4. What to do if you have concerns about a child

• Everyone working within early years and childcare should know how to recognise and respond to the possible abuse or neglect of a child. This section details the procedures that must be followed when you have concerns about a child.
• Early years and childcare staff, perhaps in the role of the key person, will make observations of children, know them well and notice when things change. They should feel confident to share any concerns, however small, with the Safeguarding Lead Practitioner (SLP).
• Staff observations are important and, along with the observations of others, may help to build a clear picture of the child's needs. In many cases it is only when information from a range of sources is put together that a child can be seen to be in need or at risk of harm.
• If you have concerns that abuse is occurring, even if you are unsure, it is better to report your concerns than to do nothing.

It is important to:

• Share concerns with the SLP or their deputy straight away.
• Be clear about what has been observed, heard or told and record as soon as possible.

Children's Advice and Duty Service Flowchart cads-flowchart-october-2023.pdf

An adult working in an early years and childcare setting has a concern about the safety/welfare of a child

This might be because:

• They have noticed a change in a child and a number of the possible indicators of abuse have been observed
• The child has become withdrawn or is missing from the setting regularly
• They have noticed some of the high risk factors within the family
• The child has spoken to them about abuse
• They have noticed an unexplained injury

Adults should:

• Stay calm and be supportive to the child. This includes letting the child know that you will take them seriously, and that your first responsibility is to ensure that they are kept safe from harm.
• Listen carefully, and let the child go at their own pace and in their own way. This means not interrupting them and allowing them the time and opportunity to say what they have to say in their own words. Tell the child that you will need to pass information on if they tell you something that makes you think they are unsafe or at risk of harm.
• Record the information in writing and pass this to the SLP without delay.
• Record the date, time and any information given to you; always use the words said to you - never interpret what was said or put it in your own words as this information could be used as evidence. Also record what was happening immediately before the child spoke to you. Sign and date the record in ink.

Adults should not:

• Promise confidentiality - make it clear to a child you will need to pass on information to keep them safe
• Ask leading questions - a leading question is one that suggests an answer. It is acceptable to ask a child to help you
• not put ideas in their head or ask them about things they haven't told you about first
• Interrogate the child or attempt to reach conclusions about what they appear to be saying
• Investigate an allegation or suspicion of abuse or neglect or evaluate risk. This is a complex task and should only undertaken by social workers, police officers and other professionals such as paediatricians, who have appropriate expertise and training.

Remember:

If a child chooses to speak to you, it is likely that they are doing so because they feel you will listen to them, and that they trust you. It is important that you engage with a child in a way that is appropriate to their age and ability. Consideration should always be given to children who have no or limited expressive language.  Disclosure is about seeking support and your response can have a significant impact on the child or young person's ability to access further help and recover from the trauma.

Whilst it is your role to be a supportive listener, it is not your role to counsel the child or investigate his or her claims. Child protection workers will undertake investigations, and professional counsellors may need to be accessed to provide counselling.

Recording concerns

Adults should always make a clear record of what is said and what is observed and pass on to the SLP for inclusion in any referral made. So far as possible, the exact words and phrases that the child has used should be recorded. Translating or clarifying words should be avoided.

Records should be written up without delay in the form that is used in your setting for recording concerns. A sample form is included in the appendices.

Record as follows:

• Record the name of the child
• Record what was said/observed immediately or who passed information to you
• The date and time of the observation
• The recorder's name and role
• Record what was happening immediately before the child spoke to you or you became worried
• Write down the concerns in a clear and factual way; include diagrams of any physical injuries (see 'Body map' in Appendix A)
• If a child or adult has disclosed information, write it down in the exact words used
• When recording, ensure that all those present, the times and date are identified and the record is signed by the person recording.

Sharing concerns with SLP or deputy SLP

The record of your observations/concerns about the child should be shared with the SLP immediately. The SLP will also sign and date any record of concern.

Discussion with parents/carers

It is important that early years and childcare settings work in partnership with parents/ carers in order to build open and supportive professional relationships with families.

This is particularly important when you have concerns about a child so that those relationships are already established and regular communication is part of everyday practice. It is best practice to share concerns with parents/carers. However, before doing so you should consider the following in discussion with your SLP:

• Is it in the best interest of the child to share information with their parents?
• By sharing information with parents/ carers are you placing the child at further risk of harm?
• Would sharing information with parents/ carers undermine a criminal investigation?

Remember: The parents/carers should not be informed if by doing so it is felt the child will be put at risk of harm.

