When informed of a concern, the Designated Senior Manager (DSM) will not investigate the matter or interview the member of staff concerned, the child or potential witnesses.
S/he should;
- obtain written details of the concern/allegation, signed and dated by the person who received them (not the child/adult making the allegation);
- countersign and date the written details;
- record any information about times, dates and location of alleged incident(s) and names of any potential witnesses;
- record discussion about the child and/or member of staff, any decisions made and the reasons for those decisions.
If the allegation meets the criteria set out in What is the Scope of the Managing Allegations of Abuse Against Adults Who Work with Children Procedures? the DSM should report it to the LADO within one working day. Referral should not be delayed in order to gather further information. The referral may be made verbally but must be followed up in writing within 3 working days.
As soon as possible after an allegation is made, the parents or carers should be informed. Where possible, advice should be sought from the LADO in advance on how this should be managed.
The LADO should also be consulted about how and when the accused member of staff/volunteer is to be informed of the allegation. If sharing the information with the member of staff will not impede or undermine any subsequent investigation, there should be no delay in doing so. At this early stage, it is advisable to only explain that an allegation of a child protection nature has been made. The detail of the allegation can be explained by the investigative agencies.
If an allegation requires immediate attention but is received outside of normal office hours, the DSM should consult the Out of Hours Service/Emergency Duty Team or the CPU via the local Police. The DSM should inform the LADO the next working day and this should be followed up in writing within 3 working days.
If a Police Officer receives an allegation, she/he should, without delay, report it to the relevant Cheshire Constabulary Area Public Protection Unit Manager. The relevant Cheshire Constabulary Area Public Protection Unit Manager should immediately inform the LADO.
Similarly, an allegation made directly to Children’s Social Care should be immediately reported to the LADO.
