EdLaw
How to respond to and report a child protection concern
Part 3 of the guidance: what any practitioner should do when they have a child protection concern.
How to respond to and report a child protection concern
3.1 Everyone who works with children or young people has an important role in keeping them safe. Any individual could identify a concern that a child or young person may be at risk from abuse, neglect, exploitation or violence. The concern may arise from a disclosure by a child or young person or from other available information.
- support them to tell their story and listen to what they say
- avoid asking probing or speculative questions or interpreting what they say - just write down what is said as far as possible in the language that they use
- tell them that you can’t keep the information they have shared secret, but the only people you will inform are people that will help them
3.3 Concerns about risk to a child or young person should be reported without delay to social work or, in situations where risk is immediate, to Police Scotland.
3.4 It is important to record the information that prompted the concern accurately along with any additional relevant information that has been gathered.
3.5 Identifying a concern about a child can be distressing and individuals may worry about following the correct procedures. Every organisation and agency should have a designated child protection lead who can be consulted and should have procedures for reporting concerns. In addition, obtaining and recording key information such as shown in the prompts below can assist with the initial risk assessment, safeguarding and reporting of a concern.
Key contacts
Name, role, contact details of the person reporting the concern.
Name, date of birth and home address of the child if possible.
Name, address, phone number of parents/carers or guardians.
Name of child’s school, nursery, early learning centre or childcare.
Immediate considerations around the child Where is the child now and are they safe? If not, in your view, is there action that might be taken to make them safe?
How is the child physically? Do they have any known injuries or immediate health needs and do they require medical treatment?
How is the child emotionally? What do they need immediately for their reassurance/understanding?
Are there any aspects of the child’s culture, language or understanding that might require additional consideration or support?
Is it known if the child is on the child protection register?
Record of concerns What is the nature of the child protection concerns?
How did the concerns first come to light: for example because of an injury, through what this or another child has said, because of how a child appears or due to e.g. parental behaviour?
What happened?
Is a person/are people believed to be responsible for harm to a child? If so, is/are their name, address, occupation and relationship to the child known?
Are you aware if this person/those people has/have access to other children? If so, do you know the name, age and address of such children?
If the concern was raised by this child, who has spoken to them and when?
What has the child been asked and what have they said?
If the child or young person spoke with someone else, is that person available to be spoken with?
If concerns were not reported when they first arose, was there a reason for this and what has prompted reporting now?