Resources for Assessing and Articulating Risk

Norfolk Continuum of Needs Guidance - Norfolk Guidance to Understanding Continuum of Needs | NSCP | PWWC

This is a Child Centered Framework for Making Decisions Ensuring that children & young people receive the right services at the right time and for the right duration.

This Norfolk Continuum of Needs Guidance sets out our approach to keeping children in Norfolk safe and protected from harm. This guidance replaces the previous Threshold Guide and is designed to ensure that across the continuum of need professionals consider that the right help is given to the right children at the right time and for the right duration.

Norfolk Graded Care Profile (NGCP) - Norfolk Guidance to Understanding Continuum of Needs | NSCP | PWWC

• An assessment tool that should be used in all neglect cases
• Family focused and can be used to identify what is going well, what we are concerned about and what changes professionals would like to see.
• Strengths as well as weaknesses are identified
• It encourages one area of concern to identified and one area of strength
• It provides a balanced approach
• It will help to make neglect more visible
• Involves the family in partnership - parents/carers and the child or young person
• Allows help to be targeted where needed

Flourishing Famlies Tool - Flourishing Families Tool Launch | NSCP (norfolklscp.org.uk)

The Flourishing Families tool has been designed for families who might want a little extra help meeting their child's needs.

We know that parenting can sometimes feel overwhelming but we all share the common goal to give our children the best start in life. There are all sorts of things that families can get help with, whether it's healthy eating, fun activities or financial management, and this tool was developed to help families and work out what they are already doing well and help them find support when needed

The tool is available at www.justonenorfolk.nhs.uk/flourishingfamilies and in just five minutes families can find out about the support that's available for them and their family to help them thrive together.

To help us get it right for families, we have also included a feedback form. Please let us know what was useful and how we can improve so that we can help parents to be the best they can be.

Who's it for?

Families to consider the extra support they might need

Professionals to share with families they work alongside

External partners/ support services to share with service users

Reporting Safeguarding Concerns:

If you feel a child is at risk of immediate harm, call the Police immediately on 999.

Children with a social worker - If you know a child already has a social worker or practitioner, you should call that worker and not one of our other numbers.

If you do not know the worker or their contact details, then please contact Customer Services on 03444 800 8020 and they will help to make sure your call gets put through to the right person.

Never delay in making a referral if you believe a child is at risk or suffering harm.

If you are concerned that a child or children is experiencing or likely to suffer significant harm telephone The Children's Advice and Duty Service (CADS) immediately on 0344 800 8021.

For any call raising concerns about a child, the Children's Advice and Duty Service will ask for:

• All of the details known to you/your agency about the child;
• Their family composition including siblings, and where possible extended family members and anyone important in the child's life
• The nature of the concern and how immediate it is;
• Any and what kind of work/support you have provided to the child or family to date
• Where the child is now and whether you have informed parents/carers of your concern.

Making a referral

• Consider whether to contact CADS - consult the CADS Flowchart and the Norfolk Continuum of Needs Guidance 2023 produced by the Norfolk Safeguarding Children Partnership (NSCP)
• Gain consent from the parent to contact CADS, unless to do so would place the child at further risk of harm or undermine a criminal investigation
• CADS will advise of the action required to resolve the concerns either directly or with the support of partner agencies, not necessarily Children's Services. Or a formal referral, recording the level of need. Depending on the level, the referral will be processed into either a Family Support Team or Social Work Team.
• A consultation feedback letter will be provided as a record of all conversations and provide a clear audit trail of the outcome agreed
• Do not investigate - be led by the Local Authority and/or the Police
• Keep written dated records of all conversations with CADS.

If you are re unhappy about a decision made by CADS, use the Resolving Professional Disagreements policy Resolving Professional Disagreements Policy | NSCP

Parents or members of the public can contact CADS on 0344 800 8020

Early Help for Families in Norfolk

Early Help is the initial response offered by all services in contact with families when they need extra support. It brings together people from different services and teams who will work with the whole family. The aim is to build on a family's capacity and resources to manage their own dilemmas, resolve their own difficulties and prevent future problems.

If you have concerns about a child which are not of a safeguarding nature, with the family's consent they may benefit from accessing Early Help.

Flowchart for professionals - coming soon

Family Hubs in Norfolk

Call the Family Hub for any child or family that needs prevention or early help advice or support, including community networking.  Family Hubs bring services together to offer support to families from conception through childhood and into teenage years with access to a range of support including Start for Life Services, parenting support, debt and welfare advice, and housing advice.

