Make sure the setting is confidential and comfortable. Avoid communicating with shock, horror, or fear about anything said, even though what you are hearing is likely shocking and horrifying. Your child may interpret your reaction as you being shocked and horrified by him or her and shut down.
1. Making a Referral - Overview. 1.1 Professionals, employees, managers, helpers, carers and volunteers in all agencies must make a referral to Children's Social Care if it is believed or suspected that: A child is suffering or is likely to suffer Significant Harm, or.
The MASH will progress the contact to a referral and complete the MASH information sharing process (Stage 2). In all cases, Children's Social Care will provide feedback to the referrer and the family when the outcome decision has been made. A decision on all cases in Stage 1 must be made within 24 hours.
Yes. The social worker will want to speak to your child alone, but they should ask you before they do so (unless there are exceptional circumstances, for example they are concerned that you might threaten your child or try to make your child stay silent, or your child doesn't want you involved).
A referral should be made to MASH when:
- A child or young person makes a clear allegation of abuse;
- A child has been abandoned;
- Further concerns have arisen in relation to an open case to Children's Social Care;
- Concerns of significant harm have risen for a child receiving a service as a Child in Need;
A Section 47 enquiry means that CSC must carry out an investigation when they have 'reasonable cause to suspect that a child who lives, or is found, in their area is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm'1. The aim is to decide whether any action should be taken to safeguard the child.
Referrals must be made in one of the following ways:
- By contacting the relevant Children's Social Care office (See Local Contacts) (in Trafford, MARAT);
- In an emergency outside office hours, by contacting Children's Social Care Out of Hours Service / Emergency Duty Team (See Local Contacts) or the Police;
Referral to social servicesYou can request help yourself by calling your local social services - you can find your local social services here. Referrals can be made by other professionals who are working with your family or children, including schools, GPs, health visitors, and more.
In order to make a referral you will need to complete a referral form . You will then receive an acknowledgement email from the MASH with a reference number. Before making a referral you must tell the family. You should not seek consent in cases where you consider to do so may increase the risk of harm to the child.
Child who persistently runs away from home or school; When further information comes to light that indicates that either the child is at risk of Significant Harm or the involvement of Social Services is essential to the delivery of services – see Referral to Social Services Procedure.
The purpose of the MASH enquiry is to gather information from agencies within the MASH (police, health, social care and early help) and external agencies, such as probation or schools. The child, family and referrer will be informed in writing of the outcome of the MASH enquiry.
How to report your concerns
- If you think it is an emergency (the child is at immediate risk of serious harm) then refer the child immediately to the police (call 999/112/911) and social services for immediate action.
- Police may enter any premises and remove a child to a place of safety for 72 hours.
If there is the potential for the involvement of children, or an unborn baby, make a safeguarding children referral. If others are at risk (for example, other nursing home residents), public interest disclosure permits a safeguarding adults referral without the individual's consent.
Child safeguarding is the responsibility that organisations have to make sure their staff, operations, and programmes do no harm to children, that is that they do not expose children to the risk of harm and abuse, and that any concerns the organisation has about children's safety within the communities in which they
The Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) is the front door to Children's Social Care for all child protection and immediate safeguarding concerns. If there is an immediate safeguarding concern where a child is deemed at risk or has potentially suffered significant harm, the MASH team should be contacted immediately.
The Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) is the single point of contact for all professionals to report safeguarding concerns. if you wish to report a concern anonymously, please contact us on 0300 500 80 90.
What if we don't want the services that are being offered in the child in need plan? A. You can refuse services. But if they are worried about your child and you are not co-operating with the plans they have made which they think you child needs, the social worker may recommend calling a child protection conference.
Financial assistance in terms of goods or services, or in exceptional circumstances cash, can be provided to a child, parent or carer under Section 17(6) Children Act 1989 to address identified needs to safeguard and promote a child's welfare where there is no other legitimate source of financial assistance.
A child who is of sufficient age and understanding may refuse some or all of the medical assessment, though refusal can potentially be overridden by a court. Wherever possible the permission of a parent should be sought for children under sixteen prior to any medical assessment and/or other medical treatment.
Under section 17 of the Children Act 1989, social services have a general duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in need in their area. Section 17 can be used to assist homeless children together with their families. Social services can provide accommodation for a whole family under section 17.
A child in need plan operates under section 17 of The Children Act 1989 and doesn't have statutory framework for the timescales of the intervention. A child protection plan operates under section 47 of The Children Act 1989, and happens when a child is regarded to be suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm.
Although there is no absolute criteria for determining whether or not harm is “significant”, local authorities such as social services, police, education and health agencies work with family members to assess the child, and a decision is made based on their professional judgement using the gathered evidence.
A section 47 enquiry can of course prove to be very damaging for a child, for her parents and for their mutual relationships. In particular, the lives of parents can be badly affected if and when adverse conclusions are made about the harm that they have inflicted on their child.
Social work assessments should be normally completed within 35 working days. However, it can be longer if they are waiting for reports from other experts. At the end of the assessment there will be a recommendation of what support or action is needed.
The assessment should be holistic, draw together a family history with reference to prior information and chronologies and recognise the existing strengths and skills of the child and family. Its purpose is to identify the child's and other family members' needs and agree on the desired outcome of any involvement.
Some have asked ” can I tell social services to go away ” – If you tell them to go away, they won't and you will end up in Court and there is then the risk that your children really will be removed. Be Honest.
The Social Worker should consider whether speaking to a child alone may cause distress and may ask another adult, such as a teacher or a friend to be present. When you give permission you may wish to request that another appropriate adult is there.
The police do have the power to take your children away without a Court order (I'll come back to that later) so you will know that if the police aren't there and there isn't a court order, your children will not be going anywhere unless you agree or until you have your say in Court.
Can your child be removed from your home because of concerns about their safety or welfare?
- Social workers do not have the power to remove your child from your care, unless this is ordered by the court or you agree that your child should be removed.
- Most children who have a child protection plan live at home.
If the children were present during the incident which led to you calling the police, then the police are obliged to send a report to social services. They do this to make sure the children are protected. If they investigate, they will arrange to speak to you, your husband and the children.
Mental illness doesn't automatically disqualify a parent from getting custody. It will, however, likely influence the decision. If it negatively impacts parenting ability or the relationship with the child, the court takes that into account when determining parenting time.
During the assessment a social worker will usually come to your home to talk to you. They should ask you for information about your child, for example sleeping patterns, eating habits and how your child communicates, and whether you have any other children to look after.
Potentially, yes – but the court would have to give permission. A court is unlikely to give permission unless it is clear that the recording is both relevant and reliable.
infecting their child's wounds or injecting the child with dirt or poo. inducing unconsciousness by suffocating their child. not treating or mistreating genuine conditions so they get worse. withholding food, resulting in the child failing to develop physically and mentally at the expected rate.
