by Matthew Martino
The NSPCC refers an average of ten reports of child neglect every week to Essex Police and social services.
In 2016/17 the NSPCC Helpline dealt with 516 reports in this way following calls or emails from concerned adults – the highest number the charity has ever had to handle in Essex.
There were a further 73 contacts requesting advice about a child possibly facing neglect in Essex during 2016/17.
Child neglect was mentioned in more than a quarter of all calls to the NSPCC Helpline in the last year. This rise shows that more people are willing to speak up about the issue.
Neglect happens when a child’s needs aren’t met and is down to several reasons; they range from parents not having the skills, support or funds, to having mental health issues.
A growing number of people contacting the NSPCC Helpline also described parents as having a problem with alcohol and drugs, with some of them regularly leaving their children unsupervised so they could go drinking with friends.
