Neglect in older children is often going unnoticed, leaving pupils at risk of slipping through the cracks, a report warns.

The research suggests that agencies can see neglected older children as the problem, rather than looking at what may be causing their behaviour.

The joint report, published by a group of public watchdogs, says that action is needed to ensure that these young people get the support they need. 

It warns: “The signs of neglect of older children may be more difficult to identify than signs of neglect in younger children, and older children may present with different risks.”

The report also says that what older children require from their parents is different to what younger children need.

“Parents may not always be equipped to help their older children deal with increased risks outside the home,” it states.

“Alternatively, because their parents are neglecting them at home, older children may spend more time away from the home, which increases their risk of exposure to child sexual exploitation, criminal exploitation, gang-related activity or violence.

Older children ‘are not the problem’

“These, then, are the problems that professionals first see when they encounter a neglected child, and these may well be the issues they respond to.”

Jointly published by the inspectorates Ofsted, HMI Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and HMI Probation, the report examines “the multi-agency response to older children who are living with neglect”.

It stresses that older children are “not the problem” and need parental care and support. “Professionals are not always doing the work to tackle neglectful parenting,” it says

It calls for agencies to work together to identify and prevent neglect, and appeals for better training for professionals to help them identify signs of neglect in older children.

The report also says that older children’s behaviour should be considered in the context of any trauma they have experienced, since many of the children seen “had experienced multiple forms of abuse.” 

“We know from research that the impact of long-term neglect can result in children experiencing trauma and the repeated experience of trauma can lead to post-traumatic stress,” the report notes.

“Early childhood or chronic trauma will most likely affect a child’s mental and emotional wellbeing and behaviour into adolescence and beyond.”

Yvette Stanley, Ofsted’s national director for social care, said older children need parents to provide love, care and clear boundaries and support on their journey to adulthood.

“Some older children we saw had been neglected by their parents over many years. These children are incredibly vulnerable,” she said.

“They can seem ‘resilient’ and appear to be making ‘lifestyle choices’, when they are, in fact, finding unsafe ways of coping, like getting involved in gangs or misusing drugs and alcohol.

“Behavioural issues must, of course, be dealt with. But unless local agencies consider the role of neglectful parenting, and take action to address it, as well as supporting children in a way that recognises the impact of their traumatic childhood, then their chances of a successful future will continue to be low.”