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Contents

1. Initial Contacts 
2. Referrals 
3. Timescales 
4. Screening Process
5. Initial Disposal of Referrals 
6. Recording of Referrals  

1. Initial Contacts

An Initial Contact is made where the London Borough of Croydon, via its Contact Centre, is contacted about a child, who may be a Child in Need, and where there is a request for general advice, information or a service. 

At any time, an Initial Contact may become a Referral if it appears that services may be required for a Child in Need.

The duty officer at the Contact Centre should record the Initial Contact, including the child's name, date of birth and check if the child or family is already known to Children's Social Care Services.

Any information received about a child who is an open case should be passed to the child's allocated social worker and recorded by the social worker on ICS.

In all other cases, at the point when an Initial Contact is made, the duty worker at the Contact Centre should pass the information electronically to the duty officer at the Assessment Team who will review the information, in consultation with the duty manager as necessary, and establish whether the enquiry can be dealt with by the provision of information and advice or re-direction to other agencies or services, or whether the Contact should be dealt with as a Referral. In some cases, the duty manager may ask the duty officer to obtain further information about the child before this decision can be made.

2. Referrals

An Initial Contact will be progressed to a Referral where the duty worker or manager at the Assessment Team considers an assessment and/or services may be required for a Child in Need.

Referrers will have an opportunity to discuss their concerns with a qualified social worker.

The duty social worker will arrange to visit or contact the referrer and obtain as much of the following information as possible:

• Full names, dates of birth and gender of children
• Family address and, where relevant, school/nursery attended
• Identity of those with Parental Responsibility
• Names and dates of birth of all members of the household
• Ethnicity, first language and religion of children and parents
• Any special needs of the children
• Any significant recent or past events
• Cause for concern including details of allegations, their sources, timing and location
• The child's current location and emotional and physical condition
• Whether the child needs immediate protection
• Details of any alleged perpetrator
• Referrer's relationship with and knowledge of the child and his or her family
• Known involvement of other agencies
• Information regarding parents' knowledge and agreement to referral 
• Referrers should be asked specifically if they hold any information about difficulties being experienced by the family/household due to domestic abuse, mental illness, substance misuse, and/or learning difficulties

3. Timescales

Once received, all referrals must be written up and a decision made about their disposal within one working day. 

4. Screening Process

The following process applies to new cases of children previously unknown to the authority, and to closed cases.

The process of Referrals must include screening against the London Children's Social Care Thresholds and must include internal (ICS) and agency checks to establish whether the family is previously known.

The screening process should establish:

• The nature of the concern
• How and why it has arisen
• What the child's needs appear to be
• Whether the concern involves Significant Harm
• Whether there is any need for urgent action to protect the child or any children in the household

This process will involve:

• Discussion with the referrer
• Consideration of any existing records, including whether the child is the subject of a Child Protection Plan
• Involving other agencies as necessary

If there are indications that a child may be at risk of Significant Harm, the duty manager may authorise whatever actions are necessary to protect the child or others in the household from Significant Harm, which may result in the immediate provision of services.

If there is suspicion that a crime may have been committed including sexual or physical assault or neglect of the child, the Police must be notified immediately.

Personal information about non-professional referrers should not be disclosed to the parents or other agencies without the referrer's consent.

The parent's consent should usually be sought before discussing a referral with other agencies unless this may place the child at risk of Significant Harm, in which case the manager should authorise the discussion of the referral with other agencies without parental knowledge or consent.  The authorisation should be recorded with reasons. 

5. Initial Disposal of Referrals

The initial disposal of a Referral, which must be authorised by the manager, may be:

1. That the child does not appear to be a Child In Need, which will result in one of the following: the provision of information, advice, sign-posting to another agency and/or no further action.
2. That the child appears to be a Child in Need with a moderate level of need, in which case, the manager may authorise an Initial Assessment.
3. That the child appears to be a Child in Need with a high level of need, which must result in an Initial Assessment
4. That it is suspected that the child is suffering or is likely to suffer from Significant Harm, which will result in an Initial Assessment, with a view to conducting a Strategy Discussion, prior to a Section 47 Enquiry and Core Assessment commencing.

If there are indications that a child may be at risk of Significant Harm, the manager may authorise whatever actions are necessary to protect the child or others in the household from Significant Harm, which may result in the immediate provision of services.

Professional referrers should be advised of the disposal of the referral.

Feedback on the outcome of the Referral should also be provided to non-professional referrers in a manner consistent with respecting the confidentiality of the child. 

6. Recording of Referrals

All Initial Contacts and Referrals should be recorded on ICS - see Section 1 of the Universal Assessments Procedures/Guidance.

End