The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 s.128, specifies the duty placed on practitioner ‘relevant partners’ under s.162 of the Act to report both adults and children, including unborn children, they have reasonable cause to suspect are at risk of harm.
Definitions of children at risk of abuse and neglect
Pointers for Practice: Signs and Indicators of Abuse and Neglect
Relevant partners are:
a) the local policing body and the chief officer of police for a police area any part of which falls within the area of the local authority;
b) any other local authority with which the authority agrees that it would be appropriate to co-operate under this section;
c) the Secretary of State to the extent that the Secretary of State is discharging functions under sections 2 and 3 of the Offender Management Act 2007 in relation to Wales;
d) any provider of probation services that is required by arrangements under section 3(2) of the Offender Management Act 2007 to act as a relevant partner of the authority;
e) a Local Health Board for an area any part of which falls within the area of the authority;
f) a NHS Trust providing services in the area of the authority;
g) the Welsh Ministers to the extent that they are discharging functions under Part 2 of the Learning and Skills Act 2000;
h) such a person, or a person of such description, as regulations may specify; and
i) a youth offending team for an area any part of which falls within the area of the authority.
Responsibilities of those not included as relevant partners
All those whose agencies are not included as ‘relevant partners’ above, are still expected to refer any safeguarding concerns in the same way as those with a specific Duty to Report. This includes both paid and non-paid practitioners in third sector organisations including independent contractors and professionals.
Pointers for Practice: Potential barriers to recognising and reporting abuse and neglect