All professionals across the borough working with children, young people and families need to know what to do about a case where they are worried that professionals are not working well together and as a result a child is not making good enough progress or is at risk.
Every agency should have their own procedures in place for how to deal with concerns within their own setting. On those occasions where concerns need to be raised with another agency, workers should ensure this happens as soon as possible and that discussions are clearly recorded. In most cases the Lead Professional should be the first contact and if that does not resolve the concerns their manager should be contacted.
For cases involving Social Care the concerns should be discussed initially with the social worker, and followed up in writing with a copy being sent to the respective Team Manager. If this does not resolve the problem the Team Manager should be contacted by telephone and in writing. If the issue remains unresolved the Operational Manager should be contacted, and if the issue remains a concern the Service Manager should be contacted. Once a case has been escalated, the respective social worker and/or Manager should provide a written reply within seven working days to the professional who has initiated the procedure. A copy of all correspondence and outcomes should be sent to the Safeguarding Service Manager.
The Operational and Service Managers will also be available for discussion on urgent or sensitive cases.
The Safeguarding Children Unit will continue to offer consultation and advice on cases and will intervene to help resolve issues if that is appropriate.
In cases of difficulties with working together they will suggest that where possible issues are resolved by the team manager as they have in depth knowledge of the cases and the staffing situation.
However Safeguarding Children Unit managers will always follow up cases where there are immediate concerns about a child – they will not be left until a team manager is available.
Contact numbers are detailed below:
Safeguarding Children Unit 01744 671267
Team Manager Family Support Team 01744 675159
Team Manager South East Team 01744 671150
Team Manager North East Team 01744 671167
Team Manager West Team 01744 671131
Operational Manager 01744 671130
Service Manager 01744 671129
Team Manager Looked After Children Team 01744 671223
Team Manager Young People’s Team 01744 677094
Service Manager 01744 671128
Team Manager Children with Disabilities 01744 674134
Service Manager 01744 677333
Team Manager Fostering Team 01744 671182
Team Manager Permanency Team 01744 671202
Manager, The Grove 01744 677085
Service Manager 01744 671181
Administrative Support to Service Managers 01744 671268
