Report a concern

• In an emergency always contact the police on 999 
• If you are worried about a child or young person who could be in danger contact 01983 823435. This number is for the general public and runs 24 hours per day.

Do:

• listen to the child 
• take what the child says seriously
• act quickly
• continue to offer support to the child

• delay
• probe or push the child for explanations
• assume that someone else knows and will help the child; you must act
• be afraid to voice your concerns; the child may need urgent protection and help

• The person reporting the case is asked to provide written details.
• The Children’s Services Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) looks at the case.
• We investigate the needs of the child and plan support for the child. In most cases, a social worker visits the child and their family, sometimes accompanied by the police.
• If a child seems to be at risk of injury, abuse, or neglect, a Child Protection Conference takes place. This is a meeting to discuss what has been happening and decide what needs to be done to support the child. The conference is usually held in the nearest Children’s Services office.
• By law, we must look into every case that is brought to our notice (under Section 47 of the Children Act 1989).

You may be asked for more information, but this may not be necessary. It depends on the individual situation. Practitioners, such as teachers, health staff, and the police who report a suspected abuse case, are involved normally in further enquiries.

Due to confidentiality, we cannot discuss actions taken. If you still have concerns about a child, report them to Children's Services again.

Professionals

Professionals should complete the Inter-Agency Referral Form (IARF) using the link below.