Affluent neglect – advice for schools and DSLs by Alex Dave, Safeguarding Education Officer, LGfL-The National Grid for Learning

 

The UK Department for Education (DfE) defines neglect as: ‘the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development’. For the majority of readers, the aforementioned definition will conjure an image of an unkempt child living in poverty, and this societal bias linking neglect to disadvantage can create challenges for identifying it in other contexts. Here, Alex Dave, Safeguarding Education Officer, LGfL–The National Grid for Learning, explores the lesser discussed notion of affluent neglect, and offers advice to schools and DSLs.

Neglect is abuse through omission – a failure to provide. Although children from affluent backgrounds may likely have excellent housing, a nutritious diet, exceptional education and access to opportunities, they may also live in a home environment lacking emotionally-nurturing parenting behaviours.

Research by Professor Claudia Bernard (Goldsmiths, University of London)¹ outlined the following as the most prevalent causes of affluent neglect:

• Emotional disconnect – parent’s work commitments may mean the child is looked after by paid carers and their emotional needs are unfulfilled by their parents.
• Pressure to succeed – high expectations for the child to achieve, resulting in high levels of anxiety and stress.
• Parental alcohol and substance abuse – perhaps having relaxed attitudes to children consuming alcohol or substances and the child having the means to buy drugs and alcohol.
• Domestic abuse – abusive relationships in the home cause emotional harm to the child.

The study also highlighted that once neglect is identified, wealthier parents often become adversarial, and ‘parents used their status and social capital to resist child protection intervention, and many also displayed a sense of entitlement to do as they pleased and that they know best’.

What can schools do?

• Place the child in the centre – make the child the focus to pre-empt parents’ reaction towards intervention. Both the parents and the school want what’s best for the child, and both are legally responsible.
• Ensure the school’s safeguarding role is made clear – when the child joins, the school’s responsibilities should be clearly communicated, along with the expectations for parents to be in partnership with the school.
• Staff training – provide opportunities for staff to explore broad examples of neglect and dispel the stereotypes.
• Communication is crucial – regular interaction means support can be given at the earliest stages of concern. Colleagues should ensure concerns conveyed to parents, are explicit and specific to avoid assumptions being made.
• Support the child to recover – acknowledge the impact of any neglect, schools can offer a variety of different support, helping children to feel safe, loved and accepted at school, and to eventually recover.

Creating a relationship that builds trust, means parents will feel more confident to share concerns or difficulties they are experiencing, which may be affecting their child.

The majority of parents undoubtably love their children and want what’s best for them. Neglect occurs across the socio-economic divide, and is usually unintentional – existing as a consequence of a myriad of different factors in a parent or family’s life. The best approach is curiosity, empathy and support, ensuring the child’s welfare is central to all decisions taken.

For more information, support and training about neglect, please visit https://neglect.lgfl.net