Newcastle City Council

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In Newcastle, organisations work together to make sure that children are safe from abuse and neglect.

Making sure that our children are safe is everyone’s responsibility. All children have a right to be safe from harm and as a community we have a duty to care for our children. All professionals and members of the public have a very important part to play.

If you are a professional or a member of the public and you think a child is being abused you should contact children's social care where your concerns will be treated seriously. If you tell Children's Social Care that you are concerned about a child, social workers need to find out more. The law says that social workers must ask questions to find out if a child is at risk of harm.

You can contact the Children's Social Care office at Cruddas Park (Initial Response Service) on (0191) 277 2500.

Any contact outside of office hours must be to the Out of Hours Social Care Service on 0191 2328520

If you think that a crime has been committed against a child, you should contact the police on (0191) 214 6555 and ask for your local police station.

If you are a professional and you're worried a child is being abused you can access guidance and the Newcastle Safeguarding Children Board (NSCB) Procedures via the Newcastle Safeguarding Children Board website.

You can also download and complete a Referral and Initial Information Record Form

Allegations against staff involved with children - Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)

There are procedures on the NSAB website which set out the process, in accordance with Appendix 5 of statutory guidance Working Together (2006) and Safeguarding Children in Education: Dealing with Allegations of Abuse Against Teachers and Other Staff (2005) for managing allegations of abuse made against a person who works with children. Information sharing and recording processes are underpinned by the Data Protection Act 1998.

The aim of the procedure is to ensure that allegations are dealt with speedily, consistently and in a fair manner.
Newcastle Safeguarding Children Board statutory members must review internal procedures to ensure that they are compliant with the requirements of this document.

All other organisations, including voluntary and independent sector organisations, are strongly encouraged to ensure internal procedures are compliant with this document.

The term employer is used throughout these procedures to refer to organisations that have a working relationship with the individual against whom the allegation is made.

The term includes organisations that use the services of volunteers, people who are self employed, service providers, voluntary organisations, employment agencies, contractors and fostering services.  In the case of childminders, and others that may not have a direct employment relationship with the individual, regulatory bodies such as Ofsted will need to consider whether to continue to use the person’s services, or to provide the person for work with children in future, or to deregister the individual.

In some circumstances, the term 'employer' for these purposes will encompass more than one organisation. For example where staff providing services for children in an organisation is employed by a contractor, or where temporary staff are provided by an agency. In those circumstances both the contractor or agency, and the organisation in which the accused individual works will need to be involved in dealing with the allegation.

The procedures must be applied when there is a an allegation made which suggests a person who works with children has:

• Behaved in a way that has harmed a child, or may have harmed a child
• Possibly committed a criminal offence against or involving a child
• Behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates s/he is unsuitable to work with children in connection with his/her employment or voluntary activity

These procedures can also be applied if a complaint or an allegation is made against a person in relation to:

• Concerns arise about the person’s behaviour with regard to his/her own children

His/her work with adult service users, which cause concern about the welfare of an adult service user’s children
There may be up to 3 strands in considering a concern or an allegation:

1. A police investigation of a criminal offence
2. Enquiries and assessment by Children’s Social Care about whether a child or young person is in need of protection or support of services
3. Consideration by an employer of disciplinary action in respect of the individual (or other appropriate action if the individual is not an employee)

If an allegation relating to a child is made about a person who undertakes paid or unpaid care of vulnerable adults, consideration must be given to the possible need to alert those who manage them in that role. Please make the alert to Adult Social Care Direct.  Phone 0191 278 8377

Newcastle Local Authority Designated officer (LADO) for managing allegations of child abuse against staff

LADO
Children’s Safeguarding Standards Unit
North Block, Springfield Centre
Blakelaw
Newcasle
NE5 3HU

Phone: 0191 277 4636

Page last updated: 16 August, 2011