There are four key steps to follow to help you to identify and respond appropriately to possible abuse and/or neglect. It may not always be appropriate to go through all four stages sequentially. If a child is in immediate danger or is at risk of harm, you should refer to children’s social care and/or the police. Before doing so, you should try to establish the basic facts. However, it will be the role of social workers and the police to investigate cases and make a judgement on whether there should be a statutory intervention and/or a criminal investigation.
You should record, in writing, all concerns and discussions about a child’s welfare, the decisions made and the reasons for those decisions.
The first step is to be alert to the signs
You should record, in writing, all concerns and discussions about a child’s welfare, the decisions made and the reasons for those decisions.
The first step is to be alert to the signs