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Despite a history of critique, concentrated discussion and improved assessment processes, neglect continues to be a major challenge for child protection services. This paper draws on findings from a government‐commissioned analysis of 'serious case reviews' (SCRs) in England, arising from incidents of serious child abuse in 2017–2019. There were 235 cases, for which 166 final reports were available. Alongside a quantitative analysis of the whole cohort, we undertook an in‐depth qualitative analysis of 12 cases involving neglect. A key challenge in responding to neglect in its different forms is that it can be so widespread amongst families that practitioners no longer notice its severity or chronicity – it becomes normalised. In this paper we explore two dimensions of the 'paradox of neglect' where it seems to be everywhere and nowhere simultaneously. The first is that neglect is so closely bound up with the prevalence of poverty that little action is taken to address it. The second is that the overwhelming nature of neglect can blind practitioners to other forms of maltreatment that may also be present within a family. Practitioners, now more than ever, need to recognise the dimensions of this paradox to protect children from neglect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a statutory duty for all practitioners to record information in child protection work in England. Case recording is a daily task for practitioners, yet an under-researched area of practice. This continuing professional development (CPD) paper will consider the context in which case recording takes place and highlight messages from child protection reviews and enquiries before exploring learning from contemporary research. The complexities of case recording will be considered and how practitioners can reflect upon and improve their daily case recording skills. Practitioners are encouraged to keep the child's views and experiences central and consider the long-term impact of case recording on adults who have experienced abuse and neglect in childhood. Key Practitioner Messages • Case recording is a complex and nuanced task, often missing the multiple perspectives inherent in a child's narrative. • The views, experiences and identity of individual children and young people can be lost in case recording, especially for very young children, older children and those in sibling groups. • Case recording has a support function for care experienced adults to understand their childhood histories, aiding recovery from abuse and neglect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parental substance misuse is a significant child welfare issue and associated with increased risk of child maltreatment. The aim of the present study was to understand what social care outcomes children who live with parental substance misuse have, and to assess factors associated with those social care outcomes over a two‐year period. The paper reports on a retrospective longitudinal study of 299 children all living with parental substance misuse and referred to one local authority in England. Data were collected from children's social work case files about procedural social care outcomes and factors which may be associated with those outcomes. Using cluster analysis, a new typology of children's longitudinal trajectories through the children's social care system was developed, consisting of five distinct types. Analysis indicated that some children received too little intervention from children's social care despite ongoing concerns, while other children were potentially unnecessarily caught up in the social care system. Factors associated with children having the poorest outcomes were: caregiver instability resulting from substance misuse, parenting capacity and household instability. The study's findings indicate that some children who live with parental substance misuse are at significant risk of harm, but others are not and may be better supported through non‐statutory services such as early help. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports findings from a study which sought to offer primacy to the voice of the child, using narrative approaches to encourage children and young people to share their lived experiences of neglect. Using a constructivist approach, this paper explores the relationship between the voice of the child and their narrative of neglect. Drawing on the notion of 'family narrative', the discussion examines how children's views are constructed and reconstructed through the process of telling. This research documents that whilst practitioners seek to present the authentic voice of the child, our understanding of 'voice' should be problematized to take account of the fact that it is mediated through a number of filters and lenses. By attending to the voice of the child in the context of their narrative, practitioners may move closer to understanding the lived experience of the individual by exploring feelings, motivations and the myriad of factors which may influence how and for what purpose voice is shared. Engagement with the voice of their child in the context of their narrative, facilitates the development of a social work meta‐narrative to inform effective intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2021, Birmingham County Football Association (BCFA) in partnership with Newman University carried out a quantitative online review to assess coaches, volunteers, parents and young people's understanding of safeguarding information, policies and procedures in relation to football. This paper examines the findings from the children (aged 5–11) and young people (aged 12–17) using the Six Principles of Safeguarding to assess the current safeguarding measures in place to protect children and young people (CYP) playing grassroots football. The review found that whilst most CYP felt safe when playing organised football, there were some concerns raised from the young people in relation to angry parents, abuse and racism. Most children in both groupings had heard of the term safeguarding, but fewer had heard of the term welfare, and struggled to explain what welfare meant. A key finding and concern is that many CYP are not aware of the role of the Club Welfare Officer at their football club or that this might be someone to whom they can disclose issues concerning them. Furthermore, it became evident that further research, awareness raising and implementation of listening to and acting on children's voices needs to be fully embedded into safeguarding practice in children and young people's organised football. