Safeguarding Children Policy

Transcription

1 Safeguarding Children Policy DOCUMENT CONTROL Version: 12.1 Ratified by Quality and Safety Sub Committee Date ratified: 4 September 2017 Name of originator/author: Associate Nurse Director Children s Care Group Name of responsible Clinical Quality Group committee/individual: Date issued: 4 October 2017 Review date: January 2020 (updated from Jan 2018 to Jan 2020 Target Audience All staff/volunteers All Staff/Volunteers

2 CONTENTS Page No 1. INTRODUCTION 3 2. PURPOSE 4 3. SCOPE 5 4. RESPONSIBILITIES, ACCOUNTABILITIES AND DUTIES Board of Directors Nominated Executive Director Deputy Director of Nursing Nurse Consultant Safeguarding Children Trust s Named Nurse & Named Doctor for Safeguarding Children Care Group Directors/Associate Nurse Directors All Other Trust Employed Staff Trust Volunteers 6 5. PROCEDURE/IMPLEMENTATION Definitions related to Safeguarding Children & Child Protection The Principles of the Children Act Legal Duties under the Children Act Legal Duties under the Children Act Child Protection The Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families (DoH 2000) Making a Referral to Local Authority Children Social Care 9 6. TRAINING IMPLICATIONS Managers responsibilities Safeguarding Supervision MONITORING ARRANGEMENTS EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT SCREENING Privacy, Dignity and Respect Mental Capacity Act LINKS TO ANY ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS REFERENCES APPENDICES 17 Page 2 of 17

3 1. INTRODUCTION Working Together to Safeguard Children (2015) identifies health professionals as being in a strong position to identify welfare needs or safeguarding concerns regarding individual children and where appropriate, provide support. This can include understanding risk factors, communicating effectively with children and families, liaising with other agencies, assessing need and capacity and responding to those needs by contributing to multiagency assessments and reviews. 1.1 The Safeguarding Children Policy will be reviewed three yearly and in accordance with any changes to: Legislation Good practice guidance Case law Significant incidents reported New developments Changes to organisational infrastructure Introduction of new systems and processes 1.2 The Safeguarding Children Policy is located on the Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH) intranet site. Public sector organisations have an overall duty to: Take all reasonable measures to ensure that they minimise risk of harm to Children Take appropriate action when there are child protection concerns, by working to agreed local policies and procedures, in full partnership with other agencies. Decisions regarding children in need, or at risk of harm, are often made in difficult circumstances and fine judgments are required about the weight and significance of information. Whilst Local Authority Children s Social Care (LACSC) have legal powers to protect children, government legislation and guidance directs all agencies to play their part in safeguarding children. This is set out in statutory guidance; Working Together to Safeguard Children - a guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children (HM Government 2015). The Children Acts 1989 and 2004 are the over-arching legislation concerning the welfare of children. These Acts support the Paramount Principle ; that is that the welfare of the child is the paramount consideration. They place a duty on all staff/volunteers to consider children in the course of their work, even where their client group may be adult. This policy relates to the unborn child and children/young people up to their eighteenth birthday. Page 3 of 17

4 Key Principles as outlined in Working Together 2015 are: Safeguarding is everyone s responsibility: for services to be effective each professional and organisation should play their full part Everyone should work using a Child centred approach: for services to be effective they should be based on a clear understanding of the needs and views of children 2. PURPOSE The purpose of this policy is to set out the Trust s arrangements for, and approach to, the safeguarding of children, and as such to support all Trust staff/volunteers, whatever their role in the organisation and whoever their client group is, in fulfilling their legal duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. The policy conforms to the requirements of the following documents: Working Together to Safeguard Children (HM Gov.2015) Protecting Children & Young People: the responsibilities of all Doctors.(GMC, 2012) Professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses and midwives What to do if you are worried a child is being abused (HM Gov. 2015) National Service Framework for children young people and maternity services. Standard 5 (DH, 2004) /file/199952/national_service_framework_for_children_young_people_a nd_maternity_services_-_core_standards.pdf NHS England Accountability and Assurance Framework NHS England Managing safeguarding allegations against staff; Policy and Procedure June NHS England Safeguarding Policy June Safeguarding Children and Young People from Sexual Exploitation /file/278849/safeguarding_children_and_young_people_from_sexual_e xploitation.pdf Page 4 of 17

