Worried about a child?
Everybody has a responsibility to keep children safe in the Wakefield district.
The information below aims to provide you with guidance as to what steps you can take to help keep a child safe and where to go to access support.
If you work or volunteer with a child go straight to the 'What steps should I take' section.
If you are a member of the general public and you think a child is in immediate danger, please call 999. For any other concerns please read the information below.
Do you know the signs?
Would you be able to spot if a child was at risk?
Here are some common signs that there might be something concerning going on in a child’s life:
- a change in their behaviour or personality
- they have become secretive, demanding or aggressive
- they are more withdrawn or anxious
- poor social skills
- poor relationship with a parent or carer
- they know about things that are inappropriate for their age, such as adult issues
- they have run away from home, gone missing or are frequently absent from school
- they always wear clothes that cover their body
- they have unexplained gifts or possessions
The NSPCC website has information on different types of child abuse and what you can do to help keep children safe.
Learn more about busting the myths around child abuse here
What steps should I take if a child is in immediate danger or it is urgent?
Where there is an emergency about the safety of a child and they are in immediate danger the police should be contacted on 999 without delay.
Everybody has a responsibility to share concerns about a child when it is believed or suspected they:
- Have suffered significant harm and/or;
- Are likely to suffer significant harm and/or;
- Have developmental and welfare needs which are likely only to be met through the provision of family support services (with agreement of the child’s parent(s)
If you believe the situation is urgent but there is no immediate danger, please call 0345 8503 503 in the first instance to speak to the Integrated Front Door.
As part of this discussion the Integrated Front Door will advise on the next steps to take and as to whether a Multi-Agency Referral Form (MARF) should be completed and submitted to social_care_direct_children@wakefield.gov.uk.
Should your call be outside of business hours (Monday – Thursday, 8.30am – 5pm and Friday 8.30am – 4.30pm) please still call 0345 8503 503 to speak to the Emergency Duty Team. Please note, the Emergency Duty Team operate an emergency only service, non-emergency contacts will need to be made on the next working day.
Accessing Early and More Support
If you are worried about a child and you have identified that they need early help and support, which does not meet the threshold for child protection but is beyond a single agency response you may speak to your agency safeguarding lead or single point of contact as per your agency’s arrangements or local Family Hub in the first instance. At times it is helpful in developing the next best steps for the child and family you are working with.
If you are a school or early years provider, speak to your Early Intervention and Prevention Link Worker in the first instance to consider whether Team Around the School or Team Around the Early Years is required.
To find out what your local Family Hub is and for contact information visit www.wakefieldfamiliestogether.co.uk/community-support/family-hubs
-
What's the Integrated Front Door?Show details
The Integrated Front Door provides advice and signposting as well as allocating referrals to the most appropriate service who can support a child and their family, including Children’s Social Care. The Integrated Front Door records and screens contacts made so that decisions on how best to support a child and family are made in a timely way and the nature of help needed is appropriate to the level of need.
-
What's the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)?Show details
The MASH is the multi-agency arrangement which supports the Integrated Front Door and is made up by a range of services such as the police, Children’s Social Care, and health agencies. This is so the range of information relating to a child and family can be understood to help determine the correct level of support is provided.
Not all contacts made to the Integrated Front Door will be screened by the MASH, only those which require a range of information from different services.
Do I need agreement from a child and family before sharing information?
It most instances it is appropriate and good practice to seek agreement from a child, parents or carers to share information with the Integrated Front Door.
The Information Sharing and Agreement section within the Continuum of Need, on pages 12 and 13 provides a useful overview in respect of seeking agreement prior to a information being shared or a referral being made.
There are some exceptions when there is a need to protect children. For example, if having a conversation with the family would place a child, or another child, or someone else, or you the referrer, at increased risk of suffering harm you do not need agreement. You also don’t need agreement if it might undermine the investigation of a serious crime. This includes making a child protection referral for a child who has made an allegation about a physical or sexual assault by a parent or carer, forced marriage or where a delay in getting consent may mean a child is put at further risk of harm.
For referrals other than those of child protection, where agreement has not been sought from a child, parent or carer prior to a referral, the services available to support may be limited.
When making contact with the Integrated Front Door, you will be asked as to whether consent has been obtained from the family. It is important referrers take the steps to discuss concerns with parents or carers. Where decisions have been made to contact the Integrated Front Door without consent, a management decision must be recorded with a clear reason for doing so.
Further Guidance
For further guidance on what you need to do if you are concerned about the safety and welfare of a child please refer to:
- Integrated Front Door (IFD) and Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) Operational Guidance
- West Yorkshire Multi-Agency Referrals Procedure
- Multi-Agency Referral Form (MARF)
- Continuum of Need: A framework to support decision making
- Local Family Hub Information
