Call for more training on child neglect

A children's charity says teaching assistants need more training in how to spot the signs of child neglect.

In a survey of primary school teachers and teaching assistants by the charity Action for Children, one in five said they'd had no training or information about what to do if they suspect a child is neglected.

One in four said they felt under more pressure to intervene in suspected child neglect cases than five years ago, mostly because of media coverage of high profile cases. But only 13 per cent reported noticing an increase in the number of cases over the past year.

Action for Children has launched an appeal to raise £17 million to help neglected children. The charity's chief executive Clare Tickell said "Frontline staff are key to identifying early signs of neglect and giving children and families long term, stable support to tackle the causes. Yet many professionals are telling us that they lack sufficient training and information to appropriately deal with suspected neglect. The Government must listen to what is being said and act to support early intervention."