Recipient organisationNIHR Applied Research Collaboration North West Coast
NIHR supportRecorded as supported by this research centre
PeriodMar 2025 — Ongoing
In plain English
AI plain-English summary
Every working day in England, social workers and family judges must decide whether a child’s home life is so neglectful that the state should remove them—yet no one has systematically compared what happens to those children against equally poor children who stay put. This matters because the number of children entering care has doubled in two decades, and ‘neglect’—a catch-all term for failing to meet a child’s basic physical and psychological needs—is the main reason. But neglect often stems from poverty, domestic violence, or parental mental illness, not malice. Professionals lack a clear, evidence-based definition of when a struggling family crosses the line into state intervention, and they have no data on whether removal actually improves children’s health and education outcomes compared with leaving them in place with support. The research will combine interviews with social workers, health visitors, and judges, plus analysis of national datasets from England and Wales, to answer four questions: what professionals think drives neglect cases, whether their understanding matches care outcomes, and how children in care for neglect fare versus similarly disadvantaged children who remain at home. Care-experienced young people and parents will help shape the policy recommendations. If successful, the findings could give local authorities and family courts a sharper, more consistent framework for deciding when to remove a child—and when to invest in keeping families together instead. That would reduce strain on the care system and, potentially, improve lifelong outcomes for thousands of children each year.
View original technical description
The number of children entering care in England has doubled over the past two decades, putting strain on the care system and increasing the risk of poor lifelong outcomes. A key reason for care entry is ‘neglect’, defined as the failure to meet a child’s basic physical and psychological needs. This often arises from challenges like poverty, domestic violence, or mental health issues that affect parenting. Understanding how neglect is interpreted and addressed in practice is crucial for reducing care entry—a current government priority. This research aims to explore the meaning, causes, and consequences of neglect to inform better prevention strategies and support services. It seeks to answer four core questions: (1) What factors do professionals believe explain the rise in neglect-related care cases? (2) Does their understanding of neglect correlate with care outcomes? (3) How do health and education outcomes differ for children in care due to neglect compared to similarly disadvantaged children not taken into care? (4) What are the implications for policy and practice at both local and national levels? The study will combine interviews with professionals to understand how neglect is defined and addressed, with analysis of datasets from England, Wales, and Liverpool to examine outcomes for children in care versus those not in care but facing similar adversities. Insights from professionals will guide data analysis, and policy recommendations will be developed in collaboration with care-experienced young people and parents. These individuals will form advisory groups to provide feedback and share their experiences, ensuring the research remains grounded in real-world perspectives. Findings will be shared widely through academic publications, policy briefings, professional guidance, and a dedicated platform highlighting personal stories. This approach aims to influence future policy and practice to better prevent care entry and improve the lives of affected children.
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