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports upon the learning that emerged from a development project which aimed to facilitate improvements in multiagency work in domestic abuse and safeguarding children. The two-year project (2011-13), funded by the Department for Education and led by WomenCentre, a specialist voluntary sector organisation based in West Yorkshire, was undertaken in nine local authorities in the north of England. Activities undertaken during the project included case mapping, service user and professional engagement exercises, observation of local multiagency meetings and provision of training. An evaluative research study examined the work of the project and the learning that emerged. Drawing upon data from telephone interviews with project participants, analysis of case mapping and project reports, this paper discusses some critical issues which emerged from this project. The paper draws attention to the different understandings and priorities which shape interprofessional practice in relation to safeguarding children and domestic abuse, and the complexities of the wider interagency environment including coordination, resources and expertise. Recommendations for improving multiagency work to achieve better outcomes for women and children experiencing domestic abuse are discussed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Messages Multiagency working in domestic abuse and safeguarding children is complex and could be improved., The impact of professional differences in how cases are understood and managed, particularly in relation to 'risk', as well as different professional priorities and approaches to working with families should be recognised and considered within the multiagency context., Practitioners may want to consider whether 'case mapping' is pertinent to their own safeguarding practices and processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legal action to separate newborn babies from their parents is regarded as 'draconian' by the courts and subject to intense scrutiny. This paper outlines current legal and social work issues relating to such intervention and discusses the potential benefits of the 'pre-proceedings process' to address them. This process enables parents to have legal representation in a discussion with children's services when care proceedings are contemplated. The paper reports the findings of recent socio-legal research by the authors into the use of the process in England and Wales. In six local authorities, 30 per cent of 120 cases where the pre-proceedings process was used related to unborn babies; a pre-proceedings letter was sent in 75 per cent of unborn baby cases where care proceedings were considered, compared with 57 per cent of cases overall. The process could help to secure parental cooperation for pre-birth assessments and short-term protective arrangements at birth, thus avoiding emergency intervention. Families were diverted from care proceedings in 30 per cent of the cases where this was a possibility. Furthermore, the process was valued by social workers and lawyers as being fairer to parents. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Messages: Local children's safeguarding boards should be more aware of the pre-proceedings process., Local authorities should use the pre-proceedings process in accordance with guidance., Protecting babies requires thorough assessment, good planning and timely decisions., Early use of the pre-proceedings process in pre-birth cases assists assessment and planning., More efforts are required to involve fathers in the pre-proceedings process., The pre-proceedings process can divert cases from care proceedings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on doctoral research carried out in the UK into the experience of complexity in child protection work. The study explored what complexity meant for practitioners, and examined its significance for interprofessional working. A qualitative, case-based approach was adopted, drawing on the experiences of 17 practitioners working on two separate child protection cases. Participants were from a range of agencies, including children's social care, education, youth offending and child/adolescent mental health. Two rounds of semi-structured interviews were carried out over a period of four months. Interview transcripts were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis, a research methodology derived from qualitative psychology. The findings revealed complexity to be a multifaceted phenomenon, driven by the dynamics of cause and effect in open social systems. Practitioners' perception of unpredictability and volatility in these cases fed into various aspects of collaborative work: the experience of relationships, the process of assessment, efforts at intervention and concerns about risk. The paper concludes by exploring some implications for policy and practice in terms of how interprofessional networks are set up to manage the needs of vulnerable children and families. