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Despite a history of critique, concentrated discussion and improved assessment processes, neglect continues to be a major challenge for child protection services. This paper draws on findings from a government‐commissioned analysis of 'serious case reviews' (SCRs) in England, arising from incidents of serious child abuse in 2017–2019. There were 235 cases, for which 166 final reports were available. Alongside a quantitative analysis of the whole cohort, we undertook an in‐depth qualitative analysis of 12 cases involving neglect. A key challenge in responding to neglect in its different forms is that it can be so widespread amongst families that practitioners no longer notice its severity or chronicity – it becomes normalised. In this paper we explore two dimensions of the 'paradox of neglect' where it seems to be everywhere and nowhere simultaneously. The first is that neglect is so closely bound up with the prevalence of poverty that little action is taken to address it. The second is that the overwhelming nature of neglect can blind practitioners to other forms of maltreatment that may also be present within a family. Practitioners, now more than ever, need to recognise the dimensions of this paradox to protect children from neglect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whatever the circumstances, the separation of infants from their mothers at birth is a traumatic experience for all concerned. The paper reports on a study designed to improve practice in this highly sensitive area. An analysis of data collected through semi‐structured interviews with 38 mothers who had experienced removal at birth identified four common themes: isolation and unacknowledged support needs; shame, stigma and the failure of others to acknowledge their maternal identity; acute trauma, immediate downturn and disenfranchised grief following infant removal; and strategies to mitigate their pain and grief. These last themes included the use of artefacts both as transitional objects to help mothers come to terms with the permanent loss of a baby, and as a means of keeping maternal identity alive and connecting with an infant who might eventually return home. In response to these findings, and in collaboration with a group of women with lived experience, HOPE boxes were designed to ameliorate the trauma and psychological burden borne by women in this situation. The contents of the boxes have been chosen to reflect the changing experiences of the women's journeys but also the range of possible potential outcomes. The intervention has considerable potential to minimise the trauma of this painful experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statement validity assessment (SVA) was created to evaluate children's accounts in alleged sexual abuse cases and it is the most popular instrument currently used to assess the veracity of their verbal declarations. The core of this method lies in the application of criteria‐based content analysis (CBCA) to the content of the provided account in an attempt to determine its veracity. Despite the popularity and importance of this instrument in legal settings in a variety of countries, there is little evidence that the cultural and ethnic background of the alleged child victims is taken into account. The current paper proposes a theoretical overview of the culturally sensitive aspects of cognition, memory, motivation and self‐identity as reflected in each of the two general categories of the CBCA criteria (i.e. cognitive and motivational). Our investigation revealed that several criteria are likely to be sensitive to cultural differences, therefore further direct empirical proof is needed to improve validation of SVA use in culturally diverse child sexual abuse cases. In the interim, we would encourage the use of culturally sensitive practices and policies among practitioners using CBCA. 'There is little evidence that the cultural and ethnic background of the alleged child victims is taken into account' Key Practitioner Messages: The cultural or ethnic background of children influences their accounts; thus, it should be expected that certain CBCA criteria can be affected by these factors.Professionals using this method are recommended to take a more 'culturally sensitive' approach, which involves learning more about cultural differences and monitoring their own expectations and biases.More empirical research is needed in order to validate which CBCA criteria are suitable for use in a variety of cultures and cross culturally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]