A Freedom Of Information request produced by a child rights activist has called out children’s charity the NSPCC for what it suggests is a reckless and less than upfront campaign designed to influence child protection policy.
Michele Simmons was reading an article which claimed that there was a sharp rise in child neglect cases, when she decided to search online for more information. What she discovered were over twenty strikingly similar articles all referencing statistics from the NSPCC, individually tailored for the readers of each regional publication.
A piece published in The Nottingham Post for example, cites NSPCC statistics for the area, claiming that the charity refers more than two cases of child neglect in Nottingham a week. In another look-alike story, The Oxford Times references NSPCC data which claims that three reports of child neglect a week are passed on to the police in the Oxford area.
All but one piece mentioned in the Freedom Of Information Request was published on 23rd August. However, further research confirmed that these copy cat stories were spread out across the whole of August, just before children are to head back to school, with at least 40 more entries spanning almost as many locations within Great Britain.
The Freedom Of Information Request asks for details about the origins of these articles, who requested them and how many areas were targeted.
Michele says she chose to make the request because she was concerned about campaigns like these demonising parents rather than promoting a policy of support and help:
“I understand why the NSPCC would want to raise awareness and it’s apparent they have been collecting data. Even though it has been displayed according to council and borough area, perhaps it would have been better to have published all the data in one article for all to read, showing the name of the council and the alleged percentage of neglect in each area.
It would also have been interesting to see a follow up story explaining the possible causes for the different levels of neglect in each area, for example poverty, which could be the root cause.”
The discovery has caused an uproar amongst some Family Court reform activists and parents who have lost children to the care system.
Concerned with what they feel is a short sighted campaign which will engender fear around neglect rather than encourage support for struggling families, campaigners and parents are now questioning the NSPCC’s data on child abuse, particularly its implicit claim that the calls they receive are all legitimate child neglect cases before the allegations are even processed or addressed by social services.
The name of the NSPCC’s report, “How Safe Are Our Children?” which holds the data mentioned in the articles, could also be being perceived as inflammatory, as could the less than balanced headlines for several of the news items involved (see the bottom of our post for a selection of headlines).
A question mark also remains over why referrals have risen over the last few years and so campaigners are seeing the NSPCC’s silence on this glaring information gap as an act of deliberate manipulation. We know that an increase in referrals does not automatically mean that child neglect is itself on the rise. A higher volume of reporting could simply be a symptom of more people raising concerns, which may or may not be justified.
The ‘check list’ for child neglect is also raising eyebrows for what’s being viewed as a simplistic take on a complex phenomenon. The NSPCC suggests the following are signs of neglect:
- The child may be aggressive and hostile, prone to angry outbursts or lashing out towards others
- They may be more impulsive than others with poor concentration
- Some children may be particularly quiet or withdrawn
- Poor appearance and hygiene
- Left alone for a long time
- Poor language, communication or social skills
- Seem hungry or turn up to school without having breakfast or any lunch money
The NSPCC’s call for a nationwide study into the extent of child neglect in the UK and its concerns that it is far more prevalent than current data suggests, is also considered a dangerous policy line by some campaigners. Without evidence to back up claims like this one, child protection reformers believe that campaigns which seek to encourage reporting off the back of a checklist like the one above could lead to a surge in wrongful removals, often at the hands of well meaning members of the public who may not be best placed to judge.
But a nationwide study could offer much needed clarity on exactly what child neglect is, how it develops over time and what causes neglect in the first instance. Whilst there have been reports published in this area, like this one from the NSPCC and the government’s own training resources on how to address neglect, more could be done.
We would like to see a new investigation explore the following:
- What percentage of child neglect referrals are found to be without merit
- Of those referrals that are legitimate, what percent of those children end up in care, and how many are returned to their families?
- When a referral is made and an investigation concludes there are child protection concerns, what percentage of councils look to solutions which support families rather than remove children in the first instance?
