Taking Action

1. Taking Action What to do when you are worried How to make a referral Gathering information

2. What to do when your worried Do something Never do nothing Seek advice Make a referral

3. What should make you worried? • Any allegation or suspicion of sexual abuse • Physical injury caused by assault or neglect which may or may not require medical attention • Incidents of physical abuse that alone are unlikely to constitute significant harm but taken into consideration with other factors may do so • Children who suffer from persistent neglect • Children who live in an environment which is likely to have an adverse impact on their emotional development • Where parents’ own emotional impoverishment affects their ability to meet their child’s emotional and/or physical needs regardless of material/financial circumstances • Where parents’ circumstances are affecting their capacity to meet the child’s needs because of domestic abuse, drug and/or alcohol misuse, mental health problems, previous convictions for offences against children • A child living in a household with, or having significant contact with, a person at risk of sexual offending • A child under 13 who is sexually active • An abandoned child • Bruising to an immobile baby • Pregnancy where children have been previously removed • Suspicion of fabricated or induced illness

4. Know your acronyms • IRT • Section 17 & section 47 • CAFs • TACs

5. ADVICE AND SUPPORT • Designated Nurse (CP) • Designated Doctors (CP) • Named Nurses • Named Doctors • Named Midwife

6. Child Protection ReferralREFERRALS SHOULD BE MADE ON REFERRAL FORMS • If a child is thought to be at risk, your first responsibility is for the protection of the child. • If you are concerned, share your concern • Always record your concerns, with the names & designation of workers of agencies with which you have liaised • Record the decision reached and any action taken or planned

7. Child Protection Referral cont • The referral form can be found in the policies & procedures manual • Initial referral can be made via telephone and should be followed up in writing within 24 hours • A copy of the referral must be kept within your records AND a copy sent to SGCT • If you have not received acknowledgement within 3 working days you should contact CYPCS (social services)

8. Enquiry Process Referral to Children's Social Care Information gathering: Health Education Police Planning Discussion: No further action Interview/medical Action to protect the child Initial Child Protection Case Conference

9. Record Keeping/Report Writing • Any reports should contain all up to date basic information e.g. Name, DOB etc. Keep a copy of all reports together with a record of where any copies have been sent. • It should be on practice headed notepaper, typed, with each page numbered, dated & signed. These reports MUST NOT be produced using own personal computer.

10. Working Together ( DoH 2006) places a positive duty on doctors to disclose information to a third party where child abuse is suspected . The GMC has confirmed that its guidance on the disclosure of information which may assist in the prevention or detection of abuse, applies both to information about third parties (e.g.adults who may pose a risk of harm to a child), and about children who may be subject of abuse.

11. Sharing information without consent If a child or young person does not agree to disclosure there are still circumstances in which you should disclose information: • when there is an overriding public interest in the disclosure • when you judge that the disclosure is in the best interests of a child or young person who does not have the maturity or understanding to make a decision about disclosure • when disclosure is required by law.