5 Serious Crime Act 2015: factsheet Female Genital Mutilation /file/300167/fgm_leaflet_v4.pdf Doncaster LSCB Procedures Rotherham LSCB Procedures North Lincolnshire LSCB Procedures North East Lincolnshire LSCB Procedures Manchester LSCB Procedures 3. SCOPE RDaSH is committed to ensuring that the arrangements for safeguarding children are embedded in clinical practice. This policy applies to all staff/volunteers directly working with children, young people and their families, and those staff/volunteers working with adult service users where safeguarding children issues are present. It also applies to staff/volunteers employed by the Trust whose own children may be the subject of safeguarding concerns. Adherence to this policy is the responsibility of all staff/volunteers employed by the Trust, including agency, locum and bank staff contracted by the Trust. 4. RESPONSIBILITIES, ACCOUNTABILITIES and DUTIES. 4.1 Board of Directors The Board of Directors delegates to the Chief Executive overall responsibility for the effective implementation of this policy, which in turn is delegated to the Executive Directors with responsibilities for clinical staff and volunteers, Director of Nursing and Quality, Chief Operating Officer and Medical Director. 4.2 Nominated Executive Director The Nominated Executive Director is the Director of Nursing and Quality and is responsible for: Taking a professional lead in promoting best practice in Safeguarding Children at board level. 4.3 The Director of Nursing and Quality The Deputy Director of Nursing is responsible for: Taking the operational lead within the Trust on safeguarding children. Providing strategic and operational leadership for safeguarding and professional standards To ensure that all mandatory and statutory requirements around Safeguarding are met and develop support systems. Page 5 of 17

6 4.4 Nurse Consultant Safeguarding Children Is responsible for: Providing professional leadership for safeguarding and professional Standards. Undertaking the delegated duties of the Named Doctor. Chairing the Trust Safeguarding Quality Group Representing the Trust on Local Safeguarding Children Boards. Advising the Director of Nursing and Quality on issues for consideration and risk related to safeguarding children. 4.5 Trust s Named Nurses, Named Professional and Named Doctor for Safeguarding Children Are responsible for: Providing expert safeguarding and child protection knowledge, advice, training, supervision and support to practitioners across the Trust Providing safeguarding leadership to all staff/volunteers within the organisation. It is the role of the Named Professional to advise senior staff of any issues which may impact of the Trust s compliance with Section 11 Children Act Named Professionals for safeguarding children, within a defined locality, act in accordance with the guidance set out in Working Together to Safeguard Children (HM Gov. 2015), and the Local Safeguarding Children Board s policies and procedures. 4.6 Care Group Directors/ Associate Nurse Directors Are responsible for: Making staff/volunteers aware of this policy and its content Investigating any failure to comply with the policy and taking corrective action to prevent it happening again 4.7 All other Trust employed staff Are responsible for: Ensuring that they are appropriately trained to enable them to carry out their duties in accordance with this policy Ensuring that they have up to date knowledge of legislation, policy and research to support them in their work. Decisions they make in the course of their work. 4.8 Trust Volunteers Are responsible for: Page 6 of 17

7 Engaging with Safeguarding Children induction and mandatory training Reading and adhering to all aspects of this policy Engaging with any support and supervision arrangements related to safeguarding children issues. 5. PROCEDURE/IMPLEMENTATION 5.1 Definitions related to Safeguarding Children and Child Protection The Children Act 1989 defines a child as someone who has not yet reached their eighteenth birthday. 5.2 The Principles of the Children Act 1989 are: The welfare of the child is paramount Children are generally best looked after by their own families The child and family s race, religion and culture must be taken into account Children have a right to be consulted about decisions affecting them Children s wishes and feelings must be taken into account Delay in decision-making is harmful for children The 1989 Children Act also set out the definition of Parental Responsibility. This refers to the rights, duties, powers and responsibility which a parent of a child has in relation to the child and his or her property. It includes rights and duties with regard to education, choice of religion, administration of a child s property and choice of residence. It is important to note that all the provisions of the Children Act 1989 are subject to the guiding principle of the child s best interests and consequently the exercise of parental responsibility to limitations where disputes arise either between holders of parental responsibility or between parents and children. These rights exist in order to allow those with parental responsibility to exercise their duty of care towards their child. 5.3 Legal Duties under the Children Act 1989 Section 47 of the Children Act 1989 places a duty on any NHS Trust (and other bodies) to help a local authority with its enquiries in cases where there is reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm, unless doing so would be unreasonable in all the circumstances of the case (in particular by providing relevant information and advice). Section 17 defines a Child in Need as one whose vulnerability is such that they are unlikely to reach or maintain a satisfactory level of health or development, or that their health or development will be significantly impaired without the provision of services. (This includes those who are disabled). The Local Authority has a duty to promote Children in Need being brought up by their families. Page 7 of 17