Early Help Advisors provide professionals and families with information of appropriate universal and early help services available and make referrals to these services if required.  They also provide partners with information and support on the Family Network Approach and the Early Help Assessment and Plan.

Great Yarmouth - 01493 448318

West Norfolk - 01553 669651

Norwich - 01603 303359

Breckland - 01362 654584

Broadland - 01603 303360

South Norfolk - 01603 307703

North Norfolk - 01263 739060

Phonelines are open Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm

Family hubs - Norfolk County Council

Professionals and families can also request early help information, advice and support through the webpage Request for Support Early Help Information and Consent - Privacy - Section 1 - Norfolk County Council

Undertaking an EHAP alongside a family helps record their needs, strengths, views and goals, which leads to the making of plan supported by a team around them.

The EHAP shows how workers can support families to move from worries to achieving shared goals.

The aim is to identify and build on a family's strengths to help them resolve their own difficulties through extended their networks of support that prevent further problems, so families can flourish.

EHAPS are:

• Used when a family has been identified as having needs which cannot or have not been met successfully by universal services
• Consent based

There needs to be a Lead Worker and the focus is on the family's needs, strengths and goals which forms the basis of the assessment plan. The assessment considers the wider family network and how they can offer support. The assessment is based on the following questions:

• What is working well? What are our worries?
• What make things more complicated?
• What's already working and what supports you?

Once the assessment has been completed with the family, a meeting is held with the family and professionals to discuss how to achieve the goals

Regular review meetings are held until all the goals have been met or a higher level of intervention is needed

EHAP training can be accessed though the NSCP website Early Help page for People working with children | NSCP | PWWC

It may be as a result of a referral or a professional consultation that an Early Help Assessment and Plan (EHAP) is initiated.

If the concern involves ongoing worries about a child's needs being met and the family appear to need co-ordinated support → INITIATE EHAP PROCESS with consent of parents (if there is uncertainty about whether this is the right process to follow, please contact Children's Services and ask for a professional consultation).

More information is available here:

Information for early help professionals - Norfolk County Council

Early Help Resources page for People working with children | NSCP

Early Help page for People working with children | NSCP | PWWC

SEND

If you are working with a child with additional needs contact the Early Years Advice Line for additional support - 01603 222300 option 1.

Where an early years and childcare setting wishes to make a referral about a child the family will usually need to be informed and give consent. You must gain consent from the parent to contact CADS, unless to do so would place the child at further risk of harm or undermine a criminal investigation.

They need to know that the discussion is taking place and should be informed of how they will be told about the outcome of the referral. The family should NOT be informed if by doing so it is felt a child will be put at risk of harm.

If it is decided that concerns will be discussed with parents the SLP will be able to support. A decision may be made that the SLP or setting manager should be the person to talk to parents depending on the circumstances. Parents usually have access to any reports provided by outside agencies. This will include early years and childcare settings.

All discussions and decisions made should be recorded, signed and dated by those present and stored securely.

When making a referral, have as much information as possible available to give over the telephone.

Remember: Report any safeguarding concerns about any child to the SLP or their deputy who will make a professional consultation or referral. Everyone has a right to make a referral to CADS if they are worried about a child. If there is any fundamental disagreement with the judgement of theSafeguarding Lead Practitioner (SLP) in relation to a decision not to make a professional consultation or referral, individuals should take personal responsibility for following the safeguarding policy, procedures and guidance as they judge it to apply in the situation.

Essential information should include all the family's details including:

• Dates of birth
• Current address
• Current contact details and working contact details
• Family composition, along with the history and current worries.

When making a referral and during all contacts that may follow, ensure that clear and accurate records are kept of the discussions, decisions and outcomes including the name of persons spoken to on the phone and date of call.

Responsibility for deciding whether to conduct a child protection investigation lies with Children's Services (the legal duty to undertake these is detailed in section 47 of the Children Act 1989, and these investigations are therefore often referred to as 'Section 47' enquiries or investigations).

The criteria or threshold for conducting a child protection investigation is that there is reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm. Norfolk Safeguarding Children Partnership  (NSCP) has agreed detailed procedures and guidance that must be followed by all practitioners in Norfolk when the criteria are met.

Remember: If you do not receive feedback regarding your referral you have a responsibility to follow this up with The Children's Advice and Duty Service.

