Purpose
To ensure that children present in or affected by the delivery of care are protected, and that staff know how to escalate concerns about a child.
Scope
All staff delivering care in any setting where a child may be present, including a person's own home.
Recognising concerns about a child
Indicators include unexplained injury, neglect of basic needs, exposure to domestic abuse or substance misuse, and a child providing significant unpaid care.
Concerns are reported the same day to the safeguarding lead who refers to children's social care; emergencies are reported directly to the police.
Young carers
Where a child is contributing to the care of an adult using the service, a young carer's needs assessment is requested from the local authority.
Care plans are adjusted so that no child is relied upon to deliver personal care or manage medicines.
Visiting arrangements
Children visiting the service are supervised by a responsible adult at all times and are not left in communal areas unaccompanied.
Risk assessments consider the needs and behaviours of other people using the service.
Training and competency
All staff receive induction training on this policy before working unsupervised, refreshed at least annually or sooner following incident learning or a change in guidance.
Competency is confirmed through observation of practice, supervision discussion and reflective questioning — not attendance records alone.
Training records are maintained centrally and gaps are reviewed monthly against the training matrix.
Governance, monitoring and accountability
The registered manager holds overall accountability for this policy. Day-to-day implementation is delegated to named leads recorded in the service's accountability matrix.
Compliance is monitored through the service audit calendar, with findings reported to the monthly governance review and escalated to the provider board where risk is rated high.
Every audit finding is converted into an entry on the improvement action tracker with a named owner, priority rating, target date and evidence of completion.
Learning is shared with the whole team through team meetings, supervision and reflective practice sessions. Where a theme recurs, the policy itself is reviewed rather than the individual blamed.
- Named child safeguarding lead with level 3 training.
- Local children's social care contact details held in every care file for domiciliary services.
- Visitor supervision recorded at reception.
- Same-day escalation to children's social care where a child is at immediate risk.
- Care package review whenever a young carer is identified, to remove reliance on the child.
- Recognition that disabled children and children in households with poverty, migration or language barriers face higher risk and lower reporting rates.
- Interpreters offered to families rather than using children to interpret.
Evidence of compliance
- Child concern log
- Young carer referrals
- Visitor supervision records
Suggested review cycle: Annually.