Keeping in Touch

Where a child is suffering, or is likely to suffer from harm, it is important that a

referral to local authority children’s social care (and if appropriate the police) is

made immediately.

Safeguarding children is everyone's responsibility and coaching can support staff to turn professional curiosity into action by clarifying next steps, identifying who needs to be involved, and agreeing a simple plan. Read on for simple steps you can check for requirements regrading liaison with your local authority.

• Do all staff know how and when to make a referral to the local authority, and what a LADO does, what they would need, and what their contact details are?

• Do all staff know about whistleblowing and what to do if they have a concern about a school head or governor?

• Are there processes and principles for sharing safeguarding information within

  the school and with local authority children’s social care?

• Have you contacted the local authority regarding any child removed from the school roll at standard and non-standard transition points and when a name is deleted from an admissions register?

• Does your Senior Attendance Champion know how to contact the local authority School Attendance Support Team?

• Do you have details of the local authority Personal Advisor appointed to guide and support any care leavers?

• Have you contacted the local authority re instances of private fostering (28 days or more) to check the arrangement is suitable and safe for the child?

• Do you know what Operation Encompass is and when to make a referral to the local authority?

• Are you aware of contact details and referral routes into the Local Housing Authority to raise/progress concerns about potential homelessness?

• Have you read Working together to improve school attendance which sets out how schools must work with local authority children’s services?

• Did you know that local authorities and schools (of all types) are expected to have regular Targeting Support Meetings?

• Do you submit New Pupil & Deletion Returns, Sickness Returns and Attendance Returns?

• Have you contacted the local authority regarding any pupils with Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans or other local authority funding arrangements, including where required providing information on funding received and how it has been spent in relation to those pupils.

• Does the school engages with multi-agency safeguarding processes, and are local safeguarding procedures consistently followed?

This list is not exhaustive, and guidance such as Keeping Children Safe in Education should be referred to for full statutory requirements. Safeguarding relies on clear, consistent communication with the local authority and other agencies, underpinned by shared understanding of when, why, and how to seek support and escalate concerns appropriately.