Number of child neglect reports hits record high

A leading children’s charity referred a record number of reports of child neglect to Scottish authorities last year.

The NSPCC helpline in Scotland made 905 referrals to the police and social services in 2016-17 following calls or e-mails from concerned adults, up on 369 in 2011-12. There were a further 78 contacts e last year where advice was provided about a child possibly facing neglect.

Across the UK, the NSPCC helpline made 16,882 referrals regarding neglect to children’s services or the police in 2016-17, with the issue mentioned in more than a quarter of all calls.

The organisation said the rise showed that more people are willing to speak up about the issue. But the NSPCC also warned the full scale of neglect cases could be much greater, and has called for a study to measure the extent of the problem.