Welcome to Learn on the go, a Community Care Inform podcast where we discuss what the latest research, practice models and policy guidance mean to your practice.

This episode is about neglect, poverty and affluence. It covers what neglect is, how it might manifest differently depending on the socioeconomic status of a family, and how social work practice can avoid penalising families in poverty for factors beyond their control. Discussing these questions are Claudia Bernard, professor of social work At Goldsmiths, University of London, and Brigid Featherstone, professor of social work at Huddersfield University. The questions were asked by Ruth Hardy, content editor at Community Care Inform.

2:04 – What is neglect?

3:20 – Are there any links between neglect and the socioeconomic status of a family?

6:58 - What assumptions or unconscious biases might social workers have when working with either families who are in poverty or families who are affluent?

15:25 - How can social workers avoid penalising families living in poverty for factors beyond their control?

20:32 - When social workers are working with affluent families, how can social workers manage that relationship and balance of power?

Community Care Inform subscribers can access additional resources and a written transcript of the podcast: https://www.ccinform.co.uk/learning-tools/neglect-poverty-and-affluence-podcast/

And if you want to hear more, in 2018 we published an episode of the podcast on poverty, child protection and the care system, with Professor Paul Bywaters and Professor Andy Bilson https://www.spreaker.com/user/communitycare/poverty-child-protection-and-the-care-sy

References
Bernard, C (2017)
An exploration of how social workers engage neglectful parents from affluent backgrounds in the child protection system
Goldsmiths, University of London

Bywaters, P; Bunting, L; Davidson, G; Hanratty, J; Mason, W; McCartan, C and Steils, N (2016)
The relationship between poverty, child abuse and neglect: an evidence review
York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation

Department of Health (2000)
Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families
London: The Stationery Office

Featherstone, B et al (2019)
‘Poverty, inequality, child abuse and neglect: Changing the conversation across the UK in child protection?
Children and Youth Services Review, Volume 97, pp127-133

HM Government (2018)
Working Together to Safeguard Children