WEBVTT

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Why didn’t anyone help me sooner?

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This is Jake.

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At 15, he was finally removed from his home due to neglect. 

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But the signs were there for years.

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In his case taking food, 

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missing school, 

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wearing the same clothes every day. 

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Neglect is the most common form of child maltreatment.

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But because it often deepens over time, it can be hard to spot. 

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Each incident can seem small, isolated, until harm accumulates.

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The practitioners around Jake wanted to help. 

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But information wasn't shared between agencies.

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Professionals relied on what his parents said,

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without checking the reality. 

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Children like Jake need us to look deeper.

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That starts with naming neglect when you see it. 

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Terms like ‘poor home conditions’ 

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or ‘unsafe sleeping’ can soften what's really happening. 

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Structured,

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evidence-based tools can support clear and objective assessments. 

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And if it's neglect, name it

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in your conversations and in your records.

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It also means being curious about what's behind a child's actions. 

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Jake taking food wasn’t poor behaviour, 

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it was a sign he wasn’t being fed. 

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When we see behaviour that causes concern, 

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we should ask: what is this behaviour telling us? 

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Children need safe spaces to share what daily life really looks like. 

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That means taking the time to listen,

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and ensuring their voices shape every assessment. 

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And agencies need to work together. 

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Schools, health services, police and social care - 

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each hold a piece of the picture. 

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Only by sharing and checking that information

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can we see a child’s lived reality.

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Neglect isn’t always easy to spot

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and these are challenges many practitioners face.

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But with earlier intervention

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and a child-centred approach, 

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we can develop a safeguarding system that doesn't neglect neglect. 

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For more learning and guidance, visit the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel (CSPRP) website 

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and learning hub.