8 5.4 Legal Duties under the Children Act 2004 Section 11 of the Children Act 2004 places a statutory duty on the Trust to make arrangements to ensure that it has regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in exercising its functions. Section 10 reinforces and updates the Trust s existing duty (under the Children Act 1989) to co-operate and share information with local authorities in order to improve children s well-being. Working Together to Safeguard Children 2015 states that safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children means the process of: o Protecting children from maltreatment o Preventing impairment of children s health and development o Ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care o Taking action to enable all children to have the best life chances 5.5 Child Protection is part of safeguarding and promoting welfare. This refers to the activity that is undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm. 5.6 The Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families. This is a particularly useful tool in guiding assessments where there are concerns about the welfare of child/children. The diagram below is reproduced from Working Together, HM Gov pp22. There are three inter-related domains, each of which has a number of critical dimensions. The tool reminds staff/volunteers to consider a number of dimensions while keeping the child at the centre of any assessment, so that the focus of the assessment is on the needs and views of the child. Where there is a conflict between the needs of the child and their parents/carers, decisions should be made in the best interest of the child. Trust staff/volunteers should be familiar with the three domains in this triangle as they may be requested to provide information on any or all of these (depending on professional knowledge of the family). This information may inform an Early Help assessment, children/family Common Assessment Framework (CAF) and/or a referral to Local Authority Children and Young People s Services and/or a child protection conference. Multi agency thresholds descriptors These documents provide guidance for professionals and families, to clarify the circumstances in which to refer a family to a specific agency to address an individual need, when to carry out an early help enquiry and when to refer to Children s Social Care Services. The threshold descriptors are to be used as guidance only. They should be used in conjunction with single and multi-agency safeguarding children Page 8 of 17

9 procedures, best practice guidance and protocols for specific issues. They do not replace children s assessments but can be used to aid the identification of strengths and protective factors for a child at an early stage, as well as any additional unmet needs or welfare concerns. Please see individual safeguarding board websites for detailed guidance 5.7 Making a Referral to Local Authority Children Social Care. By law, the only agencies authorised to investigate child protection concerns are Local Authority Children s Social Care (LACSC), the Police and in some areas the NSPCC. However, the Trust has a legal duty to refer concerns and to cooperate and share information with agencies investigating concerns. Where an assessment by a staff member indicates that a child may be in need (S17) (see 5.3) or in need of protection (S47) (see 5.3), it is the individual member of staff s responsibility to ensure that a referral is made in accordance with the Local Safeguarding Children Board s procedures (2.1). Referrals should be made initially by telephone to the relevant Team (see appendix 1 for contact details). This should be followed up in writing within 24 hours using the locally agreed format. A copy of the written confirmation must also be sent to the Named Professionals and to the GP for the child/client. Within one working day LACSC should acknowledge receipt of referrals and inform the referrer of the next course of action; if this does not happen within three working days it is the responsibility of the referrer to contact LACSC to ascertain the outcome of the referral. Should staff/volunteers require advice or support at any stage of the referral process this can be sought from their line manager, safeguarding supervisor or the Named Nurse/Professional. The contact details for the Safeguarding Children Team can be found on the RDaSH intranet. 6 TRAINING IMPLICATIONS Safeguarding Children training is mandatory for all staff and volunteers, and individuals have a responsibility to keep themselves updated. To support both managers and individual staff and volunteers in identifying the level of training they require, a training matrix is available on the intranet and within the training plan It is important to state that this process should be supported with individual appraisal to identify specific or additional training needs. Safeguarding Children Policy All Staff/volunteers (Level 1 training) on induction, updated 3 yearly. Part of safeguarding children induction Safeguarding Children Leaflet - Learning and Development Services. Page 9 of 17