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Messages Complexity makes it hard for practitioners to understand cause and effect, predict outcomes and control the course of events., To manage complexity, the team around the child may need to operate as a strategic unit rather than a collection of tactical interventions., When complex cases become 'stuck', professional networks may need additional support and consultation from specialist agencies., 'Complexity makes it hard for practitioners to understand cause and effect, predict outcomes and control the course of events' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compares how frontline staff in four national child welfare systems and policy contexts - Finland, Norway, England and the USA (specifically, California) - respond to questions about a scenario of possible harm to children. The countries have different child welfare systems that we anticipated would be reflected in the workers' responses ( n = 1027). The analysis shows differences and similarities between the systems, although often not in line with system expectations. There is also variation within the country samples. The study shows the complex interactions of individual and agency characteristics in addition to the role of proceduralised decision-making systems and professional discretion. Key Practitioner Messages Professional discretion differs., Proceduralised and high threshold systems result in less variation between workers' responses., System categories do not seem to capture the nuances of frontline decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children's missed healthcare appointments may be an alerting feature of neglect so it is essential that concerns are shared with other professionals. The aim of this clinical audit was to investigate the management of missed dental appointments for children in a city-wide salaried community dental service. Standards for communication with (a) the family, (b) other professionals and (c) child protection referral to social care were developed using NICE Clinical Guidance 89: When to suspect child maltreatment and the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry's policy document on dental neglect. Information collected from a random sample of 100 clinical records included communication actions within six months of a missed appointment and dental outcome. After reporting the first-cycle (C1) results, procedures were modified and staff training provided. Sampling and data collection were repeated annually for two further cycles (C2, C3). Communication standards were not fully met in any cycle. The missed appointment rate was 11-12 per cent. An initial small increase in interprofessional communication, including two child protection referrals to social care, was achieved in C2 together with a reduction in unresolved dental outcomes. However, omissions still occurred and improvements were not maintained in the third cycle, demonstrating insufficient consistency to ensure the protection of vulnerable children. Key Practitioner Messages This paper describes a method of auditing the management of missed dental appointments in relation to maltreatment guidance., We achieved initial small improvements in interprofessional communication and dental outcomes but also identified lapses which might indicate children at risk of neglect who could 'slip through the net'., Dental services, other healthcare services and children's social care must work together to develop better communication pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to explore negative peer interactions in foster care. Looked after children and young people have highlighted the impact of negative peer interactions, and especially peer violence and intimidation, on their care experiences. However, to date, no specific fostering research has addressed this important issue. In response to this gap, we undertook focus groups with 32 foster carers in the South West of England. Group discussions were semi-structured based around the issue of negative peer interactions in foster care. The analysis revealed five main associated themes: the impact on the carers' birth children; a lack of placement planning; inadequate referral information; a negative view of social work support; and insufficient external interventions. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Messages Negative peer interactions, particularly violence, were a major concern for foster carers, especially if they negatively impacted on the welfare of carers' birth children., An absence of pre-placement referral information on negative peer interactions was commonly reported and placed all children in the fostering household at risk., Associated social work support and external interventions were often perceived as lacking and inadequate., Fostering procedures, review and decisions need to recognise the impact of peer violence on all members of the fostering household. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organisations funded by Sport England or UK Sport must work towards achieving standards for safeguarding and protecting children in sport as set by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children's Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU) and encourage a culture of listening to children. The present research was commissioned by the NSPCC CPSU to understand the practices of UK sports clubs regarding this objective. An electronic questionnaire was distributed through the national governing bodies of sport working with the CPSU. Some 64 clubs/squads representing 6,000+ juniors (under 18 years) responded. Quantitative data were analysed using simple statistics and qualitative data were themed utilising Foucault's theory of power and following Braun and Clark's six‐phase guide. Discourse, hierarchical judgement and docility were considered with reference to formal management and cultural environments. Semantic and latent themes were explored. The themes identified were: expectation awareness, reframing voice and preserving discourse. Clubs recognise the value of listening to children. However, existing power relations valorise adult knowledge fields over the experiences of juniors. Technology could provide an effective solution as it is remote, potentially anonymous and culturally accessible. As power is a productive force, problematisation of organisational culture could centralise children's voices and limit/prevent abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles within the issue on topics including child protection, audit of joint agency approach used to investigate unexpected child deaths in England, and review of the book The Story of Baby P: Setting the Record Straight" by Ray Jones.

