Neglect and serious case reviews (PDF, 735KB) - nspcc

2.2 reSultS
2. Neglect in the lives of children who become the subject of a serious case review – a statistical overview
secondly, information contained in serious case reviews (in the executive summaries
and overview reports). As part of the previous research process we anonymised, coded
and organised the information to create a longitudinal research database that could be
further studied and interrogated. We have thus amassed information concerning a total
of 645 serious case reviews conducted between 2005–2011.
For the purposes of this chapter we have re-examined the information and divided
the analysis into two groupings of children creating two sub-samples for this study.
Firstly we consider information from all cases over the six year period 2005–11 with
a particular focus on those children where maltreatment in the category of neglect had
been substantiated (a child protection plan in the category of neglect); secondly we
examine the most recent cases from 2009–11 using a wider but still stringent definition
of neglect. More detail about the methodology is explained at the start of the results
section for each group.
SubStaNtiated maltreatmeNt iN the category of Neglect: child protectioN plaN for
Neglect (N=101 from 645 SeriouS caSe reviewS from 2005–11)
Where professionals from different agencies have agreed that neglect is severe enough to
meet the criteria for the child having a child protection plan, there are raised expectations
that the child will be protected. It is therefore important that we examine these cases
in greater detail. Also the clearest indication of neglect in our data set is where this has
been acknowledged by the child having a child protection (CP) plan under this category.
Because we know from previous studies that maltreatment is most likely to recur where
there has been neglect (Hindley et al 2006), we also include in this analysis those cases
where the plan has been discontinued.
A Child Protection Plan is an agreed expression of multi-disciplinary concern about a
child (with regulatory duties and responsibilities attached) where it has been decided
that a child has suffered, or is likely to suffer, significant harm. The category of plan used
is one or more of physical, emotional, sexual abuse or neglect, and will indicate to those
consulting the child’s social care record the primary presenting concerns
(HM Government 2010, Working Together).
• 101 children from the 645 serious case reviews undertaken during the six year
period 2005–11 were known to have had a current or a past CP plan for neglect.
Information about child protection plans is required at the time that the Child Protection
Database notification is completed, and using this information we were able to identify
21