10 Electronic staff/volunteers record system. Level 2 training 3 yearly, updates 1-2 hours. Safeguarding children level 2 e learning package. Learning and Development Services Electronic staff/volunteers record system. Level 3 training Initial programme delivered by LSCB with three yearly equivalents to a minimum of 1 day taught session. LSCB for initial training. Electronic staff/volunteers record system update training delivered within RDASH. RDASH Safeguarding Children Team for update training. As a trust policy, all staff and volunteers need to be aware of the key points that the policy covers. Staff and volunteers will be made aware of this policy s content via any of the following: Safeguarding Children Bulletin Team Brief Weekly Bulletin Team Meetings Supervision Practice development days Induction 6.1 Managers Managers should ensure that practitioners working with children, young people and adults who are parents/carers are able to attend relevant Safeguarding Children courses or conferences covering particular areas of practice in order to maintain and develop their expertise in this area. Individuals should demonstrate their competencies within their every-day practice, and managers have a duty to consider this area of practice on an individual basis through the relevant appraisal, supervision and performance process. Managers and Senior Managers are reminded of their responsibility to acquire the competencies laid out in Safeguarding Children and Young People: Roles and Competencies for health care staff Intercollegiate document, March Safeguarding supervision Working Together to Safeguard Children states that Effective professional supervision can play a critical role in ensuring a clear focus on a child s welfare. Supervision should support professionals to reflect critically on the impact of their decisions on the child and their family and Any professional working with vulnerable children should always have access to a manager to talk through their concerns and judgements affecting the welfare of the child. (HM Government 2015 pp25). Supervision enables the supervisee to develop greater knowledge and a deeper understanding of their accountability and promotes reflective practice. Safeguarding Supervision also supports adherence to the Trust s Page 10 of 17

11 responsibilities under Section 11 of the Children Act 2004, to make arrangements to safeguard and protect the welfare of children. The principles of this policy are to promote and develop a culture within RDaSH that values engagement and regular participation in safeguarding children supervision. Types of Supervision There are several approaches to the delivery of Safeguarding Supervision: Safeguarding within Clinical and Management Supervision. Clinicians, as part of their Clinical or Management Supervision, discuss and review cases where there are current or historical Safeguarding issues or concerns. Particular attention should be given over to those cases where children are subject to a Child in Need or Child Protection Plan (Children Act 1989). Decisions and agreed Action Plans need to be recorded on the patient s record. Individual Supervision. A one to one session with a trained Safeguarding Supervisor may be arranged for Clinicians to discuss cases identified as requiring this during the Clinical or Management Supervision process. These are typically those cases where there may be concerns that are unsubstantiated but not allayed, or where there may not be full agreement between professionals in partner agencies about the way forward. Clinicians need to inform their Manager when they have received supervision. Supervision with a Named or Safeguarding Professional is available on request. Both supervisee s and supervisors can request one to one supervision. There is an expectation the decision to access Named Nurse or Safeguarding Professional Supervision will have been discussed with the Manager, Clinical Supervisor, or Safeguarding Supervisor, and this decision will have been recorded in the client record. Cases will relate to escalation of concerns about continued professional disagreement, dissent, or issues with competency. The supervision can be face to face or by telephone contact. Group Supervision This is a process where Practitioners come together to reflect on their work by pooling their skills, experience and knowledge. Group supervision can be case specific or based around a topic. It can be used to support a service team or include members of different teams who are working with the same family. It is the responsibility of the Safeguarding Supervisor to produce a record of the Safeguarding Supervision session. It is the responsibility of the Supervisee to document any discussion relating to a particular case in the service user s record. Page 11 of 17

12 Multiagency Supervision Access to Multiagency supervision is recommended in What about the Children (Ofsted March 2013). This is to be developed through the Local Safeguarding Children Boards. Staff requesting Multiagency Supervision will discuss this with their Manager, Safeguarding Supervisor, Named Nurse, or Safeguarding Professional, who will help to make arrangements with Partner Agency counterparts. Attendance at Multiagency Supervision will be reported to the local LSCB through the appropriate Subgroup. Once completed the Manager is responsible for recording the Staff member s attendance at Supervision on the RDASH Supervision database: o (K-Drive, Safeguarding Supervision Folder, Business Specific/ Team Spread sheet). Ad-hoc Supervision The Named Nurses/Named Professionals for Safeguarding Children, and Safeguarding Supervisors, are available during the normal working day for advice and support regarding any safeguarding issues. In addition, appointments can be made to discuss individual service users, children or families. It is the responsibility of the Supervisee to record information regarding the case discussion and subsequent action plan in the client record. Supervision Contract For all types of Supervision, a Safeguarding Children Supervision Contract must be signed and a copy kept for the Supervisee, Supervisor and Staff Record. The Safeguarding Supervisors Forum Safeguarding Supervisors Forums to take place on a regular basis in each of the geographical areas where RDaSH services are provided, co-terminal with the Local Safeguarding Children Board areas. Individual cases and service users are not discussed in the Forum. The Forum is used to disseminate information about national and local Safeguarding developments, and for Safeguarding Supervisors to discuss relevant trends and topics. Guest Speakers from Partner Agencies, and from within RDaSH may be invited to address the Safeguarding Forum. It is the responsibility of the relevant Named Nurses/Named Professionals to make arrangements for Safeguarding Forums. The Cascade Model for Safeguarding Supervision Safeguarding Supervision is based on a cascade model, whereby Safeguarding Supervisees receive Supervision from Safeguarding Supervisors, who in turn receive Supervision from Named Nurses/Named Professionals in the Safeguarding Team. Page 12 of 17

