Quick Exit
St Helens Safeguarding Children Partnership logo
Click here to open SAB website

If you suspect a child is at risk of harm, please call The Contact Centre on 01744676767

Partners

Allegations against professionals (LADO)

Allegations Against Professionals

Children and young people in schools, attending community activities, faith meetings or receiving services have a right to be treated with care and respect by staff, volunteers, faith and community leaders. Research and enquiries have shown that sometimes people in such positions of trust can harm children. It has also been shown that some professionals who work to support children may abuse or neglect children known to them in their private or family life. The SHSCP expects all professionals and volunteers to have the highest standards of behaviour with regard to children and young people. Our procedures will be used to look into allegations of harm by professionals and volunteers.  They are based on national statutory guidance and the St Helens Child Protection Procedures. When an agency becomes aware that a member of staff or volunteer may have harmed a child or young person (even if in their private life outside the agency) the agency MUST use these procedures and seek advice from the Local Authority Designated Officer on how the investigation should be conducted.

Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)

The Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), has overall responsibility for the management of allegations of abuse by adults who work with children. The LADO provides advice and guidance, liaises with the Police, Social Care Teams, Regulatory Bodies such as Ofsted and other organisations as needed and ensures a consistent, fair and thorough process for both child and adult.

The role of the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) is set out in chapter 2 of the HM Government Guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children (July 2018)

To make a referral to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) the referrer is to complete the LADO referral form and email securely to sthelenslado@sthelens.gov.uk and then follow up with a telephone call to the Safeguarding Children Unit on 01744 671252 within 1 day of the allegation.

Download LADO Referral Form

Download LADO Consultation Form for Professionals NB: This is not a referral form but is implemented to allow you to obtain advice and support without the need to make a referral.  When completed you will need to return it to the sthelenslado@sthelens.gov.uk email address and we will provide the advice and complete the form, returning it back to you to ensure that you have a record and be able to record the advice given by the LADO on your systems.

As of October 2020 there are new changes to the LADO criteria. Please make yourself familiar with them by clicking the link below:

Changes to the LADO criteria

Comments

Have your say...

Comments are closed for this article