Contacts and Referrals

A Contact is made where the Front Door Safeguarding Hub is contacted about a child who may be at risk of harm or who may be a Child in Need (CIN) or where there is a request for general advice, information or a service. All Contacts are dealt with at the Front Door Safeguarding Hub by the Duty and Advice Team. The contact number for professionals is 0113 376 0336 and the contact number for the public is 0113 222 4403.

When a professional from a partner agency calls the Duty and Advice Team, the worker will gather the relevant information and a Contact is completed and is formally logged on the Mosaic system. Initial checks may be undertaken. This could include contacting other professionals to obtain more context and clarity of information. Professionals who make a Contact will have an opportunity to discuss their concerns with a qualified social worker.

The parents / carers should normally be informed that a Contact is being made unless to do so would place a child or vulnerable adult at risk of harm. In addition, parents / carers should usually be informed before further enquiries can be made with other agencies unless this may place the child at risk of harm. In this instance, the Duty and Advice Team Manager must authorise the discussion of the referral with other agencies without parental knowledge. The authorisation must be recorded with reasons.

Where the caller is a professional from a partner agency and the child / young person already has an allocated social worker, the area office contact telephone number can be passed over for the agency to make direct contact with the allocated social worker / team manager. This can be a fieldwork, child looked after or child health and disability team. Where the referrer is a professional from a partner agency, the Contact must be followed up in writing with the duty and advice team (see Leeds Safeguarding Children's Partnership, Concerned About a Child).

This form must be completed whether the Contact proceeds to a referral or not.

Professional referrers must be advised if the Contact does not proceed to referral status and is closed following the provision of advice, information, or signposting.

The process should establish:

• The nature of the concern;
• How and why it has arisen;
• What the child's needs appear to be;
• Whether the concern involves Significant Harm;
• Whether there is any need for urgent action to protect the child or any children in the household.

The process will involve:

• Discussion with the referrer;
• Consideration of any existing records, including whether the child is the subject of a Child Protection Plan;
• Involving other agencies as necessary.

This section should be read in conjunction with the Children in Specific Circumstances section of the West Yorkshire Consortium Safeguarding Procedures, Children in Specific Circumstances Section.

If there are indications that a child may be suffering or likely to suffer Significant Harm, the area team manager will consider initiating a S47 Enquiry and 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.

If there is suspicion that a crime may have committed including sexual or physical assault or neglect of the child, the Police must be notified immediately. The area team manager will arrange a strategy discussion with the relevant agencies including at least the Police, following the procedures for a S47 Enquiry. See Assessments Guidance.

Any decision to remove a child must be discussed with the relevant head of service.

Personal information about non-professional referrers should not be disclosed to the parents or other agencies without the referrer's consent.

The initial outcome of a referral, which must be authorised by the area team manager, may be:

1. 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, signposting to another agency / Early Help services and/or no further action;
2. That the child appears to be a Child in Need with a moderate level of need, in which case, the manager may authorise a Child and Family Assessment;
3. That the child appears to be a Child in Need with a high level of need, which must result in a Child and Family Assessment.
   That it is suspected that the child is suffering or is likely to suffer from significant harm, where the manager should consider initiating a Section 47 Enquiry by conducting a strategy discussion, where the various decisions may be made, including that to undertake a section 47 enquiry and commence a Child and Family Assessment;
4. If there are indications that a child is suffering or likely to suffer Significant Harm, the manager may authorise whatever actions are necessary to protect the child or others in the household from Significant Harm, which will result in the immediate provision of services.

Professional referrers should be advised of the outcome 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.

All Contacts and referrals must be recorded on Mosaic - see Assessments Guidance.