The ultimate goal of trials is to identify interventions that can benefit individuals in the future. It is crucial, therefore, that they measure outcomes that reflect the priorities and expectations of those using the interventions. We consider this issue in relation to trials of interventions for children exposed to domestic violence and abuse (DVA). To explore this, we drew on data collected as part of a larger study to consider whether the types of outcomes measured in clinical trials reflect: (1) the perceived benefit of interventions reported in qualitative evaluation studies; and (2) the views of parents, professionals and young people as to what constitutes a 'good outcome'. We found that trials most frequently evaluated changes in children's symptoms and disorders, whereas children and parents, along with practitioners, had broader concepts of success that extended beyond narrow health-focused outcomes. A number of studies measured other types of outcomes, although there was inconsistency in the types of outcomes that were measured. Based on these findings, we discuss the need to reach consensus on an expanded set of outcomes to be measured in child-focused DVA trials. This will mean that the effectiveness of interventions is judged against outcomes that are important to those who use interventions. It will also facilitate greater consistency in outcome measurement across studies, thereby enhancing the quality of evidence in this emerging field. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Messages In order to adequately assess what works to reduce the impact of domestic violence on children, researchers should: Work with stakeholders to understand which outcomes are important to them., Seek consensus about a standardised set of outcomes to be measured and reported in all trials., Ensure that the success of interventions is measured against these outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early help or early intervention is increasingly recommended for safeguarding children living with domestic violence, but little is known about what is effective. This article discusses findings from an evaluation of a pioneering early help service in North West England. This new service aimed to improve the safety and wellbeing of families (mothers and children) who were assessed as below the level of 'high risk' domestic violence and below the threshold for a child protection order. Between January 2014 and March 2015, families (473 mothers and 541 children) were identified within multiagency safeguarding hubs and referred to the early help service. The service that emerged was somewhat different to the service expected. This article discusses findings from qualitative data gathered from 39 participants (mothers, children and service providers) involved in the programme. Three main issues emerged as themes from the interviews: the benefits of having any service at all for children living with domestic violence who slip off the agendas of professionals working with child protection and high‐risk domestic violence; the importance of flexibility of key worker‐led service delivery; and the suitability of current group work and therapeutic models for meeting the varied needs of families affected by domestic violence. Key Practitioner Messages: Children, mothers and service providers reported both a perceived need for early help and a positive impact from domestic violence early help services on child health and emotional wellbeing.The ability of services to flex their delivery model in response to the needs of families is important for supporting engagement of, and fostering a sense of control for, families receiving support.Confidentiality, reliability, respect and trust are key factors in developing an effective key worker‐family relationship. 'Discusses findings from an evaluation of a pioneering early help service in North West England' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this systematic literature review was to identify peer‐reviewed publications on the use and/or evaluation of child protection or domestic violence alerts in electronic medical records. A systematic literature search yielded 751 results, with four articles retained for review. Two articles related to the Child Protection – Information Sharing electronic medical record alert system in England and two articles described a clinical decision‐support alert operating in the background of an electronic medical record system in the emergency department of the Pittsburgh Children's Hospital, Pennsylvania, USA. No articles were identified that described domestic violence electronic medical record alert systems. Child protection electronic medical record alert systems are operating in healthcare facilities in several countries. However, despite their promise in terms of improving healthcare and service coordination for children and their families, research testing the efficacy of these systems is limited. 'Identif[ies] peer‐reviewed publications on the use and/or evaluation of child protection or domestic violence alerts in electronic medical records' Key Practitioner Messages Child protection alerts in electronic medical records are used in a number of countries.No published examples of the use of domestic violence alerts in electronic medical records could be found.Alerts on linked electronic medical records can convey standardised, current, clinically significant information to a multitude of clinicians across several health services at once.Two evaluation studies of a child protection electronic medical record alert system were found; therefore, more evaluation studies are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'The views of representatives from... Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs) in England were sought on the challenges to safeguarding children from FII' The fabrication or induction of illness (FII) is a relatively rare situation which can lead to serious physical and/or emotional harm to a child. FII is often difficult for professionals to identify and manage. In this study the views of representatives from the 147 Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs) in England were sought on the challenges to safeguarding children from FII, and how these might be overcome. Despite a low response rate of only 18 from the 147 LSCBs, 17 challenges were identified. The most reported were inadequate training and resources, poor multi‐agency collaboration, uncertainties and anxiety among professionals tasked with identifying FII, issues inherent in the relative rarity of FII and the variety of ways in which it can present. To overcome these challenges, LSCB respondents suggested that more training, specific to particular professions and using video case studies where possible, should be conducted on a wider scale, and consideration should be given to ensuring that professionals are familiar with relevant guidance. Key Practitioner Messages: Professionals' uncertainties and anxieties are key challenges to safeguarding children from FII.More training would help overcome professionals' uncertainties and anxieties.Finding ways to ensure that all relevant professionals are familiar with existing guidance would support the development of greater knowledge about how best to respond to FII cases.The inclusion of FII within broader safeguarding training, using video case studies and conducting profession‐specific training, may constitute ways to improve training and promote knowledge of the guidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on 'neglect' which is the most commonly experienced form of maltreatment for children of all ages. Topics include, beginning of research to highlight the harmful effects of neglect between the ages of 11 and 17; and fundamental difficulty for practitioners and researchers has been the challenge of defining ‘neglect'; and child protection plans in Great Britain.

The article discusses a study related to the readability of child protection medical reports in several Great Britain National Health Service (NHS) trusts and to analyze the descriptive language used by pediatricians in these reports. It also talks about the use of the Flesch–Kincaid readability tests as readability analysis tool.

Serious Case Reviews (SCRs), undertaken when a child has died or been seriously harmed, are an important feature of child protection in England. They are substantial exercises, but little research has examined the everyday work processes associated with their production. This study, undertaken during 2011, explored the views and experiences of NHS Named and Designated Nurses and Doctors for Safeguarding Children about their involvement in SCRs. Nineteen telephone interviews were undertaken and the data thematically analysed. The study found that doing SCRs involved additional work and staff did not always feel fully supported or prepared. Doing SCRs is a rigid and bureaucratic process which sometimes detracted from the case itself. The study also found mixed views about the value of SCRs and the extent to which they promote learning and child-centred practice. The findings contribute to overall understanding of how this process is undertaken, and help open up to scrutiny the work required and the challenges generated for those involved in SCRs. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Message: SCRs are substantial exercises; little previous research has examined their production., Undertaking SCRs requires considerable time, effort and can be emotionally difficult; NHS staff involved in their production face challenges in doing this work., Producing SCRs may distract from the value of the outcomes and the extent to which they promote learning and child-centred practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neglect is the most common category for abuse of children under one. It is prevalent in large families; where there is a mother with low self-esteem and frequent changes of partner. Because neglect is difficult to work with, the Centre for Child Protection at the University of Kent has developed a child protection simulation - 'Rosie 2' - which is designed to train child protection professionals. It follows a social worker and health visitor on a virtual home visit to a family where neglect is a significant concern, and offers a safe opportunity to explore practice options. A small-scale research project has been conducted whereby highly sensitive eye tracker technology and facial recognition software were used to examine the emotional responses exhibited by social workers and health visitors during this 'virtual visit'. The results indicate that the prevailing emotion exhibited by the professional group showed a 'neutral' response. There were significant differences between the groups, with health visitors displaying more sadness, and social workers demonstrating greater surprise and disgust. The article discusses these findings in the context of debates on compassion fatigue and emotional response within child protection. We conclude by discussing how the findings can enhance professionals' supervision. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Messages Neglect is a chronic problem in some families and can have long-term effects on practitioners including burnout, compassion fatigue and secondary trauma., Simulations can provide immersive, realistic environments for child protection training and 'Rosie 2' has been developed for this purpose., Eye tracker technology coupled with simulations can provide insight into the unconscious emotional impact on practitioners of child protection work. This can potentially support and inform supervision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]