Инспекторы проверят работу служб по предотвращению пренебрежения к детям в возрасте до 11 лет

Inspectors are to assess the quality of neglect practice following criticisms from safeguarding leaders in a report published earlier this year. The latest joint targeted area inspection (JTAI), this autumn, will examine the multi-agency response to the neglect of unborn babies and children aged 0-11 by social care, health, police and probation services in a sample of areas. This follows the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel's finding that an "ambiguous" definition of neglect and high thresholds were delaying interventions to protect children, leading to increased harm, in a report published in April. The most prevalent form of child harm Neglect is the most prevalent form of harm to children, accounting for  half of child protection plans in England as of 31 March 2025  and present in  60% of serious cases reviewed by local safeguarding partnerships in 2024-25 and submitted to the panel. It is defined, in  Working Together to Safeguard Children, as "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". The panel's report suggested that the definition contributed to high thresholds, with practitioners taking a "wait and see" approach to responding to neglect, reflecting the need for a "persistent failure" to meet need. Drawing on learning from 100 serious cases, the panel also found that, when neglect was identified, practitioners struggled to act without parental consent, assessments were often inadequate and interventions were generic and short-term.  What the JTAI will focus on Through the JTAI, inspectors from Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and the police and probation inspectorates will evaluate multi-agency arrangements for identifying, assessing, planning for, protecting and supporting children at risk of, or experiencing, neglect, and for preventing it from taking place. Evaluation criteria include: Assessments demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the risks to children and of their needs, experiences and strengths. Children’s views are clearly recorded and are central to a multi-agency response. Assessments are timely, include contributions from all relevant agencies and consider all forms of abuse, including neglect, and practitioners consider strengths and risks within the family and address any risk to siblings. Families and carers receive timely and effective support to enable them to safely help and protect children at risk of, or living with, neglect. The needs of all family members are considered, and support is in place to address all needs and risks. Family networks are actively involved. This leads to effective family group decision making, where appropriate, that has a positive impact for children. Professionals have a clear understanding of how the actions and behaviour of parents and carers affects children. Appropriate support is provided. Professionals assess any strengths and risks in parenting and the extended family. Where changes in parents’ and/or carers’ behaviour are required, appropriate support is provided for the family and clear timescales for change are agreed. These timescales are based on the child’s needs. Improvements in parenting are closely monitored. Professionals and support staff across agencies are well trained and supported, including receiving support to the emotional impact of working with children living with neglect. Staff are understand the impact of neglect on children’s daily lives as well as the long-term and cumulative impact on their health and emotional wellbeing. They understand thresholds and are aware of and make use of pathways to support and protect children, enabling them to identify effectively how to help and protect children and to respond in an appropriate and timely way. Professionals challenge each other appropriately to ensure good practice, and they challenge and support parents/carers where parenting is leading to the neglect of children. Tracking of six children's cases Agencies in each area will be asked to audit the cases of six children, selected from a larger sample by inspectors, as part of the three-week inspection process. The inspection team will then evaluate these cases and agencies' audits, including by meeting with the practitioners involved, and discussing children's experiences will them and their parents or carers. As well as such case tracking, inspectors will examine a larger group of cases in less detail, to investigate areas of potentially strong or weak practice that they identify from other evidence gathered on the inspection. The process will also involve analysis of performance information and meetings with senior leaders.