13 Supervisees are practitioners who receive recognised professional Safeguarding support from a Supervisor. Supervisees are responsible for: Maintaining accountability for their practice. Discussing a case in safeguarding supervision should not interfere with the practitioner s responsibilities to refer to statutory agencies where there are concerns that a child may be at risk of significant harm. Accessing Safeguarding Supervision with a suitable Supervisor. Recording in the client records when supervision has taken place, and any resulting decisions and actions. Supervisors are responsible for: Ensuring that they are appropriately trained and able to demonstrate the required competencies through attending a recognised training course in safeguarding supervision, and remaining compliant with their requirement for Level 3 Safeguarding training. Maintaining up to date knowledge of legislation, policy and research to support the Safeguarding Supervision session. Discussing cases as part of Clinical Supervision and ensuring decisions are recorded. Providing ad-hoc Supervision direct to Supervisees via telephone and face-to-face contact as necessary. Informing the Safeguarding Team Administrator of which Supervisees have accessed Safeguarding Supervision with them and when. Accessing safeguarding Supervision with a Named Nurse/Professional via Supervision Group. Named Nurses/Named Professionals will: Make arrangements for Supervision Groups for Supervisors to take place on a regular basis in each of the geographical areas where RDaSH services are provided, co-terminal with the Local Safeguarding Children Board areas Make arrangements for Safeguarding Supervisors Forums to take place on a regular basis in each of the geographical areas where RDaSH services are provided, co-terminal with the Local Safeguarding Children Board areas Provide ad-hoc supervision direct to Supervisees via telephone and direct contact in the event that there is no Supervisor available Inform the Safeguarding Team Administrator of which Supervisors have accessed Safeguarding Supervision Groups with them and when. The principles of safeguarding supervision are to promote and develop a culture within RDaSH that values and engages in regular safeguarding children supervision in order to: Ensure the quality and safety of services to children, young people and Page 13 of 17

14 their families within RDaSH Advocate best practice and safe service development. Provide formal support and guidance for all staff working with children, young people and families, in order to enable them to meet their safeguarding children responsibilities. Ensure that practice is uniformly and soundly based, and is consistent with local and national guidance in safeguarding children. Ensure that practitioners working with children, young people and families understand their roles, responsibilities and scope and authority regarding safeguarding children in the multi-agency arena. Ensure all staff are aware of the accountability framework for safeguarding children within this organisation. Reduce the level of stress, burn-out and potential for dangerous professional practice arising from safeguarding interventions. Provide a source of advice, support and expertise for staff, in an appropriately safe, learning environment. Coach and challenge staff towards the goals of developing confidence and competence in safeguarding children. Provide an opportunity for reflection and critical incident analysis, to identify and learn from near misses and best practice to ensure best outcomes for children, young people and families and staff. Endorse and challenge clinical judgements and provide specialist support when circumstances require it in the safeguarding children process. Help identify training and development needs of staff. Ensure all safeguarding children supervision sessions comply with national and local guidance regarding record keeping. Support staff through serious safeguarding incidents and consider how their needs may be met in accordance with Trust employment. Please see attached guidance (appendix Safeguarding Children Supervision Guidance) for scope and procedure. 7. MONITORING AND REPORTING ARRANGEMENTS Safeguarding practice and its compliance with procedure Audit Annual Deputy Director of Nursing, Clinical Audit Team, Safeguarding Quality & Group Assessments and risk assessments in relation to Trust and multi-agency standards Audit Annual Service - Managers/Modern Matrons, Safeguarding Quality Group Mandatory Audit Annual Mandatory Training Safeguarding. 8. EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT SCREENING The completed Equality Impact Assessment for this Policy has been published on the Equality and Diversity webpage of the RDaSH website. Page 14 of 17

