BOOK LAUNCH: Working with Children who have Experienced Neglect – Victoria Sharley & Alyson Rees

About the book

Neglect is the most common reason for a child to be on a protection plan in the UK – in 2020, this amounted to over 27,000 children. Neglect is also present in around three-quarters of all case reviews into the death or serious harm of children. Research has found a clear intersection between neglect and other forms of abuse. But responding effectively to neglect and supporting affected children is widely acknowledged to be complex and challenging.

So why is the most prevalent form of child maltreatment so difficult to respond to in practice? What are the common challenges experienced by practitioners in identifying and evidencing neglect? How can we ensure that children and carers receive the support they need? And how can we work together effectively, across organisations, to ensure that neglect is recognised and responded to in a timely way?

Who is this book for?

The guide is designed to be a practical text for busy social workers and other practitioners in a range of services responsible for safeguarding children. With its easy to digest format and authoritative advice, this guide is a vital companion for all those working for and concerned with children’s welfare.

The Authors

Dr Victoria Sharley is a Senior Lecturer in Social Work with Children and Families in the School for Policy Studies at the University of Bristol. She is a registered Social Worker in England with a background in safeguarding and child protection practice. Victoria has worked with children and families in a number of early-help, assessment, and multi-disciplinary teams in both statutory and non-government settings. Her research interests lie primarily in inter-professional working in the context of neglect and safeguarding practice. Her doctoral thesis from Cardiff University examines the role of mainstream schools in identifying and responding to issues of child neglect in Wales, funded by the Welsh Government/Llywodraeth Cymru through Health and Care Research Wales/Ymchwil lechyd a Gofal Cymru. Findings from the research draw attention to the challenges encountered by practitioners when identifying indicators of neglect and responding to neglect effectively across organisational boundaries. Victoria is currently the Programme Director for the MSc Social Work programme at the University of Bristol.

Professor Alyson Rees is an assistant director of CASCADE research centre, and is responsible for ExChange, the research dissemination network. Alyson is a qualified and registered Social Worker, teaching on the MA in Social Work and is responsible for student placements. She was a practitioner for 16 years, prior to moving into academia. Her major areas of research are in children looked after, foster care, children with a parent in prison and criminal justice.