Transcript LOCAL AUTHORITY ALLEGATIONS OFFICER

The Role of the Local
Authority Designated
Officer
Chapter 2 , Working Together to
Safeguard Children (HM Govt,
2013)
Allegations Against People who
Work with Children
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Any Person involved in the Children’s
Workforce
Volunteers
Self employed / Sole traders
Foster Carers
Child minders
RISK BY ASSOCIATION
What is an Allegation?
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Behaved in a way that has, or may have,
harmed a child
Possibly committed a criminal offence
against / related to a child
Behaved toward a child in a way which
indicates they may pose a risk of harm to
children
Identified Risk to Own Children
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If concerns arise about the person’s
conduct in their private life, or that of a
partner or family member, police and/or
children’s social care must consider
informing his/her employer in order to
assess whether there may be implications
for children with whom the person has
contact at work.
Is there transferable Risk?
Roles & Responsibilities
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Geographic location of the employer
LADO should be involved in the
management & oversight of individual
cases.
Provide advice & guidance to employers &
other organisations
Liaise with police & other agencies
Monitor progress of cases
Timescales
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The LADO should be informed within one
working day of the allegation coming to
the employer’s attention or that are made
directly to the police
Referral Process
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Directly to the LADO from the employer
LADO threshold applied
Back to employer for Internal Management Review or
Referred to Central Referral Unit (police) CRU/
Children’s Services Department CSD for consideration
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Notified by statutory agency, e.g. CRU / CSD
LADO notifies & engages employer
Involvement in subsequent strategy decisions
Strategy Meeting
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There may be three strands in the consideration
of an allegation:
A police investigation of a possible criminal
offence
Enquiries and assessment by children’s social
care about whether a child is in need of
protection or in need of services
Consideration by an employer of disciplinary
action in respect of the individual.
Information Sharing
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All information should be shared at the initial
strategy meeting / discussion
Wherever possible the police should obtain
consent from individuals concerned to share
evidence they obtain with employers or
regulatory bodies for disciplinary purposes. This
should be done as the investigation proceeds
rather than at the conclusion to avoid delay at
the end of the investigation or court case.
Timescales
Timescales for handling cases.
Guidance set the aim of resolving
80% of cases in under one month
and 90% of cases within 3 months.
 Annual report to the Hampshire
Safeguarding Children’s Board
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Monitoring Progress
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Following the initial strategy meeting /
discussion reviews should be conducted at
fortnightly or monthly intervals depending
on the complexity of the case
If a police investigation is required the
police should set a target for consulting
with the Crown Prosecution Service. That
review should take place no later than 4
weeks after the initial strategy meeting /
discussion.
Conclusion
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Outcome from criminal investigation
Outcome from Child Protection enquiries
Outcome from disciplinary
Referral to Disclosure & Barring Service
Referrals to regulatory bodies
Learning lessons
Outcomes
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Substantiated: there is sufficient identifiable evidence to prove the
allegation;
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b. False: there is sufficient evidence to disprove the allegation;
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c. Malicious: there is clear evidence to prove there has been a deliberate
act to deceive and the allegation is entirely false;
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d. Unfounded: there is no evidence or proper basis which supports the
allegation being made. It might also indicate that the person making the
allegation misinterpreted the incident or was mistaken about what they saw.
Alternatively they may not have been aware of all the circumstances.
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e. Unsubstantiated: this is not the same as a false allegation. It means that
there is insufficient evidence to prove or disprove the allegation. The term,
therefore, does not imply guilt or innocence.
Contact Details
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LADOs:
Barbara Piddington – East
Eric Skates - West
Tel: 01962 876364
Fax: 01962 876229
E-mail:
[email protected]
[email protected]