Younger children living with neglect to be focus of joint targeted area inspections
Inspections to consider local areas' multi-agency responses to younger children living with neglect.
Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP) have today published guidance for a new round of thematic inspections focusing on younger children living with neglect. This is part of their programme of joint targeted area inspections (JTAIs).
Beginning in autumn 2026, inspectors will look at how children’s social care, the police, probation services and relevant health services in a local area work together to:
- respond to children who are at risk of, or are living with, neglect, at the point of identification
- assess, plan and make decisions in response to notifications and referrals about children who are at risk of, or are living with, neglect
- protect, support and care for children who are at risk of, or are living with, neglect
- prevent children from experiencing neglect
Read the guidance: Joint targeted area inspections of the response to younger children living with neglect
Inspectors will also evaluate how local agencies work with education and early years providers, as well as the voluntary and community sector, to identify and respond to children living with neglect. They will assess how effectively children’s family networks are involved and supported, enabling them to safely help protect children at risk of, or already living with, neglect.
This round of inspections will focus on unborn children and children aged 0 to 11 who are living with neglect, reflecting the profound and life-lasting impact that neglect can have in the earliest years of a child’s life.
Yvette Stanley, Ofsted’s National Director, Social Care, said:
Our previous work has shown that neglect can go unseen, with children left to suffer harm that builds gradually and is too often missed. In 2018, we published a report on older children living with neglect, which found that tackling the issue requires a coordinated strategic approach across all agencies.
Given the particular concern from families, professionals and the public about the impact of neglect on our youngest children, it is the right time to turn our attention to this age group in our upcoming JTAI.
His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary, Kathryn Stone OBE, said:
Children who experience neglect are often among the most vulnerable in our communities and protecting them requires agencies to work together effectively and consistently.
This multi-agency inspection programme will allow us to better understand how local partners identify, respond to and support young children experiencing neglect. Together with CQC, HMIP and Ofsted we will assess how effectively the police are safeguarding children who experience neglect.
Chief Inspector of Probation, Martin Jones, said:
Probation services play an important role in assessing and managing risks posed by adults whose behaviour may affect children’s lives, sharing information with partners and contributing to safeguarding arrangements. These inspections will provide valuable insight into how effectively local agencies are working together to recognise and respond to neglect, helping to ensure that younger children receive the protection and support they need at the earliest opportunity.
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