- If councils don’t look at holistic solutions and ways to keep families together, why are they are not doing so?
More than anything, we would hope that a study would be built on a compassionate and pro-active agenda, creating powerful conversations that lead to the eradication of the root causes of neglect. Studies like this one published last month, called “Poverty, inequality, child abuse and neglect: Changing the conversation across the UK in child protection?” provide an important template for other investigations moving forward.
Many thanks to Michele Simmons for sharing her Freedom Of Information request with us and to Yvonne Taylor for sharing the University Of Edinburgh’s research on how media campaigns influence child welfare policy.
Ian Josephs said:
One of the very worst risks a child can take is to be cared for by the State !
Surveys have shown that nearl half the prisoners in jail were in care at one time or other and also that nearly half of our street prostitutes were brought up in care.
The gang in Rochdale mostly chose Young girls in care for gang rape and abuse because they knew that their cries for help would be ignored.
Complaints by kids in care of abuse by their carers or their social workers are still ignored and if their parents support them contact is stopped.
The NSPCC should look at this problem and then do something about it if they are really serious about stopping child abuse instead of encouraging it !.
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Dr. Manhattan said:
Ian i fully agree with what you say.
the NSPCC have no interest in parents crying out about their children being abused and used in cover ups by Local authorities in pursuit of Adoption orders where children are cut off from contact with their parents.
the NSPCC are like a toothless pitbull.
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marilyn hawes said:
NSPCC receives HUGE amounts of funding every year and after 40 years in the business it is all well and good producing reports and data but WHAT are they doing to PREVENT child abuse. For one, they will not link with smaller charities who can add positively to their training . The salaries received by their top management is ridiculous. We have many people come to us at Enough Abuse UK very dissatisfied with NSPCC. Perhaps they have become TOO big and corporate and maybe too close to Government to make a positive change. It takes more then a few minutes air time on media and convoluted reports to change minds.. The situation with child abuse in UK is dire and rife and is getting worse and so I ask again WHAT are they doing about REAL prevention because being too PC isn’t working. Any charity affording TV adverts around Christmas is hardly struggling for funding so their results on rescuing children BEFORE ANY harm should be impressive and they are anything but !
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maureenjenner said:
Reblogged this on Musings of a Penpusher and commented:
Appearances can be deceptive; disclosures reveal some tarnishing of the NSPCC’s golden image.
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Dr. Manhattan said:
“Michele says she chose to make the request because she was concerned about campaigns like these demonising parents rather than promoting a policy of support and help:”
.
This is exactly what Social workers do to parents when they are on the Adoption drive. demonising parents is their primary tool in making shure children will not be returned to their homes.
Sounds very Sinister and thats because it is.
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Andy Bilson said:
Thanks for this blog which is really helpful.
The NSPCC are also carrying out campaigns to promote referrals see #neglectmatters on twitter. It says:
“Sam’s dad never has any time for him – contact the NSPCC helpline”
“Liam has had no breakfast and is late to school again – contact the NSPCC helpline”
And this is in an area where my own freedom of information request shows that 26% of all children born in the year ending 31st March 2012 had been referred to children’s services before their fifth brithday – so since this campaign took place after these stats what proportion do NSPCC want to see referred??
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Dr. Manhattan said:
“If councils don’t look at holistic solutions and ways to keep families together, why are they are not doing so?”.
.
what i would say is why ask these questions when we already know the answers, Money.
Councils will never admit thats why they do it so why bother.
We need to go straight to a Nationwide investigation with the intentions of prosecuting all this involved in this corruption of feeding Adoption & Fostering. Judges should also be prosecuted.
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Natasha said:
The answer is simple. We bother in order to raise awareness and build momentum x
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Dr. Manhattan said:
i do understand what you say Natasha but it doesnt seem to get anywhere.
MP John Hemming has been raising awareness on this issue for 8 yrs yet here we are still no further forward.
only a full investigation like Grenfell will elevate this into the mainstream and on the BBC News.
