The government has announced that a series of inspections focusing on children living with neglect are to be carried out by Ofsted, Care Quality Commission (CQC), HMI Constabulary and HMI Probation.
The new set of inspections will examine how local partner agencies – including local authorities, health and probation services and the police – are working together to protect children living with or at risk of neglect.
The series of six joint, targeted area inspections (JTAI) will begin in May.
JTAI assess how effectively agencies are working together in their local area to help and protect children – each set of joint inspections also evaluates the multi-agency response to a particular issue or theme.
Following feedback from key stakeholders, the four inspectorates decided that the latest series of JTAI should look at local support services for children living with neglect – in particular, the inspections will focus on the experiences of children aged between seven and 15 years’ old, who may be at higher risk of going missing or being exploited, or who exhibit challenging behaviours in adolescence.
Guidance published today sets out how the inspections will work in practice –for this JTAI, inspectors will also speak with school leaders and staff to obtain a wider picture of how neglect is identified and referred.
HM Chief Inspector Amanda Spielman said:
“Identifying signs of neglect in middle childhood and adolescence can be very complex, as children at this age experience and respond to neglect differently from younger children.
“However, at any age, the impact of childhood neglect can be lifelong. It’s crucial that local partner agencies understand the long-term effects of neglect – and recognise the need for early and appropriate intervention.
“These inspections will provide valuable insight into the local area response to neglect – and, importantly, they will highlight good practice that others can learn from.”
Chief Inspector of General Practice at the Care Quality Commission, Professor Steve Field, said:
“Neglect is a terrible and far reaching problem that can present itself in many aspects of a child’s life.
“We all have a responsibility to safeguard those children who find themselves at risk of neglect – and that means understanding where these risks might be, and also where services are doing great work to support children in their area.
“By focusing on individual children’s experiences and tracking them across services, these inspections will provide an invaluable chance to see how agencies are working together – and the impact this has on the welfare of young people.”
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