If a decision is made that there will be no further action, the early years and childcare setting will continue to care for the child and monitor and record any further concerns about the child's progress or wellbeing, ensuring that individual needs are met. A further referral must be made if there are further concerns identified.

If a decision is made by Children's Services to investigate further, the setting may be asked to contribute to this process. If you are not asked, but feel you may have a contribution to make, you should talk to the person to whom you made the original referral.

A referral will be allocated to a Family Help Team which is a multi-disciplinary team with a range of different professionals who will decide on the best form of support for the family.

The key events and arrangements you are most likely to be involved in are as follows - you should give priority to contributing to them:

Strategy discussions - Children's Services must hold a Strategy Discussion whenever there is reasonable cause to suspect that a child has suffered or is likely to suffer Significant Harm. This may be following a Referral and Assessment or at any time during an Assessment or where a child is receiving support services, if concerns about Significant Harm to the child emerge.

These are formal discussions used to plan an investigation and evaluate the findings. Professionals who refer concerns should be included in these discussions. They may be meetings or a series of telephone conversations, or both.

The full procedure can be found here: Strategy Discussions Policy | NSCP

Core assessment - This is a comprehensive and detailed assessment of a child's situation, but it will focus on risks of significant harm in the context of a child protection investigation. A wide range of practitioners are normally involved in providing information, and the social worker is responsible for ensuring it is completed appropriately. If an EHCP assessment has been done it will build on the core assessment and develop it further

Child Protection Conferences - Children's Services will convene a child protection conference once a child protection enquiry under Section 47 of the Children Act 1989 has been undertaken and the child is judged to be at continuing risk of significant harm. A review conference will take place once a child has been made the subject of a Child Protection Plan in order to monitor the safety of the child and the required reduction in risk.

Practitioners may be asked to attend a child protection conference or core group meetings on behalf of the setting in respect of individual children.  Usually, the person representing the setting at these meetings will be the SLP.  In any event, the person attending will need to have as much relevant up to date information about the child as possible; any member of staff may be required to contribute to this process.  

All reports for child protection conferences will be prepared in advance using the guidance and template report provided by the Norfolk Safeguarding Children Partnership. When completing a chronology, we will refer to the Multi Agency Chronologies-Practice Guidance Document 2024 and the completed chronology examples, all of which can be accessed at Norfolk Guidance to Understanding Continuum of Needs | NSCP | PWWC (norfolklscp.org.uk) under the 'Genogram & Chronologies Resources and Guidance' tab. The information contained in the report will be shared with parents before the conference as appropriate and will include information relating to the child's physical, emotional, and intellectual development and the child's presentation at school. In order to complete such reports, all relevant information will be sought from staff working with the child in the setting.

Clearly child protection conferences can be upsetting for parents.  We recognise that we are likely to have more contact with parents than other professionals involved. We will work in an open and honest way with any parent whose child has been referred to Children's Services or whose child is subject to a child protection plan.  Our responsibility is to promote the protection and welfare of all children and our aim is to achieve this in partnership with our parents.

• The Child Protection Conference has to be convened within 15 working days of the strategy discussion being held. The first meeting is called an Initial Child Protection Conference and any subsequent meetings are called Review Child Protection Conferences.
• Relevant parties share information, identify concerns and strengths and identify what needs to be done to protect the children / young people.
• If a Child Protection Plan is agreed family and workers will produce an outline plan which the Core Group will develop and implement.
• Child Protection conferences in Norfolk use the Signs of Safety model.
• Conferences are chaired by an independent chair.

Initial child protection conference - It is important that the SLP prepares in advance and gives priority to attending. They should provide a written report to make their views clear if requested to do so. The setting's views and information may also have been included by the social worker in their report. Written reports will always be shared with all attendees - including parents and, as appropriate, the child. If there are concerns about sharing information with parents, the SLP should contact the chair of the conference in advance and discuss this with them. They will give advice and help the SLP to say what they want to say safely and effectively. Reports need to be available to attendees at least 24 hours before the conference.

At least two days prior to the conference the SLP should contact the conference administrator and arrange for sufficient copies of the report to be available at the conference.

Child in Need plan - Children who are defined as being 'in need' under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989 are those whose vulnerability is such that they are unlikely to reach or maintain a satisfactory level of health or development, or their health and development will be significantly impaired without the provision of services. The referral process is clear; however the child will be referred to a Child in Need team, made up of a number of different professionals with different skills and expertise. Cooperation and participation by the child or young person and parents is voluntary, and cannot be enforced by any statutory agency.

