional support for the child.
- Red
  
  The child is often ridiculed by the parent/carer leaving them feeling humiliated.
  
  The parent/carer shows no emotional warmth leaving the child isolated and withdrawn.
  
  The child’s achievements are never acknowledged by the parent/carer which has a detrimental impact on the child’s self-esteem.
Disapproval
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Key:
- Green: Essential Needs met
- Amber: Many Essential Needs Unmet
- Yellow: Some Essential Needs Unmet
- Red: Most or All Essential Needs Unmet
- Green
  
  The parent/carer is consistent in their response to a situation and sets clear boundaries for the child.
  
  Where the parent/carer applies any sanctions, they are proportionate to the event which has triggered disapproval
- Amber
  
  The parent/carer is inconsistent in their application of sanctions.
  
  The parent/carer shouts or uses harsh words to deliberately hurt the child.
  
  The parent /carer resorts to physical violence to demonstrate their disapproval.
- Yellow
  
  The child experiences inconsistent boundaries or methods of discipline by the parent/carer.
  
  The parent/carer uses inappropriate techniques to demonstrate their disapproval e.g., may shout at or ignore the child.
  
  Sanctions applied are disproportionate and excessive.
- Red
  
  The parent/carer uses physical violence as a first line response to their disapproval of the child.
  
  The parent/carer regularly ridicules the child and show no understanding of proportionate response.
  
  Excessive sanctions are put in place to punish the child which are disproportionate to the event.
Acceptance
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Key:
- Green: Essential Needs met
- Amber: Many Essential Needs Unmet
- Yellow: Some Essential Needs Unmet
- Red: Most or All Essential Needs Unmet
- Green
  
  Acceptance of the child from parent/carer is unconditional.
  
  They remain supportive even if they are temporarily upset by the child’s behaviour.
- Amber
  
  The parent/carer is completely unsupportive of the child.
  
  The parent/carer has excessively high demands of the child resulting in the child feeling rejected and not ‘good enough’
- Yellow
  
  The parent/carer is intolerant of failure and responds negatively if the child does not meet their expectations.
- Red
  
  The parent/carer shows clear disregard to the child’s achievements.
  
  The continued rejection of parent/carer towards the child has a significant impact on the child’s emotional wellbeing.
Sensitivity and Responsiveness to the Child’s Emotional Needs
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Key:
- Green: Essential Needs met
- Amber: Many Essential Needs Unmet
- Yellow: Some Essential Needs Unmet
- Red: Most or All Essential Needs Unmet
- Green
  
  The parent/carer understands the child’s verbal and non-verbal communication and responds to their needs.
  
  The parent/carer offers warmth and reassurance.
- Amber
  
  The parent/carer shows no insight into the emotional needs of the child and only responds when the child becomes very distressed.
  
  The parent/carer offers no warmth or reassurance to the child.
  
  The lack of parental response to the child’s emotional needs has a detrimental impact on the child’s emotional health and wellbeing.
- Yellow
  
  The parent/carer does not respond to the child’s verbal or non-verbal communication until the child cries or becomes upset.
  
  When they do respond to the child, they lack sensitivity.
  
  The response from parent or carer is dependent on how they are feeling; they are not always able to prioritise the needs of the child.
- Red
  
  The parent/carer demonstrates an aggressive response when the child becomes distressed.
  
  The parent/carer response is dismissive and fails to meet the child’s needs, leaving them isolated and distressed.
  
  The parent/carer responds by resorting to name calling; for example, cry baby or whinge which is humiliating for the child.
Relationship and Interaction between Child and their Parent/Carer
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Key:
- Green: Essential Needs met
- Amber: Many Essential Needs Unmet
- Yellow: Some Essential Needs Unmet
- Red: Most or All Essential Needs Unmet
- Green
  
  The relationship between the child and parent/carer is healthy.
  
  Positive communication between the parent/carer and the child is observed.
  
  If the child displays any challenging behaviour the parent/carer responds sensitively.
  
  There is evidence of mutual enjoyment for both from the relationship.
- Amber
  
  The relationship between the child and the parent/carer is visibly strained.
  
  Any interaction with the parent/carer is only initiated by the child, rarely the parent/carer.
  
  The parent/carer focuses on the child’s physical needs and has little insight of the child’s emotional health and wellbeing.
  
  The parent/carer does not respond to the child attempts to derive comfort or attention from them.
- Yellow
  
  Some tensions are observed in the relationship between the child and parent/carer.
  
  The child is often left to initiate any interaction with the parent/carer.
  
