Worried about a child?
If you are worried about a child or you are struggling to cope with looking after a child, there are a number of organisations that you can contact.
Who to contactIt is important that you should tell someone when you start to have worries about your child. Don't wait until the situation has got worse. You could contact any professional who works with the child - a teacher, doctor or youth worker for example. You should ask the child for permission first. All the professionals in Salford working with children, young people and families, use the same family action model to stop situations becoming worse. You can also contact the Family Action Coordination Unit. Staff will listen to your worries and can advise you on what to do next.
If your child needs some extra help, then the Family Action Coordination Unit can discuss with you the options. This might be contacting other services, or arranging a family action meeting.
If you are worried that a child is being abused or neglected, or you think this is likely to happen, you should contact Children Services or the Police. All the professionals in Salford working with children, young people and families, use the same child protection procedures when children and young people are at risk of significant harm.
What is significant harm?
Although, it is not possible to give a complete description, there are some warning signs to look out for. These include:
- physical injury
- changes in behaviour
- unhappiness, depression
- loss of appetite, failure to thrive
- wetting, soiling, nightmares
- sexual play, inappropriate knowledge
- hungry, inappropriate clothes, unkempt
- lack of trust in familiar adults
Remember
Long term abuse is damaging for children
Reporting concerns rarely leads to a child being removed
What to expect when you contact the duty Social Work Team
If you contact one of the Duty Social Work Teams we will need to ask you for some basic information about who the child is and the nature of the problem or concern. If the person contacting us is not the child or parents we will also need to know if they are aware that contact is being made.
In any assessment we will have to contact other services such as the child's school and health services to find whether they have any information that will help in the assessment. The process of assessment will help us to identify the best course of action to meet the child's needs.
Who to contact
- Name
- Children's Services
- Address
- Sutherland House
303 Chorley Road
Swinton
SALFORD
M27 6JB - Telephone
- 0161 603 4500
- social.services@salford.gov.uk
This page was last updated on 06 August 2007
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