Each local safeguarding children board should have in place a protocol for local authority children’s social care and the police, to guide both agencies in deciding how section 47 enquiries and associated police investigations should be conducted jointly and in particular, in what circumstances section 47 enquiries and a linked criminal investigation are necessary and/or appropriate. When joint enquiries take place the police have the lead for the criminal investigation and local authority children’s social care have the lead for the section 47 enquiries and the child’s welfare.
