A new action plan has been developed for tackling child neglect in Jersey.

The Multi-Agency Child Neglect Strategy is a first for the island, aimed at addressing what is the most common form of abuse.

It is a factor in 60% of Serious Case Reviews.

All front-line staff will get a practical toolkit to help them quickly identify neglectful parenting.

Sarah Elliot  - chair of the Safeguarding Partnership Board  - says it supplements the specialist training given to police, social workers, teachers and other professionals:

"Our new strategy which includes something called the Graded Care Profile Toolkit really gives a higher level of information to do those skilled assessments to spot those signs and make sure we put a tailored response into those families."

She says there have been 'pockets of excellent practice in Jersey' - but previous inspections have highlighted the need for more to be done to make sure children are seen, listened to and helped at an early enough stage to prevent them being neglected.

A campaign is being launched to highlight how the community also has a responsibility to spot signs of neglect and report concerns.

"It might a child that always appear hungry, perhaps looks sad all the time, or is not dressed appropriately for the weather - or maybe a child who is being left at home alone, or maybe playing out in the road unsupervised, perhaps in a dangerous area." - Sarah Elliot, SPB Chair.

The Children's Commissioner Deborah McMillan has welcomed the launch of the strategy, especially when the pandemic has worsened the situation for many vulnerable families.

“It is really important to have in place this kind of framework to help professionals get the best results in their efforts to support families who are struggling."

The Children and Families Hub responds to any safeguarding concerns you may have for a child or young person, and can be contacted on 519000 or email childrenandfamilieshub@gov.je