Professionals: Reporting a child in need

What are my responsibilities?

Your concerns should be discussed with your line manager or colleague prior to making a referral if this does not cause delay. You should, if possible, inform the family that you have made a referral to Children’s Social Services. This should only be done when sharing the information will not place a child at increased risk of significant harm.

Where a child is in immediate danger an urgent referral should be made to the Police.  Emergency medical attention can be secured by calling an ambulance.

What should raise my concerns regarding possible abuse?

The threshold criteria for referral into the child protection process is as follows:

• A child with unexplained injuries, suspicious injuries or where there is an explanation which is inconsistent with the injury
• A child who has disclosed abuse
• A child who has suffered, or are suffering specific incidents of neglect or emotional abuse that are impairing or will impair their development e.g.  Failure to seek necessary medical attention, non-organic faltering growth which has been investigated medically and no organic cause found, problems associated with a parent or carers' lifestyle - e.g. chaotic drug use, children or young people involved in one serious or several lesser incidents of domestic violence or where there are serious concerns about the risk of significant harm to an unborn child

The context of the abuse should always be considered when determining entry into the child protection system.

What to do if a child talks to you about abuse or neglect

In these situations you must:

• Listen to the child. DO NOT directly question the child
• Do not stop a child who is freely recalling significant events
• Make an accurate record of the information you have been given taking care to record the timing, setting and people present, the child's presentation as well as what was said
• Explain that you cannot promise that you will keep the information secret or not to speak to others about the information they have shared
• Explain that you will need to get help to keep the child safe
• DO NOT ask the child to repeat their account of events to anyone

Failure to follow these guidelines may result in a situation where the child is unprotected and the perpetrator of the abuse not prosecuted.

What to do if a member of the public raise concerns about a child with you

Members of the public will talk to agencies in different circumstances and may talk about the abuse of children known to them.

They may specifically allege incidents or knowledge of abuse to a child or may refer to it when discussing other issues. The child may be well known to them, or may be the child of neighbours or others less well known. The type and nature of abuse may be quite specific or it may be described only in very general terms.

It is important that all such allegations or references to abuse are taken seriously and relevant details should be referred to Children's Social Services for further enquiries to be made. 

• Initial Assessment and Referral Form (amended)
• Guidance notes for Initial Referral Form
• Kent and Medway Inter-Agency Threshold Criteria for Children in Need (updated April 2012)

In such circumstances, you should be clear with that person that you have a duty to report any alleged abuse, and encourage the person to make a direct referral to Children's Social Services themselves, giving them the contact number the County Duty Service.

It is essential that thorough notes of any such allegation are kept within the child’s, parents or carers record if one is available and if possible, clarify details. These may be required at a later date.

If possible take the name and contact details of the person alleging the abuse as it may be necessary for Children's Social Services to talk to them further.

It is important to note that the identity of the worker referring the concerns will be given to the family.   Members of the public can remain anonymous if they wish.

DCSF Guidance: What to do if you are worried about a child being abused

The DCSF have reissued ‘What To Do If You Are Worried A Child Is Being Abused’ in summary and full versions. These publications replace those previously published in 2003. It aims to provide an up-to-date and concise guide to the child protection system.  The revised version does not announce any changes in safeguarding policy, nor place any new requirements on practitioners.  For ease of reference it also includes the Government practice guidance on information sharing published earlier in 2007. ‘What To Do If You Are Worried A Child Is Being Abused’ is intended to help anyone whose work brings them into contact with children, young people and their families.  It focuses on:

• what they should do if they have concerns about the welfare of children
• what will happen when they inform someone about any concerns, and
• what further contribution they might be asked or expected to make to the investigative process.

The document is available, in full and in summary, from Every Child Matters website and can be ordered for free from teachernet.