Child Protection Investigations - Information for Parents
Leicester City Council has a legal duty under the Children Act to make sure that children are safe and protected. We work with other agencies in Leicester and Leicestershire to ensure that children referred to these agencies are safe and free from abuse.
We understand that you may feel worried, upset, confused and perhaps angry because we are looking into an allegation that your child may have been abused or neglected.
Some of the frequently asked questions we receive:
When any agency receives information that a child may be at risk of abuse, a social worker must look into this. This is called a child protection investigation. Sometimes the information may be wrong or even malicious. However, we must always make enquiries to be sure that the child all right and is safe. This means speaking in confidence to other agencies who may know your family, e.g. a health visitor, the head teacher at your child’s school, your family doctor.
Sometimes there is no need to take any further action, or any need to visit your family at home. We usually let you know that we have been contacted about your child. We cannot always tell you by whom – sometimes people refuse to tell us who they are or sometimes people ask us not to say who they are and we have to respect that.
If there is anything that you do not understand please ask. Parents and children will nearly always have questions and our staff are used to answering them. If we don’t have the answers we will try to find someone who does.
If we need more information, a social worker will contact you. Sometimes a police officer may need to be involved and the social worker will talk to you about this. Their job is to find out what has happened and to decide whether your child has been harmed or is at risk of being harmed. This will involve asking you and, sometimes, other family members, a lot of questions.
We will always want to see your child, as it is your child’s welfare which is our main concern. If your child is old enough, we will want to speak to her or him alone, if you and your child agree. Sometimes we may ask your permission to see your child away from home. Depending on what has happened, we may ask your permission to record the interview with your child on video. The social worker will explain this to you, if this is necessary.
Also, depending on what has happened, we may need to ask your permission for a doctor to examine your child. This is to confirm whether your child has been harmed in any way and what type of injuries, if any, there are. The doctor will usually say how any injuries have been caused and whether they are accidental or not. If you do not give your permission for a doctor to examine your child, we will have to decide whether to take legal action to ensure that your child sees a doctor.
If there is anything that you do not understand please ask. Parents and children will nearly always have questions and our staff are used to answering them. If we don’t have the answers we will try to find someone who does.
If your child has not been harmed in any way, and we are satisfied that your child is not at risk, the investigation will end. The social worker will have to talk to their manager first before letting you know this. We will always let you know as soon as possible and will always write to you.
If we find your child has been harmed or may be at risk of being harmed and we are still concerned about this, we arrange a ‘child protection conference’, where what we have found out will be discussed. Whatever has happened, we always do our best to work with you to make sure that your child stays in your care. Sometimes this is not possible, but we will talk to you about anything that we are planning to do.
If there is anything that you do not understand please ask. Parents and children will nearly always have questions and our staff are used to answering them. If we don’t have the answers we will try to find someone who does.
We always record our contact with families. The social worker will explain this to you. You have a right to ask to see this information and we will change any inaccuracies.
We aim to offer a good service. We try to be open about what we are doing. If you do have any concerns, we hope you will discuss them with the social worker. Or, if you prefer, you can ask to talk the Team Manager.
However, if you are still not satisfied, you can make a complaint using our complaints service.
| Name: | Leicester City Children and Young People's Service |
Address: | 1 Grey Friars, Leicester, LE1 5PH |
Telephone: | 0116 253 1191 (Mon - Thur, 8.30am-5pm, Fri 8.30am - 4.30pm) |
| Minicom: | 0116 251 8040 |
Emergencies: | 0116 255 1606 (outside normal office hours, weekends, etc.) |