Child Protection plan - All child protection conferences must decide whether a child needs to be subject of a protection plan. The key issue is whether it is essential to have a formal plan in place to address an ongoing risk of significant harm caused by abuse or neglect. The SLP or colleagues in the setting may have a contribution to make to the plan. The SLP should be clear about what is expected, and what the required outcomes are in terms of reducing the risk of significant harm. The SLP should report back on progress (or lack of it) for each child protection conference review.

Good Practice Guidance for Child Protection Record Keeping - 11-record-keeping-guidance_v2.docx (live.com)

For further information and guidance - Information for early help professionals in Norfolk - Norfolk County Council

Core group - This is a group of practitioners that ensures the agreed protection plan is put into place and manages and evaluates it between child protection conferences. Membership of a core group is normally decided at a child protection conference. If the SLP is a core group member they should give priority to attendance. Each member of the Core Group has a responsibility to produce an individual agency report on the child and the family for the Child Protection Review Conference.

A consultation feedback letter will be provided as a record of all conversations and provide a clear audit trail of the outcome agreed.

• If the SLP believes that the response they have received following a consultation is inadequate, does not meet the needs of the child/family or leaves a child at risk of harm they may still make a referral in the usual way
• If following a consultation more information comes to light or the situation changes, the SLP can seek further clarity by consulting again
• A written record of the conversation and advice given should be received within 10 working days of the consultation
• The SLP must keep a record of the consultation phone call and its outcome on the child's safeguarding file together with the written record received

• The general principles of safe and confidential storage of information apply to records about safeguarding, however there are some specific points to consider because of the nature of the information that may be kept:
• Information must be stored securely and in a separate, locked container so that only the manager/SLP and their deputy have ready access to the information
• Electronic records must be stored securely and password protected so that only those that need to access the information are able to do so
• Access to information must be limited to those who need to know. Some information will be shared with staff by the SLP on a 'need to know' basis in the interests of the child
• The SLP is responsible for ensuring that all information recorded and received from case conferences and related meetings is stored confidentially and securely, in a manner that is accessible to those who need to use it, in chronological order.

Things settings need to consider:

In a pack away setting where will the information be kept securely and confidentially when the setting is closed?

• All  information needs  to  be  kept  in  a lockable fireproof  container and stored in a safe place
• If this safe place is the home of the manager, then a risk assessment needs to be undertaken. The container cannot be left in the car, for example, if the person goes shopping on the way home from the end of a session
• The locked storage needs to be kept out of sight and inaccessible to family members
• If the person in charge of the container receives mileage costs, then the car insurance must have the additional cover for work related purposes

How will the early years setting decide who has access to the child protection file?

• All information must be kept in a locked filing cabinet/cupboard
• Any access to the information should be on a 'need to know basis '. Therefore, careful consideration needs to be given as to why a person needs to know the information, i.e. for what purpose?
• If reasonable justification cannot be given, then the person seeking the information should not be given it. For example, will not knowing the information prevents a person from doing their job properly or place a child at risk?
• As general guidance, the manager of the setting, the SLP and the key person for the child might need to have access to the information to ensure they can offer appropriate safeguarding protection

How long does the setting need to keep the information for?

• If it is a Norfolk County Council setting, any information relating to Child in Need should be kept for 25 years. Looked after children (LAC)/safeguarding information should be kept for 75 years
• Settings should follow national guidance - good practice guidance for child protection record keeping 11-record-keeping-guidance_v2.docx (live.com)

What happens to the information if the setting closes down?

• The setting only needs to keep information they generate; they need to secure and retain this information as they are the data owners. Copies of Children's Services reports, police reports and health reports can be destroyed as the setting does not own this information.

Key points

• Staff observations/concerns must be shared with the SLP
• Recording information at every stage is vital
• Consent from parents should be sought unless there is a risk in doing so and it is not in the best interests of the child
• All individuals have a responsibility to safeguard children
• Never delay in reporting concerns
• Ensure the safe and appropriate storage of safeguarding records

Further Information

• Norfolk Safeguarding Children Partnership (NSCP) www.norfolklscb.org
• Early Help Process Information for early help professionals - Norfolk County Council
• Early Help Resources page for People working with children | NSCP
• Early Help page for People working with children | NSCP | PWWC
• CADS How to Raise a Concern | Norfolk Safeguarding Children Partnership | PWWC (norfolklscp.org.uk)
• 'Safeguarding guidance'- Appendix A: Sample recording form for safeguarding concerns/body map