Sheffield Children Safeguarding Partnership

Child protection enquiries and conferences

The 1989 Children Act says that Children's Social Care at Sheffield City Council should look into all concerns about children and young people in Sheffield that they are told about.

The Sheffield Children Safeguarding Partnership is responsible for monitoring child protection in Sheffield. Different agencies such as health, education, police and the Children's Social Care work together to ensure that all organisations are doing their best to protect children and young people.

Staff in agencies that work with children and their parents can make an initial 'enquiry' about your children if they have concerns about their welfare. This is done through the Safeguarding Children Service, Child Protection Enquiry Team.

What does a child protection enquiry involve?

A child protection enquiry starts because someone has concerns that a child or young person may be being physically injured, neglected, emotionally or sexually harmed.

This concern may come from:

• the Police, Children's Social Care, the NSPCC or other agencies

• a parent or carer

• a neighbour

• a teacher at a child’s school or nursery, a health visitor or another health worker

• from a hospital when a child has been taken to the casualty department or admitted to a ward

Some concerns are made anonymously. Some turn out to be malicious, but others turn out to be correct. Therefore every concern is treated seriously. Any concern or allegation will be looked into as soon as possible.

In the very early stages Children's Social Care will make enquiries about your family with other agencies such as schools, nursery, GP, police and other health services.

• If it seems necessary, you and your child will then be seen and interviewed by a Social Worker and / or Police Officer to discuss the allegations. This will usually be within 24 hours of the allegation being reported to Children's Social Care.

• After these initial enquiries have been completed a decision will be made whether to pursue the matter further. If no further action is to be taken you will be informed of this as soon as possible. If it is decided that further action is necessary you will be informed of what action is to be taken.

Child Protection Conferences:

The Child Protection Information Leaflet for Families can be found in the right hand side column of this page.

If you have any questions about these processes please discuss them with your social worker, or contact us here.

Information for children and young people about child protection conferences can be found here.