  The response from parent/carer is always negative when the child’s behaviour is difficult.
  
  The parent/carer shows a lack of interest in any interaction with the child but once initiated there is some enjoyment evident.
- Red
  
  The relationship between the child and parent/carer has broken down.
  
  The child appears resigned to their needs not being met.
  
  The child is fearful or apprehensive to ask the parent/carer for anything they need.
  
  The parent/carer is unresponsive to any attempt made by the child to gain attention from them.
  
  The child is left feeling isolated and unloved.
Access to Sports and Leisure
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Key:
- Green: Essential Needs met
- Amber: Many Essential Needs Unmet
- Yellow: Some Essential Needs Unmet
- Red: Most or All Essential Needs Unmet
- Green
  
  The child has a good level of access to sport and leisure activities which the parent/carer takes a proactive interest in.
- Amber
  
  The child accesses sports and leisure activities by themselves and seeks out their own opportunities.
  
  The parent/carer shows a lack of interest in the child’s activities outside the home and pay little regard to the safety of the child.
- Yellow
  
  The parent/carer is not proactive in finding local sports and leisure activities for the child including those that are free.
  
  The parent/carer pays no regard to the child’s interests in relation to leisure activities.
- Red
  
  The parent/carer makes no attempt to provide access for their child to be able to do any sports or leisure activities.
  
  The parent/carer provides no supervision for the child and shows no concern even if the child becomes involved in unsafe or unhealthy activities.
Peer/Friend Interaction
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Key:
- Green: Essential Needs met
- Amber: Many Essential Needs Unmet
- Yellow: Some Essential Needs Unmet
- Red: Most or All Essential Needs Unmet
- Green
  
  The parent/carer supports their child to make friends.
  
  The parent/carer shows interest in their child’s interactions with their friends.
  
  If a child discloses concerns in relation to peers, for example bullying they are fully supported by the parent/carer.
- Amber
  
  The parent/carer has no insight into the importance of peer friendships for their child.
  
  The parent/carer prevents the child from accessing opportunities to make friends leaving them isolated from their peer group.
  
  The child is left to form their own friendships with no oversight from their parent/carer leaving the child exposed to potential risk.
  
  The parent/carer shows minimal concern if the child is reporting being bullied.
- Yellow
  
  The parent/carer provides only minimal support to their child to make friends.
  
  The parent/carer does not seek out opportunity for their child to develop friendships.
  
  If the child tells their parent/carer that they are being bullied, then they are offered some support although this is not always consistent.
- Red
  
  The parent/carer is totally disinterested in the child’s relationships with friends and/or actively seeks to isolate the child from their peer group.
  
  The parent/carer does not respond to any disclosure their child is being bullied.
  
  The parent/carer shows no concern where there are indications that the child is developing unhealthy relationships.
  
  The parent/carer has no insight or fails to respond to developing risks in relation to their child, for example child sexual exploitation.
Outings for Recreational Purposes
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Key:
- Green: Essential Needs met
- Amber: Many Essential Needs Unmet
- Yellow: Some Essential Needs Unmet
- Red: Most or All Essential Needs Unmet
- Green
  
  The child enjoys regular outings to child centred place.
  
  The parent/carer prioritises activities which are child focused.
- Amber
  
  The parent/carer provides little opportunity for the child to enjoy child focused activities.
  
  The parent/carer prioritises their own needs for recreational activities leaving the child to ‘tag along’.
  
  The parent/carer has no insight into the importance or child focused activities
- Yellow
  
  The parent/carer provides some opportunities for recreational activities, but planning is ad hoc.
  
  Family outings are not always child focused.
- Red
  
  The child has no opportunities to engage in recreational activities with the family.
  
  The parent/carer is unsupportive of the child engaging in recreational activities with their peer group.
  
  The child is left to play in the street unsupervised by the parent/carer.
Celebrations
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Key:
- Green: Level 1 Essential Needs met
- Amber: Many Essential Needs Unmet
- Yellow: Some Essential Needs Unmet
- Red: Most or All Essential Needs Unmet
- Green
  
  The parent/carer ensures that the child is fully involved in all important family celebrations.
- Amber
  
  The parent/carer often fail to acknowledge important events in the child’s life such as birthdays.
- Yellow
  
  The child is excluded from some celebrations within the family home.
  
  The parent/carer prioritise their own needs and do not always respond to important events in the child’s life; for example, the child’s birthday or exam success.
- Red
  
  There are no celebrations in the family home and significant events such as the child’s birthday are regularly ignored.
  
  The child has no opportunity to participate in celebrations outside the home marking significant events.

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