Professional Response to Safeguarding Concerns

 

Safeguarding is Everyone’s Responsibility

All professionals working with children and young people have a responsibility to promote their welfare, recognise concerns, share information appropriately, and take timely action to protect them from harm.

Safeguarding concerns may arise from a single incident, a pattern of concerns over time, information shared by a child, or professional observations. Children may not always disclose abuse directly and the impact of abuse or neglect is not always immediately visible.

Professionals should remain professionally curious, seek to understand the child’s lived experience, and consider the impact of concerns on the child’s safety, wellbeing and development.

This guidance should be read alongside:

Recognising Safeguarding Concerns

 

Safeguarding concerns can relate to:

  • Physical abuse
  • Sexual abuse
  • Emotional abuse
  • Neglect
  • Child sexual exploitation
  • Child criminal exploitation
  • Domestic abuse
  • Harm outside the home
  • Harmful sexual behaviour
  • Online abuse
  • Radicalisation
  • Modern slavery and trafficking
  • Female genital mutilation (FGM)
  • Forced marriage
  • Honour-based abuse
  • Fabricated or induced illness (FII)

Professionals should recognise that children may experience multiple forms of abuse simultaneously and that concerns rarely occur in isolation.

When considering risk, practitioners should understand not only what has happened, but what daily life is like for the child.

Professional Curiosity

 

Professional curiosity is an essential safeguarding skill.

It involves looking beyond what is immediately presented, asking respectful questions, seeking clarification where concerns exist, and considering whether information received fully reflects the child’s experience.

National reviews repeatedly highlight situations where practitioners saw concerning signs but did not explore them further.

Professionals should consider:

  • What is life like for this child on a daily basis?
  • What am I worried about?
  • What evidence supports those worries?
  • What are the child’s experiences and views?
  • Is there information held by another agency that may be relevant?
  • What has changed?
  • Could there be an alternative explanation?
  • Am I accepting information at face value?
  • Have concerns become normalised?

Professional curiosity should be balanced with respectful, compassionate and anti-oppressive practice.

Keeping the Child at the Centre

 

Children should be seen, heard and understood.

Safeguarding decisions should be informed by the child’s voice, wishes, feelings and lived experience.

Professionals should:

  • Speak directly to children whenever appropriate.
  • Use communication methods suitable to the child’s age and needs.
  • Consider the child’s views.
  • Understand what daily life is like for them.
  • Record the child’s words accurately.
  • Consider barriers that may affect communication or disclosure.

Children often communicate through behaviour, relationships and presentation rather than direct disclosure.

Understanding the child’s lived experience remains central to effective safeguarding practice.

Responding to a Disclosure

 

If a child discloses abuse or neglect:

Do

  • Stay calm.
  • Listen carefully.
  • Take what the child says seriously.
  • Reassure them they have done the right thing by telling someone.
  • Explain what will happen next.
  • Record what was said as soon as possible.

Do Not

  • Promise confidentiality.
  • Ask leading questions.
  • Interrupt the child’s account.
  • Investigate the concern yourself.
  • Challenge or confront alleged perpetrators.
  • Make assumptions about what has happened.

A child should never be required to repeatedly recount their experience unnecessarily.

What To Do If You Have Concerns

 

If you are worried about a child:

Step 1: Recognise

Consider:

  • Your concerns.
  • The child’s presentation.
  • What the child or others have said.
  • Previous concerns.
  • Information from other agencies.
  • Known vulnerabilities.
  • Any immediate safety risks.

Step 2: Record

Make a clear and accurate record of:

  • What you observed.
  • What was said.
  • Who was involved.
  • Date and time.
  • Actions taken.
  • Your professional analysis.

Records should be factual and evidence based.

Step 3: Discuss

Where appropriate, discuss concerns with:

  • Your Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL).
  • Line manager.
  • Safeguarding lead professional.
  • Children’s Social Care.

Professionals should not delay action because they are uncertain.

Step 4: Refer

Where concerns suggest a child may be suffering or likely to suffer harm, a referral should be made without delay.

South Tyneside Referral Pathways

 

Children’s Social Care (MASH)

Children and Families Social Care

Telephone: 0191 424 5010

Monday to Thursday: 8.30am – 5.00pm

Friday: 8.30am – 4.30pm

Out of Hours Emergency Duty Team

Telephone: 0191 456 2093

Make a Referral

Immediate Risk or Emergency

If:

  • A child is at immediate risk of harm.
  • A serious crime is suspected.
  • A child requires urgent medical attention.
  • There is an immediate threat to life.

Take Immediate Action

  • Call 999
  • Request Police and/or Ambulance assistance.
  • Contact Children’s Social Care as soon as possible.
  • Preserve evidence where appropriate.
  • Do not delay emergency services intervention.

The safety of the child must always take priority.

Information Sharing

Sharing information appropriately is vital to safeguarding children.

Professionals should share information:

  • When there are concerns about a child’s welfare.
  • When a child may be at risk of harm.
  • When sharing information may help protect a child.
  • In accordance with legal and professional responsibilities.

Information sharing should be:

  • Necessary
  • Proportionate
  • Relevant
  • Accurate
  • Timely
  • Secure

Further guidance:

Working Effectively With Families

 

Safeguarding practice should be strengths-based, respectful and focused on achieving positive outcomes for children.

Professionals should:

  • Build relationships with children and families.
  • Work collaboratively where possible.
  • Explain concerns openly unless doing so would increase risk.
  • Be clear about professional responsibilities.
  • Have honest conversations about worries and risks.
  • Recognise family strengths and protective factors.

Where there is conflict between partnership working and a child’s safety, the child’s safety must take priority.

Recording Safeguarding Concerns

Good recording is critical to effective safeguarding.

Records should:

  • Be completed promptly.
  • Be factual and objective.
  • Clearly distinguish facts from opinion.
  • Include observations.
  • Include the child’s voice.
  • Record actions taken and decisions made.
  • Explain professional analysis and rationale.

Good Recording Includes

  • Date and time.
  • Who was present.
  • What was seen.
  • What was heard.
  • Exact words used where possible.
  • Actions taken.
  • Referrals made.
  • Outcomes and next steps.

Good records support safeguarding decision-making and enable agencies to build an accurate picture of risk over time.

Managing Professional Disagreement

There may be occasions where professionals disagree about levels of risk or safeguarding decisions.

Where disagreements occur:

  • Seek professional discussion first.
  • Remain child focused.
  • Escalate concerns where necessary.
  • Use local escalation procedures.
  • Continue to advocate for the child.

Children should never be placed at risk because agencies disagree.

Concerns About Professionals or People in Positions of Trust

If safeguarding concerns relate to:

  • A professional
  • Volunteer
  • Foster carer
  • Agency worker
  • Person in a position of trust

Professionals should follow local allegations management procedures and seek advice from the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO).

Further information:

Early Help

Not all concerns require statutory intervention.

Children and families may benefit from coordinated support before problems escalate.

Professionals should consider:

  • Early Help
  • Family support
  • Multi-agency planning
  • Targeted services

South Tyneside Family Hubs and Early Help services provide support to children, young people and families where additional needs have been identified.

Resources:

Key Resources

South Tyneside

Regional

National

Key Practice Message

If you are worried about a child, act on your concerns. Do not assume someone else has noticed, do not wait for further evidence, and do not delay seeking advice or making a referral where there are concerns about a child’s safety or welfare. Professional curiosity, effective information sharing and timely action save lives.

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