Neglect Toolkit

The impact of Neglect is often cumulative and progresses covertly and gradually. There is therefore a risk that agencies do not intervene early enough to prevent harm. It is essential that all agencies; Health, Education, Police, Early Years professionals, Housing, Voluntary and Community-Based services identify emerging problems and possible unmet needs in collaboration and seek to address them before they become more severe. It is equally important that practitioners remain vigilant to the negative impact of drift and delays and ‘start again’ syndrome.
The Aberdeenshire Practitioners Neglect Toolkit was commissioned by Aberdeenshire Child Protection Committee and has been developed in Partnership by Services in Aberdeenshire. The Toolkit is underpinned by the National Neglect Framework Child Neglect in Scotland: Understanding Causes and Supporting Families, Oct. 2021 and builds on single service practice guidance and service expectations with the ambition that it will increase knowledge and support our workforce in recognising, recording and sharing information about neglect in order that we provide a caring, appropriate and timely response to children, young people and their families who have been, or are at risk of persistent neglect. Further details introducing the Neglect Toolkit can be found in ‘Welcome to the Aberdeenshire Practitioner Neglect Toolkit’ via page 3; see below.
Please refer to the Neglect Toolkit directory of guides and information below to help you navigate information for your learning and development and to support you with your team learning, development and supervision. We encourage this Neglect Toolkit information for all children and families staff including adult services staff supporting parents and carers. We encourage staff signposting to this information as part of staff induction.