Child neglect has risen in Staffordshire as upsetting calls to the NSPCC helpline continue to soar, it has been revealed.
Shock figures have shown that the children's charity is referring an average of five cases of child neglect every week to Staffordshire Police and social services staff. The charity dealt with 255 cases in 2016/17, which was up from 104 five years ago - and was the highest number the charity has had to deal with from the county.
There were a further 24 cases where advice was provided about a child possibly facing neglect in Staffordshire during the same time frame while 16,882 referrals were made UK wide, with many cases involving children under five, said an NSPCC spokesman.
Sandra McNair, NSPCC head of service for the Midlands, said: "Neglect can have severe and long-lasting consequences for children and can also be an indicator of other forms of abuse. This is why it is so important for anyone suspecting a child of being neglected to contact the NSPCC Helpline, so we can alert the authorities to quickly step in and help those in need.
"At the same time, it is vital we understand the true nature and scale of child neglect in the UK so we can collectively tackle the fundamental causes. Therefore, a Government commissioned, nationwide prevalence study on child abuse and neglect needs to be conducted, and sooner rather than later."
An increase was also recorded in Derbyshire with 211 cases reported in 2016/17, which is almost double the 106 referrals made in the county in 2011/12.
According to the NSPCC's state of the nation report, How Safe Are Our Children?, child neglect was mentioned in more than a quarter of all UK calls to the NSPCC Helpline in the last year, suggesting that more people are willing to speak up about the issue.
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.
Neglect happens when a child's needs are not met and is down to several reasons; they range from parents not having the skills, support or funds, to having mental health issues.
Recorded calls to the charity include this sad cases:
1. The child is filthy; her hair is greasy, she smells, her clothes and hands are dirty and she's always hungry. I spoke to the mother about this and she told me that this is what children are like, but I know that's not true. Whenever the child comes over to play with my children all she wants to do is eat and drink something. I feel really sorry for her - this needs to stop but I don’t want to fall out over this with her mother as we are related. (Relative, England)
2. The children hate going to visit him because they tell me that daddy shouts and screams at them. Sometimes after a weekend visit they come back in the same clothes and are really hungry as he didn't feed them anything from the night before. I don't know how to put a stop to this as he ignores my messages and calls. The children are terrified of him and are neglected in his care; it isn't right! (Parent, England)
3. I've got concerns for a young child in the care of her mother. The mother takes more interest in social media and her fun nights out than she does in her child. When I was around her house the other day the child was crying because she had hurt herself but the mother refused to acknowledge this and told her to 'shut up' instead. The other week when the child asked for food the mother told her there wasn't any and to keep quiet. It makes me so angry and upset that she treats her daughter this way and it’s been going on for months. Please help! (Relative, Kensington and Chelsea)
4. The children are home alone again; I saw the mother leave the house earlier this morning and its past midnight now. I've seen the children peer through the curtains a few times as if they're waiting for her. She does this every Friday night to go out drinking with her mates. I'm really confused about what to do as I don't want to ruin the relationship with the mother as we are neighbours but at the same time I am really worried about the children. What should I do?
5. I am concerned for the safety of a little boy; he does not seem to be getting adequate care at home. His mother doesn't seem interested in looking after him and lets him stay up all night; she has alcohol and drug abuse problems. He is regularly being left unsupervised and I am worried that he could seriously hurt himself at home alone, because I know it has happened before. (A family member of a suspected neglected child)
Common signs and symptoms adults may notice in a child who is being neglected include:
- Poor appearance and hygiene, they may be smelly or have unwashed clothes
- Living in an unsuitable home environment for example dog mess being left or not having any heating
- Left alone for a long time
- Untreated injuries, medical and dental issues; they may have skin sores, rashes, flea bites, scabies or ringworm
- Poor language, communication or social skills
- Seem hungry or turn up to school without having breakfast or any lunch money
