Platform: Sustained help for vulnerable children is vital

FOR Susie from Stirling, it was being taken as a two-year-old to late-night parties and being left in strange houses. And for Jane from Glasgow, it was a filthy house, a diet of frozen pizzas and parents who looked after their drug habit more than their children.

These are just two examples of how neglect significantly affects the lives of children. Other classic signs are children who are dirty, smelly, lonely and going hungry. Today, Action for Children reveals that children as young as eight in Scotland see these signs much more regularly than many of us would ever have imagined.

More than 3,000 children aged between eight and 12 from all over the UK responded to our survey and more than half said they have seen signs that could indicate neglect in children they know. Sadly, this does not appear to be a rarity. On average, children told us they have seen these signs in at least three children they know this year alone.

This adds to the evidence of a growing problem of child neglect.

Studies suggest that up to 10 per cent of children in the UK experience neglect and, last month, the Scottish Government released figures showing that 260 children a week in Scotland are being referred for help on child protection grounds.

It means there are thousands of children in the UK who are not getting the love and basic care they deserve. Many are bullied, have few friends and leave school with no qualifications. It is no surprise that they struggle to make their way in the world.

It does not have to be like this. Intensive work with families can rescue children from such a fate if the right support is provided at the right time.

We are urging local and national politicians to ensure they continue to give priority to family intervention services for the sake of neglected children everywhere.

We are also urging the public to look out for signs of child neglect. We all have a part to play in protecting the most vulnerable children.

lLouise Warde Hunter is Action for Children's strategic director of children's services for Scotland and Northern Ireland.