Our multi-agency child neglect strategy 2025-2029 sets out how the Devon Safeguarding Children Partnership will work to prevent, identify and respond to neglect.
Updated: July 2025
Please also refer to the:
- Multi-agency child neglect guidance and toolkit for practitioners
- Learning briefing from our thematic review on child neglect
- South West Child Protection Procedures on recognising abuse and neglect
- Levels of Need Tool
Please note that we are working on a print version and will add it to this page once it’s ready.
Nationally child neglect is the most common form of maltreatment in England, affecting boys and girls and occurs throughout childhood and adolescence. It causes great distress to children and leads to poor health, educational and social outcomes in the short and long-term. It is important to end any potential cycle of neglect where this is identified.
Child neglect is a complex issue that is challenging for professionals as it is frequently passive and not always intentional. It is more likely to be a chronic condition than crisis led and this impacts on how agencies respond. It is often combined with other forms of maltreatment. Families often need long term support and professionals may not agree about the threshold for intervention in the absence of a clear cut agreement about what constitutes neglect.
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