Look out for these 21 signs of neglect to help protect children

In a bid to protect children from neglect, the NSPCC has released a list of 21 signs to look out for.

Teaming up with the Manchester Evening News to shed light on neglect, the charity is asking people to take action when they're concerned about a child's wellbeing.

This weekend marked Childhood Day, aimed at helping the NSPCC tackle child abuse.

NSPCC image of a sad, scared child (posed by model) (Daily Record)

Neglect can come in many forms, but it can have a big impact on the health, development, wellbeing and life chances of children.

Last year the NSPCC helpline was contacted on average 55 times a day by adults worried about child neglect.

Latest figures for Greater Manchester (2017/18) show Manchester council had 189 agency referrals following reports of neglect. Tameside was the second highest, with 110, followed by Wigan, where the figure was 103. The lowest was Trafford, with 34.

But the charity says such figures won’t reflect the extent of the issue - with some referrals relating to more than one child - and is urging people to speak up 'when they first have concerns, rather than waiting for potentially dangerous situations to occur first'.

NSPCC Helpline practitioner Emily Wilcox said: “The NSPCC Helpline get calls about a range of child protection concerns, but the ones where the caller is concerned about neglect really are heartbreaking.

Stock image of a child (©Photography by Tom Hull, © NSPCC Photograph(s) posed by models.)

"People tend not to call us with their concerns about neglect unless it’s been going on for some time, because they may feel they do not have a full insight and are worried about what may happen as a result of calling."

She added: “Sometimes people don’t call straight away because they’re not sure if what’s happening constitutes neglect. But we need people to call us as soon as they become concerned, no matter how big or small they believe the concerns to be, as this can be the missing piece to a jigsaw of a bigger picture which can make all the difference to a child.

“At the NSPCC Helpline our main aim is to help children, but we also offer support and advice to anyone who has concerns about the wellbeing of a child – we can let callers know about how we can help and what to look out for."

The NSPCC has a guide for anyone who may be concerned about a child’s welfare, but are unsure about whether what they’ve seen may indicate neglect.

(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Poor hygiene and appearance

Children may:

• Be smelly or dirty
• Have unwashed clothes
• Have inadequate clothing, like not having a winter coat
• Seem hungry or turn up to school without having breakfast or lunch money
• Have frequent and untreated nappy rash in infants
• Health and development problems

Children may have:

• Untreated injuries, medical and dental issues
• Repeated accidental injuries caused by lack of supervision
• Recurring illnesses or infections
• Not given appropriate medicines
• Missed medical appointments such as vaccinations
• Poor muscle tone or prominent joints
• Skin sores, rashes, flea bites, scabies or ringworm
• Thin or swollen tummy
• Anaemia
• Tiredness
• Faltering weight or growth, and not reaching developmental milestones
• Poor language, communication or social skills

Childline has seen an increase in girls having counselling for worries about how they look (child posed by model) (Stock)

Housing or family issues

Children may be:

• Living in an unsuitable home environment – for example without adequate heating, or dog mess being left
• Left alone for a long time
• Taking on the role of carer for other family members

Anyone with concerns about a child can call the NSPCC Helpline free on 0808 800 5000 for support and advice, 365 days a year. For more details about Childhood Day, see the website here .