Neglect is 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 or failure to participate in ante-natal care. Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to:
- provide adequate food, shelter and clothing; (including exclusion from home or abandonment)
- protect a child from physical harm or danger;
- respond to a child’s basic emotional needs;
- ensure adequate supervision; (including inadequate substitute care-givers)
- ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment.
Signs which may suggest neglect:
- squalid, unhygienic or dangerous home conditions;
- parents fail to attend to their children’s health or development needs;
- children appear persistently undersized or underweight;
- children continually appear tired or lacking in energy;
- children suffer frequent injuries due to lack of supervision;
- the child is not attached or is anxiously attached to the parent;
- the child is not regularly sent to school including preschool;
- developmental delay due to lack of stimulation;
- the child has cold skin mottled with pink or purple;
- the child has swollen limbs with pitted sores which are slow to heal;
- the child’s skin condition is poor, especially in the nappy area;
- the child has dry sparse hair;
- the child stays frozen in one position for an unnaturally long time.
Ref:
Working Together 2010 Chapter 1 Para 1.36
Working Together 2010 Chapter 9 Para 9.12
For further guidance and Neglect Graded Care Profile, please see the page Dealing with Neglect
