New programme of Inspections to focus on younger neglected children

A new programme of Joint Targeted Area Inspections (JTAIs) will focus on how local areas identify and respond to younger children who are experiencing, or at risk of, neglect. The new inspection theme, announced by Ofsted alongside the Care Quality Commission, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services and HM Inspectorate of Probation, will begin in autumn 2026. Joint Targeted Area Inspections examine how effectively local agencies work together to protect children and support families. The new programme will look particularly at the multi-agency response to neglect and the experiences of younger children.

_{A multi-agency responsibility}

Neglect remains one of the most complex areas of safeguarding practice. It can develop over time, may involve a combination of different factors within a family and can be difficult to identify when individual concerns appear relatively small in isolation. The inspections will consider how effectively agencies identify and respond to neglect, including the contribution of children’s social care, health, police and probation. This places an important emphasis on the ability of the wider children and families workforce to recognise emerging concerns, understand the cumulative impact of neglect and share information effectively across professional and organisational boundaries.For younger children in particular, practitioners also need to understand the significance of early development and the impact that persistent neglect can have on a child’s health, development, relationships and wellbeing.

_{Connecting early help and safeguarding}

The new inspection focus is particularly timely as local areas continue to implement the Families First reforms and develop integrated Family Help arrangements. Effective responses to neglect depend on identifying concerns early, understanding the child’s lived experience and considering what is happening across the whole family. This requires practitioners to bring together information from different agencies, explore patterns and changes over time and use professional curiosity to understand what life is actually like for the child. Whole-family assessment is equally important. Parental mental health, domestic abuse, substance use, poverty, housing difficulties and other pressures may all affect family life, while understanding these circumstances must sit alongside a clear focus on their impact on the child.

_{Implications for workforce development}

The new JTAI theme provides local partnerships with an opportunity to consider whether practitioners across agencies have the shared knowledge, skills and confidence needed to recognise and respond to neglect. This includes the ability to:

• recognise indicators and patterns of neglect
• understand cumulative harm and the child’s lived experience
• undertake effective whole-family assessment and analysis
• exercise professional curiosity
• share and analyse information across agencies
• develop purposeful plans that address both children’s needs and the factors affecting family life
• recognise when concerns are escalating and additional safeguarding intervention is required.

As Family Help arrangements develop, ensuring that the wider multi-agency workforce can recognise need, analyse risk and respond confidently to neglect will remain fundamental to providing children and families with the right help at the right time.