The process following a report

The practitioner making the report should be aware that once a report has been received:

• social services will seek to clarify and explore the nature of any concerns with the report-maker. The social services report-taker should:
• repeat back key points;
• check evidence;
• establish who has been told what about the report.
• social services will always discuss the situation with the police whenever they have a case reported to them, which constitutes, or may constitute, a criminal offence.

What the report-maker should know following a report

At the end of any discussion with social services the practitioner making the report should be clear about:

• who took the report and their designation;
• what will happen next;
• the proposed initial action that will be taken by social services;
• the accessing of information held in existing records, including available care and support plans, risk assessments;
• any discussion with other practitioners and services as necessary (including the police, where a criminal offence may have been committed against a child or others or any ongoing risks that may be present);
• who will be taking the action/roles and responsibilities;
• timescales;
• issues regarding consent and what the child at risk and family will be told about the report and by whom;
• details of signposting to other agencies;
• what the individual or others will be told about the report, by whom and when;
• agree how to be contacted for further clarification and information if necessary.

Next steps

Where practitioners make a report by telephone, they must confirm the report in writing within 24 hours, in accordance with any locally agreed multi-agency reporting format.

If, having made the initial report in writing, the report-maker has not received an acknowledgement from social services within 7 working days, they must contact social services again.

The outcome of any discussion and the resulting decision must be recorded by the practitioner making the report.

If no action is to be taken by social services the child and family should be advised, directly or through the practitioner making the report, of any other support available. There may be a range of options available through information, advice and assistance or via Social Services & Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 ; Part 3 assessment.

Section 1 early help and intervention.

Disagreeing with the decision made by social services: resolving differences

It is the responsibility of the individual practitioner to ensure that their concerns about a child at risk of harm are taken seriously and followed through.

If a practitioner remains concerned about a child, the practitioner must inform their own line manager and the designated safeguarding person (DSP) within their agency.

If a practitioner continues to remain concerned about a child, they should bring the matter to the immediate attention of the senior manager within social services with responsibility for safeguarding in the area. in their absence the social services team manager responsible for the team who took the report must be notified.

Should the individual or their representative disagree with the actions taken by the local authority, each Regional Safeguarding Board has protocols to resolve professional differences.