Childline: Neglect can impact a child’s physical and mental health and hinder their development

But the NSPCC also has its own hotline which is there to help adults who might have concerns about a child.

Last year, a quarter of all contacts to the Helpline related to concerns about neglect, and 41% of them were serious enough to be referred to local safeguarding agencies for additional support.

Here in the North East, almost 350 referrals were made by the NSPCC to local agencies following Helpline reports, around 30% of all referrals in the region.

Adults who got in touch spoke about witnessing children not having access to food, safe shelter, clothing, shoes, being left home alone and not having their emotional and physical needs met.

Neglect can impact a child’s physical and mental health, hinder their development, and disrupt their ability to form secure relationships, which is why it's so essential families get the support they need early to prevent this harm.

However, neglect is the only form of child maltreatment which is defined by its persistence, meaning there is expectation that low-level incidents continue for a time and build up to cause the child serious harm.

This makes it difficult for professionals to assess the point at which neglect thresholds are met, meaning it is able to persist and cause further harm and risk to children.

It is profoundly concerning that, in 2025, so many children across the country continue to suffer from neglect.

Potential solutions have recently been debated in the House of Lords, and it is good to know the proposed action is being considered.

We can all play a part in protecting children, whether that is offering support to a neighbour who might need help, or sharing any worries confidentially with our colleagues at the NSPCC Helpline. It can be easy to look away or assume someone else might offer help, but what if they don’t?

Child neglect is a deeply entrenched problem, and the sooner action is taken, the sooner families across the country can get the support they need to ensure children can thrive in childhood.