Warning over child neglect in Blackpool

Some child neglect in Blackpool is still being  missed by social workers, a council report has warned.
A report has warned some neglect is still being overlookedA report has warned some neglect is still being overlooked
A report has warned some neglect is still being overlooked

But action including training specialist staff in schools to recognise the signs of mistreatment among vulnerable children has been taken.

Primary school teachers, who are seen as key to recognising neglect, are working alongside police and social workers, and can ring a hotline for advice if they are concerned about the welfare of particular pupils.

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The details of how children are being monitored were shared with members of the council’s children and young people’s scrutiny committee, which heard the town’s Neglect Strategy had been launched in February.

A report to the committee warned despite multi-agency working, “our audits tell us that we are still not recognising all forms of neglect”.

It adds: “Whilst it is clear that there has been improvement in the identification of neglect by social workers and other professionals, there is still work to be done to ensure a more consistent response to identifying and working with families.”

Paul Turner, head of school standards, safeguarding and inclusion at Blackpool Council, told the meeting: “It is the responsibility of all teachers to be aware of the signs of neglect, but each school has a responsible person alongside the head teacher, who will make referrals.

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“They are not a social worker, but a specialist practioner within the school setting who has that training.”

Training includes being able to recognise neglect, such as nutritional neglect, in children of different ages such as infants, a nine-year-old or a teenager.

There is also a dedicated advice line staffed by a social worker which teachers can call.

It is hoped ongoing support of families by social workers, including through lockdown, will help prevent a surge in demand over Christmas.

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Diane Booth, head of children’s services at the council, said: “There are no indications of us having a significant increase in Blackpool as during lockdown we were very proactive in advertising our services and encouraging people to get in touch with us.

“And getting good numbers of children back to school safely has had a really positive impact on safety.”

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