Child Protection in East Ayrshire

What to do if a child tells or you suspect a child is being abused or at risk of abuse

If a child tells you something, or you suspect a child is being abused or at risk of abuse, you must report your concerns to your line manager immediately. If there are child protection concerns then a referral should be made to social work or in an emergency to the police. This will either be made by your line manager or yourself depending on your organisation's procedures and structure.

When a referral is made to social work or police, the following details are required:

The child's name, address and date of birth
Parent's names and current whereabouts
Child's current whereabouts
Your details e.g. your involvement with the child
What the concerns are and why they have arisen
Any recent changes in the child' behaviour or presentation
Whether the child said anything which has made you concerned
Whether there are any other children in the household
Whether there are any other agencies currently involved with the family (if known)
Whether there have been any previous concerns about this child or other children in the household
Whether the child has any disabilities or special needs
Whether there are any cultural or religious factors which need to be taken into account
Whether the parents are aware of the concerns and if so what is their reaction

If any of the above points are not known the referral should not be delayed to allow such details to be obtained. Undue delay may place the child at further risk.

NB Parents should usually be notified of the concerns prior to referral, however, this might place the child in a more dangerous situation or prejudice the outcome of any subsequent social work or police investigation. Where there are these concerns, then social work or police will advise on when parents should be informed.