Tragic toll of child neglect cases that are missed

CHILD neglect cases are being missed in Yorkshire because of a lack of public willingness to report concerns and difficulties with staff training and resources, according to a leading children’s charity.

Statistics released by Action for Children show that both the public and professionals struggle with child protection issues, but experts said this left thousands of children “in desperate need”.

Many of the problems highlighted in the shocking report are reflected in tragic recent cases, including that of three-year-old Tiffany Wright, who died in a squalid bedroom above a Sheffield pub in 2007.

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Tiny Tiffany lay dead for two days in the filthy flat at the Scarbrough Arms, in Upperthorpe, which was run by her mother Sabrina Hirst, 22, and stepfather Robert Hirst, 44. They were jailed for cruelty.

A serious case review published by Sheffield’s Safeguarding Children Board revealed that both relatives and regulars at the pub were concerned for Tiffany’s welfare but had felt unable to come forward.

The report said the Hirsts had repeatedly lied about Tiffany’s condition, both to their customers, family and social workers, but added more could have been done to help save her from starvation.

It made 33 separate recommendations to nine different authorities, but Action for Children said its survey revealed that problems with child welfare were as bad, if not worse than they had ever been.

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Julie Longworth, the charity’s director in Yorkshire, said social workers and other professionals were hamstrung by the current system, which lacked resources and the powers to intervene quickly.

She added: “Neglect corrodes childhoods, robbing the most vulnerable children of hope, happiness and life chances.

“All our findings point to the stark reality that neglected children and their parents are being identified, but neither the professionals nor the public feel empowered to help or intervene, particularly at the early stages.

“When it comes to child neglect the reality is that we are only tackling the tip of the iceberg, and there are many thousands out there in desperate need. We are currently missing critical opportunities to help, and putting valued professionals in an impossible position.”

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The charity’s Annual Review of Child Neglect 2011/12 shows that more than half of the general public in Yorkshire are worried about a child being neglected in their neighbourhood.

It also reveals 80 per cent of social workers believe Government cuts will lead to more neglect cases being missed and that over a third of the public do not know who to contact to report child concerns.

In 2009 78 per cent of professionals who come into contact with children said they had suspicions of neglect, while this year the figure has risen to 81 per cent.

Action for Children said it was calling for the Department for Education to improve data collection on neglect and provide social workers with powers to provide “early help” to affected children.

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The study shows that nearly half of social workers questioned by a survey team from the charity felt that the point at which they could intervene in child neglect cases was too high.

Numbers of social workers who said they felt powerless to intervene in cases of child neglect has increased by a third since the same survey was carried out in 2009.

Professor Corinne May-Chahal, chairman of the College of Social Work at Lancaster University, said “Unlike physical and sexual abuse, where the signs can often be very obvious, identifying neglect is more complex creating a barrier between getting the child and family the help they desperately need.

“The point at which social workers can intervene in cases of neglect is too high. This high threshold allows the challenges families face to deteriorate to the point where they need urgent help.

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“Even when a child has been identified as being neglected, social workers struggle to get them the support they need due to a lack of time or resources.

“The system, in its current state, falls short in providing the safety and security neglected children need. It is important that social workers are given a stronger role in early intervention and that services are appropriately organised to achieve this aim.”

Comment: Page 10.

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