It is essential that practitioners take any disclosure made to them seriously and do not make a judgement as to the reliability and validity of what has been said. It is up to social services and the police to make this judgement.
Report concerns
Report the concerns immediately to:
- your line manager and/or the designated safeguarding person (DSP) seeking advice
and
Ensure that the concerns are reported immediately to the local social services:
- do not delay;
- do not confront the alleged abuser;
- do not worry that you may be mistaken. Practitioners will always be taken seriously by social services. it is better to discuss the disclosure with somebody with the experience and responsibility to make a decision than take no action.
Record
Record, as soon as you can and no later than 24 hours following the disclosure, what you have been told:
- use the exact words the child used;
- describe the circumstances in which the disclosure happened; the setting and anyone else who was present;
- be aware that the report may be required for legal action or disciplinary procedure so be sure to separate fact from opinion;
- make a note of the date, time, place and people who were present when the disclosure took place.