SFE Safeguarding Education Adviser, Lucie Welch, explores the difference between poverty vs neglect, helping schools recognise key signs, understand professional curiosity, and identify the right support for children and families.

Understanding the difference between poverty vs neglect can be challenging for schools, particularly when some indicators can appear similar on the surface. Identifying concerns early and responding appropriately is essential to ensuring children receive the right support.

Based on our downloadable school resource, this blog explores poverty vs neglect, including key signs for teachers to look out for, practical guidance for schools and important considerations when responding to concerns.

For a practical resource to support staff discussions and wider safeguarding awareness across your setting, download and share the full guide below.

This resource was originally created for the SFE Safeguarding Subscription.

What Is Poverty and What is the Impact of Poverty on Education?

Poverty is when a family lack the finances or resources to provide an adequate diet or appropriate living conditions.

People tend to equate poverty with having limited or no money, but it is defined by being unable to provide a decent standard of living for oneself or one’s family.

Around 29% of families across the UK live in poverty, demonstrating the scale of financial pressures many children and families may experience. These pressures can influence many aspects of a child’s life, including their wellbeing, experiences and education.

The impact of poverty on education can include lower attendance, reduced concentration, poorer wellbeing and fewer opportunities to participate fully in school life. These challenges can affect confidence, learning and long-term outcomes for children and young people.

What Is Child Neglect and What Are the Signs Schools Should Look For?

Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic needs and is the most common form of child abuse.

Neglect can be wilful and intentional, but it can also be a result of other circumstances which render a parent unable to provide what their child needs, for example, parental drug or alcohol misuse or mental health issues.

Research suggests that 1 in 10 children in the UK have experienced neglect during their lifetime, reinforcing why early identification and intervention are so important within schools and safeguarding practice.

Recognising the signs of child neglect can be challenging, particularly when some indicators overlap with poverty.

For schools, identifying concerns early and understanding the context surrounding a child or family can help guide appropriate support and intervention.

Poverty vs Neglect: The Relationship Between the Two

It is important to remember that poverty is a risk factor for neglect, but it doesn’t necessarily equate to it. The occurrence of poverty on its own does not mean that a child is unsafe or at risk, unloved, or that a parent lacks the capacity to care for their child.

Poverty can make it more challenging for parents to meet their child’s needs, but despite this, they actively want to change their situation or provide for their children, but they do not have the means.

But recent research has proved that increased financial and other pressures on family life will lead to the risk that more children will be subject to harm, abuse and neglect.

While poverty can increase pressures on families, it should not automatically be viewed as neglect. Understanding poverty vs neglect requires schools to look beyond circumstances alone and consider the wider picture surrounding a child’s experiences and wellbeing. This is where professional curiosity in safeguarding comes in.

Signs of Poverty and Neglect in Schools

Signs of Poverty and Neglect:

• Poor hygiene and cleanliness*
• Inappropriate uniform, shoes or clothing*
• Lack of food provided or money for food*
• Malnutrition*
• Missing school equipment or other required items*
• Poor or inappropriate living conditions*
• Negative impact on mental health and self-worth*
• Tiredness or inability to concentrate at school*
• Stealing or taking things to use, eat or sell*
• Children being left home alone*

Signs of Poverty:

• Parents requesting support from the school
• Children working jobs outside school
• Children are concerned about their parents and the situation

Signs of Neglect:

• No or limited access to health care
• Repeated absence from school
• Lack of parental involvement

*Many of the signs are the same for both neglect and poverty, and professional curiosity must be used to find out more about a situation, so action can be taken.

What Does Professional Curiosity Mean in Safeguarding?

Professional curiosity in safeguarding means looking beyond the immediate presentation of a situation and asking questions to understand the wider context.

Rather than making assumptions, schools should seek to understand what may be happening in a child’s life and what factors may be contributing to concerns.

For example, poor hygiene, tiredness, inadequate clothing or missing school equipment could be linked to financial hardship, but they could also indicate wider safeguarding concerns.

Professional curiosity helps practitioners identify patterns, gather information and determine the most appropriate support or intervention.

In terms of safeguarding, professional curiosity means maintaining an open mind and asking: “What else could be happening here?”

How Should Schools Respond to Poverty and Neglect Concerns?

Against Poverty:

• Support: Provide ‘extended’ services where possible – homework support, uniforms, free school meals, or wrap-around care.
• Signpost: Some organisations can provide support for families who are struggling with the cost of living. Have resources available to share with parents.
• Teach: Ensure children are taught about money and how to manage it as part of the curriculum.

Understanding how to identify neglect in school often relies on recognising patterns over time, listening carefully to children and maintaining effective communication with families and external agencies.

Against Neglect:

• Refer: If you suspect a child is experiencing neglect, you must refer to your local authority threshold guidance and speak to children’s social care.
• Train: All staff must be trained to look out for the signs of neglect and know what to do if they identify children at risk.
• Teach: Children should be taught to identify the signs themselves and to speak up if they are not being treated correctly.

If you are exploring wider safeguarding risks affecting children and young people where professional curiosity is essential, you may also find our blog on adolescent neglect useful, alongside our guidance on the impact of parental substance misuse and alcohol on children.

If you would like support with identifying the signs of child neglect, responding to safeguarding concerns, or strengthening staff understanding through training, please contact our safeguarding team at safeguarding@servicesforeducation.co.uk.

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 About the Author

Lucie Welch – Adviser, Services For Education

Lucie Welch has worked in the field of Primary Education for the last 15 years, holding the positions of Assistant Head of School, Designated Safeguarding Lead, Attendance Lead and Designated Teacher for Looked After Children. Through working across several local authorities and within multi-academy trusts, Lucie has garnered a passion for safeguarding and supporting children and young people to enable them to thrive.

At Services For Education, Lucie is an integral part of the Safeguarding team, sharing her expertise with schools, colleges, trusts, and other educational settings across the city of Birmingham and beyond. Dedicated to improving safeguarding practices in an actionable and impactful way, Lucie works closely with settings to provide bespoke training, supports with reflection on their own practices during Safeguarding audits and always strives to contribute to a better learning environment for all children. Through delivery of statutory training for DSLs and Safer Recruitment, Lucie works with colleagues in all age ranges and is a source of expertise within these areas.

Lucie also wears other important hats within the School Support Team. Not only is she dedicated to ensuring the safety and well-being of students through her role in safeguarding, but she also plays a key part in the PSHE/RSE and Health for Life teams. Additionally, Lucie partners with the Best Practice Network to deliver the Early Career Framework, supporting new teachers in their professional development.