When we receive a disclosure or identify a concern, the first thing that we must consider is whether the child is in any immediate or imminent danger and if so we must act to protect the child.

Your DSL or line manager can be consulted for advice, but this must not unnecessarily delay the reporting as this will place the child at increased risk. If there is no-one available to consult with, you may need to contact the Police (via 999 if necessary) or Children’s Social Care (possibly using the “out of hours” contact details.

If you have to take action directly, it is important that you record thoroughly all action that has been taken and that the record is passed to the DSL as soon as possible.