A council is to hold a summit on tackling child neglect, after being warned children's lives are being put at risk due to poor parenting.
A report to be presented to Glasgow City Council today [Thurs] warns that neglect played a part in most of the cases of children being harmed in the city and often overlaps with other forms of abuse, or family problems such as poverty or addiction.
But the council is being urged to tackle neglect in its own right. The report from Glasgow's Child Protection Committee (CPC) says its effects can be lifelong and potentially deadly.
It says: "In its extreme form, children can be at risk from the effects of malnutrition, lack of nurturing and stimulation... With young people in particular the consequences may be life-threatening within a very short time."
The report, which will goes to the council's Children and Young People committee today says the issue is the most common reason for children being placed on the child protection register, and "has been a factor in the majority of significant Case Reviews held within Glasgow and throughout Scotland" - these are the inquests held after a child known to social services is killed or injured, or harms another person seriously.
The CPC also says it is committed to improving the identification and response to neglect across the city. While the report praises work with "just coping" families, which tries to help those who are struggling before problems get too great, the CPC is involved in plans for a neglect summit to be held in March which will bring together staff from education, social work health housing, with representatives of the children's hearing system and charities to coordinate efforts to protect children.
Experts say the problem is child neglect is often caused by issues affecting adults including as poverty, substance abuse or domestic violence.
The summit will also look at neglect affecting vulnerable adults.
Professor Brigid Daniel, of Stirling University's Centre for Child Wellbeing and Protection said: "Neglect is often the main issue social workers are working with, and it is the backdrop to many of the cases on the child protection register. People are really struggling with the extent of it."
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