Contacts and Referrals
AMENDMENT
In February 2022, this chapter was reviewed and updated to reflect guidance from the refreshed Working Together to Safeguard Children.
Contents
- Initial Contacts
- Referrals
- Timescales
- Screening Process
- Initial Disposal of Referrals
- Recording of Referrals
1. Initial Contacts
Initial Contacts come into Children's Social Care via our Frontdoor Service. When contacting North Tyneside with an initial contact the first point of contact is an Advice and Information Response Officer (AIRO) who will take basic details and ask for a summary of the worries, the AIRO will then signpost to the appropriate service. The contact is then passed to a social worker in our Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH).
All contacts need to be considered alongside thresholds, and a decision made within one working day regarding the level of response required. The Early Help Assessment is not a referral form and the Children's Service Referral should be completed (see North Tyneside Safeguarding Children Partnership (NTSCP), Worried about a child?); the Early Help Assessment may be used to support a referral or a specialist assessment at a later date.
The person making the contact should make all reasonable efforts to gain the consents of those with parental responsibility of the child, unless doing so would put the child at risk of further significant harm.
The duty manager will make the decision as to prioritizing and progression of contacts to the duty social worker. Upon allocation the duty social worker will check the electronic database records to see if the child or family is known and, if known, look at any information on the system to enable them to understand any known family history. A brief overview of the history will be noted within the contact. The duty social worker will complete the contact form, which details the strengths and worries, and any other information gathered during the contact stage.
Based on the information provided either no further action could be taken and/or you will be signposted to other services or agencies, the case would be signposted to Early Help Services or it would progress to a referral. At the point of a decision being made the person who has contacted Children's Social Care should be advised of the next steps being taken by North Tyneside.
The person who has contacted Children's Social Care should always follow-up their worries if they are not satisfied with the response or use the Local Authority's escalation process. It should be noted that upon receiving a contact, Children's Social Care will always speak to those with parental responsibility of the child.
2. Referrals
An Initial Contact will be progressed to a Referral where the social worker or manager considers an assessment and/or services may be required for a Child in Need or in instances where a Section 47 enquiry is required.
Referrers should have the opportunity to discuss their concerns with a qualified social worker. The referrer should be asked specifically if they hold any information about difficulties being experienced by the family/household.
Once the referral has been accepted by local authority children's social care the lead professional role falls to a social worker.
The social worker should clarify with the referrer, when known, the nature of the worries and how and why they have arisen and obtain as much of the following information as possible:
- Full names, dates of birth and gender identity of children;
- Family address and, where relevant, school/nursery attended;
- Identity of those with Parental Responsibility;
- Names and dates of birth of all members of the household;
- Ethnicity, first language and religion of children and parents;
- Nationality and immigration status;
- Any additional needs of the children including the means in which they communicate;
- Any significant recent or past events;
- Cause of worries including details of allegations, their sources, timing and location;
- The child's current location and emotional and physical condition;
- Whether the child needs immediate protection;
- Details of any alleged perpetrator;
- Referrer's relationship with and knowledge of the child and their family;
- Known involvement of other agencies;
- Information regarding parents' knowledge of the referral.
3. Timescales
Once received, all Referrals must be written up and a decision made about their disposal within one working day of the initial contact. (Note: This should be as soon as possible where it is evident the child is seen as requiring immediate protection/urgent action).
Within one working day, the social worker should make a decision about the type of response that is required. This will include determining whether:
- The child requires immediate protection and urgent action is required;
- There is reasonable cause to suspect that the child is suffering, or likely to suffer, Significant Harm, and whether enquires must be made and the child assessed under Section 47 of the Children Act 1989;
- The child is in need, and should be assessed under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989;
- Any services are required by the child and family and what type of services; and
- Further specialist assessments are required in order to help the local authority to decide what further action to take.
4. Screening Process
The following process applies both to children who are already known to the authority and those who were not previously known.
The process of Referrals must include screening against the Thresholds/Early Help Criteria and must include internal electronic database and agency checks to establish whether the family is previously known, and whether there is a Child Protection Plan in relation to the child and/or whether the child is Looked After.
The screening process should establish:
- The nature of the worries;
- How and why they have arisen;
- What the child's needs appear to be;
- Whether the worries involves Significant Harm;
- Whether there is any need for urgent action to protect the child or any children in the household.
This process will involve:
- Discussion with the referrer;
- Consideration of any existing records, including whether the child is the subject of a Child Protection Plan;
- The parent or carer should normally be informed that a Referral is being made unless to do so would place a child or vulnerable adult at increased risk of harm;
- The Information shared should always be necessary, proportionate, relevant, accurate, timely and secure;
- Involving other agencies as appropriate and in accordance with Information sharing advice for safeguarding practitioners (GOV.UK) and Working Together to Safeguard Children.
If there are indications that a child may be at risk of Significant Harm, the manager may authorise whatever actions are necessary to protect the child or others in the household from Significant Harm, which may result in the immediate provision of services. There should be consideration of a Strategy Discussion and of a multi-agency response.
If there is suspicion that a crime may have been committed including sexual or physical assault or neglect of the child, the Police must be notified immediately.
Personal information about non-professional referrers should not be disclosed to the parents or other agencies without the referrer's consent.
Parents/carers should usually be informed before discussing a referral with other agencies unless this may place the child at risk of Significant Harm, in which case the manager should authorise the discussion of the referral with other agencies without parental knowledge. The authorisation should be recorded with reasons.
5. Initial Disposal of Referrals
The initial disposal of a Referral, which must be authorised by the manager, may be:
- That the child does not appear to be a Child in Need, which will result in one of the following: the provision of information, advice, sign-posting to another agency and/or no further action;
- That the child appears to be a Child in Need with a moderate level of need, in which case, the manager may authorise an Assessment;
- That the child appears to be a Child in Need with a high level of need, which must result in an Assessment;
- That it is suspected that the child is suffering or is likely to suffer from Significant Harm, which will result in an Assessment, with a view to conducting a Strategy Discussion, prior to a Section 47 Enquiry commencing.
Professional referrers should be advised of the disposal of the referral.
Feedback on the outcome of the Referral should also be provided to non-professional referrers in a manner consistent with respecting the confidentiality of the child.
The child and family must be informed of the action to be taken.
The child should be seen as soon as possible if the decision is taken that the Referral requires further assessment.
Where requested to do so by local authority children's social care, professionals from other parts of the local authority such as housing and those in health organisations have a duty to cooperate under Section 27 of the Children Act 1989 by assisting the local authority in carrying out its children's social care functions.
6. Recording of Referrals
All Initial Contacts and Referrals should be recorded on the electronic database.