15 8.1 Privacy, Dignity and Respect The NHS Constitution states that all patients should feel that their privacy and dignity are respected while they are in hospital. High Quality Care for All (2008), Lord Darzi s review of the NHS, identifies the need to organise care around the individual, not just clinically but in terms of dignity and respect. As a consequence the Trust is required to articulate its intent to deliver care with privacy and dignity that treats all patients with respect. Therefore, all procedural documents will be considered, if relevant, to reflect the requirement to treat everyone with privacy, dignity and respect, (when appropriate this should also include how same sex accommodation is provided). Indicate how this will be met. No issues have been identified in relation to this policy. 8.2 Mental Capacity Act Central to any aspect of care delivered to adults and young people aged 16 years or over will be the consideration of the individuals capacity to participate in the decision making process. Consequently, no intervention should be carried out without either the individuals informed consent, or the powers included in a legal framework, or by order of the Court. Therefore, the Trust is required to make sure that all staff working with individuals who use our service are familiar with the provisions within the Mental Capacity Act. For this reason all procedural documents will be considered, if relevant to reflect the provisions of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 to ensure that the interests of an individual whose capacity is in question can continue to make as many decisions for themselves as possible. Indicate How This Will Be Achieved All individuals involved in the implementation of this policy should do so in accordance with the Guiding Principles of the Mental Capacity Act (Section 1). 9. LINKS TO ANY ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS Clinical Policies Policy for children visiting in-patient and residential units within the Trust Clinical Risk Assessment and Management Policy Care Programme Approach Policy Policy for when adults disengage or who are at risk of disengaging from services and have parental/caring responsibilities/ access to children Page 15 of 17

16 Policy for Children and Young People who do not attend appointments and/or disengage/are at risk of disengaging with services Safeguarding Adults Policy Domestic Abuse policy Lifecycle of Clinical and Corporate Records Policy Care and Treatment of Children under the age of 18 on Adult Acute Mental Health Inpatient Areas Policy Managing and supporting transient families SOP Employment Policies Policy and procedure for the management of disciplinary procedures Supervision of clinical staff policy Freedom to Speak Up: Raising Concerns (Whistleblowing) Policy Supporting staff involved in a traumatic/stressful incident, complaint or claim associated with employment. Other Policies Policy for management of serious incidents (SIs) General Policy Incident Reporting Health and safety Policy Prevent Strategy Security Policy Information Sharing Information Governance Policy Mandatory Training Policy General Policy Volunteer s Policy Human Resource Policy Trust Training Matrix and Training Needs Analysis Policy All the above policies can be found on the RDaSH Intranet. 10. REFERENCES Children Act (1989) London: Her Majesty s Stationery Office. Children Act (2004) London: Her Majesty s Stationery Office. DfES National Service Framework for children young people and maternity services Standard 5 (2004) DoH What to do if you are worried a child is being abused (2015)HM Gov. Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health: Safeguarding Children and Young People: roles and competencies for health care staff intercollegiate Document (March 2014). Protecting Children & Young People: the responsibilities of all Doctors. (2012) GMC Working Together to Safeguard Children (2015) HM Gov. Information Sharing (2015) HM Gov. Key Contact details NOTE: If you think a child is at risk of immediate harm at any time you can contact the police by calling 999. Page 16 of 17

17 Follow up referral in writing to local duty team within 24 hours using locally agreed template/format retain a copy in client record copy to Safeguarding Children Team. Member of staff has a concern that warrants a referral to Local Authority Children and Young People s Services. Within office hours telephone referral to local Duty Team Duty Team Numbers Doncaster Rotherham North Lincolnshire North East Lincolnshire Manchester Out of Hours - Telephone referral to Emergency Duty Team (EDT) EDT numbers Doncaster Rotherham North Lincolnshire North East Lincolnshire Manchester Emergency Duty Team (EDT) not available and /or concern is urgent i.e. child at risk of immediate harm then call the Police. Contact Local Authority Children and Young People s Service s requesting the outcome of your referral if you have not been advised by them within 3 working days. Record the information given/discussed. 11. APPENDICES None Page 17 of 17