The Neglect Strategy 2024 – 27 aims to prevent and reduce the impact of neglect on children and young people and their families, and vulnerable adults, in Barking and Dagenham. We will do this by ensuring:

• neglect is recognised as early as possible
• neglect is responded to consistently and robustly where it is identified across the continuum of need
• that we learn from national and local practice to continuously improve our offer to children, young people, and their families

There are a number of principles that underpin this commitment and our ways of working to achieve our aims:

• we recognise that children of all ages are affected by neglect, and we need to work to understand their lived experience and how neglect impacts on their development and life opportunities
• the wellbeing of the child is paramount and must never be secondary to the parent/carer’s needs
• we are person centred. The voice of the child (or vulnerable adult) must be sought, heard, and acted upon – ‘nothing about you without you'
• we ‘think family’ and work with families to help them achieve positive and sustained change using strengths-based approaches and interventions to address concerns
• we recognise the inter-familial nature of neglect, and we work to break the intergenerational cycle of neglect
• we work collaboratively and creatively across partners, being accountable
• all agencies will ensure their workforce dedicates time to regularly refresh and update knowledge of neglect

The Neglect Strategy 2024- 27 priorities:

1) The BDSCP commits to tackling neglect as a strategic priority

All partners will sign up to the Neglect Strategy 2024-27 and will work to deliver the aims and priorities of the strategy.

2) Children experiencing neglect are seen and heard

Our workforce must be equipped to consistently recognise neglect and risk of neglect as early as possible, as well as understand the child’s lived experience of neglect.

3) The right help, at the right time, from the right person

Our workforce must be equipped to consistently respond to neglect – making sure children, young people, families, and adults get the right help, at the right time, from the right person, in the right way. This will include ensuring we can evidence the impact of our interventions, and that we minimise drift and delay especially for those children, young people and vulnerable adults at most risk of neglect.

4) Learning from practice

We will ensure that the Neglect Strategy 2024 - 27 and related Neglect Improvement Plan are reviewed and updated in the context of future national, regional, and local learning. We will ensure that learning from national and local practice is dispersed across our workforce and that learning informs our practice. We will also make use of BDSCP quality assurance work, including conducting multi agency reviews.

Neglect Strategy 2024 - 27 documents

Full Neglect Strategy 2024 – 27 (PDF, )

‘At a glance’ version of the Neglect Strategy 2024 -27 (PDF, 145.36 KB)

All professionals working with families in Barking and Dagenham must be familiar with the Neglect Strategy and should have read at the very least the ‘at a glance’ version.