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Natasha said:
I know what you mean, but think about it, ten years ago noone was talking about child welfare. Today, it makes the front page of The Times. We are getting there, it just takes time xxx
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Dr. Manhattan said:
Yes that most valuable commodity Time.
its running out for many people who have been pushed to the brink.
make no mistake parents do appreciate what you are doing its just frustrating how slow the progress is.
Another point that needs to be challenged is when a child has been wrongly taken and then Adopted using false case files etc. that Adoption must be reversed.no ifs or buts
its like when the police discover someone driving a Ringer/stolen car but they purchased it legit. the police will still take the car and eventually return it to the owner. its the same with children.
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Natasha said:
Thank you, and yes, I find the time this all takes frustrating too, especially as it’s all so obvious, but it’s all about money as you know.
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tummum said:
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tummum said:
Reblogged this on tummum's Blog.
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Pingback: Freedom Of Information Request Calls Out NSPCC’s ‘Reckless’ Child Neglect Campaign | tummum's Blog
tummum said:
http://www.chelmsfordweeklynews.co.uk/news/15503550.Concerns_over_big_rise_in_child_neglect_figures/?ref=rss
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daveyone1 said:
Reblogged this on World4Justice : NOW! Lobby Forum..
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tummum said:
http://www.stratford-herald.com/75174-child-neglect-reports-hit-record-high-warwickshire.html
http://www.northsomersettimes.co.uk/news/nspcc-concerned-by-child-neglect-in-north-somerset-1-5176321
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tummum said:
https://www.expressandstar.com/news/crime/2017/09/01/more-walsall-children-in-care-after-domestic-violence-spike/
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tummum said:
http://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/nspcc-helps-record-numbers-children-411976
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Kelly said:
Well what I can say social care make me sick my girl 15 what I have had 2 done to me and my family and they don’t care what they do 2 family they left my girl all weekend when they new about some dirty older male and left me in the house 4 three years I have had 2 give up my girl because of her risk taken but hey oh they left us in the house when she was at risk from a male down rd 4 three years and now I am soon to be homeless no fault of my own best not go on because I be here 4 long time with what they but me through never help me give me so machine stress I had heart attack and died but long with all the risk my girl done not once have they done anything seen age of 9 just been left damage as all been done age 15 haveing 2 give up my girl because they didn’t do fuck all to move us makes me sick disgusting all the males that done stuff 2 her and do social care help you do they shit lies and now because they lie left me going to be homeless sick all want sacking
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Natasha said:
I’m so sorry Kelly x
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Dr. Manhattan said:
We hear these type of stories all the time but years pass by and they are still getting away with destroying the lives of parents and children.
the Govt are to blame for allowing this scandal of collusion between Judges and social workers to go on unchallenged.
MP John Hemming has been banging his head against a brick wall for almost 10 yrs on this issue.
Parliament have failed the British public Miserably yet i do believe they dont even care.
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Pingback: NSPCC Responds To Concerns About Child Neglect Campaign | Researching Reform
Linda Turner said:
Reblogged this on Parental Alienation.
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wenevergiveup2015 said:
Well there earning a lot of money. Local authorities pays them to right bad reports of parents also. Social workers are going on there website to do courses (underlined in red) on CSA ,CSE,abuse,neglect etc. we submitted 15 FOI requests asking for the true numbers of children missing and how many were from local authorities. How much was donated by local authorities. How many social workers work with the NCPCC, and how many of these people been charged with abuse linked with the NCPCC.
we had responses saying if we know of a child in danger to ring,and there system was down. We’ve emailed this to a politican who has seen the evidence on what’s being asked. All charities are involved, but the NCPCC has failed thousands of young innocent children. When abuse is reported to local authorities they take 48 hours to report a child missing.
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wenevergiveup2015 said:
Also it states in nearly every local authorities a child has been killied none accidental, but covered in bruises a 4year old . A child doesn’t just die.
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