Safeguarding Children & Young People with SEND

Worried about a child? Find out how to contact us if you think they may be a victim of neglect, abuse or cruelty.
If your referral requires urgent attention, please contact Newham Contact Centre on 0208 430 2000 who will transfer you to the social work duty team. In case of an emergency or you feel that a child is at immediate risk, please also call 999 and request support from the police.

If you are a parent/carer or a member of the public and want to make a referral or make an anonymous request,  you can contact the MASH (Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub) on 0203 373 4600.

If you are a professional and you are making a referral on behalf of a parent and the child does not have a social worker, you would need to complete an online referral form by using the link below:

Request support or protection of a child

If you are unable to get through to the MASH on the telephone number above in urgent matters, please send an email directly to: mash@newham.gov.uk

Do you have concerns about a child?

Child protection

Worried about a child? Find out how to contact us if you think they may be a victim of neglect, abuse or cruelty.

Child protection 

Safeguarding for children and young people

Advice on what to do if you are being bullied, plus information about gangs, domestic violence and online safety.

Advice for children and young people 

Safeguarding for parents and carers 

Safeguarding for professionals

Advice to help you with issues you may come across in working with children either as a professional or as a volunteer.

Safeguarding information for professionals 

Training in safeguarding 

Newham Safeguarding Children Board

Find out about the Newham Safeguarding Children Board, serious case reviews and child death panels.

Newham Safeguarding Children Board 

The Mayor of London’s Youth Safety Board

The Board was set up in March 2019 in order to identify and accelerate actions to improve safety for children and young people who live, work or study in Newham.

Find out about the Mayor of Newham’s Youth Safety Board 

Signs of possible abuse

Signs of abuse can range from injury to changes in the way a child acts. You could see something or a child may tell you that he or she is being hurt.

Physical abuse

The signs that a child may be being physically abused include:

  • unexplained or untreated injuries
  • cigarette burns, bite or belt marks
  • covering their arms or legs unnecessarily
  • flinching when they are touched

Neglect

The signs that a child may be being neglected at home include:

  • poor personal hygiene
  • constantly hungry
  • underweight
  • dishevelled appearance

Emotional abuse

The signs that a child may be being emotionally abused include:

  • self-harming
  • showing extreme emotion
  • sudden speech disorders
  • delayed development in babies

Sexual abuse

The signs that a child may be being sexually abused include:

  • stomach pains
  • discomfort when walking
  • inappropriate (sexually explicit) language or behaviour
  • aggressive or withdrawn behaviour
  • fear of a particular person
  • pain, itching, bruising or bleeding in the genital area.

If you are not sure, it’s best to be on the safe side and ask for protection for a child or young person.

Request support or protection of a child

If you are worried that a child you know is at risk of serious harm through abuse or neglect, you should tell us. However if you think a child is in immediate danger, phone the police immediately on 999.

Making a request online if you are a professional

Request support or protection of a child

You should explain exactly what you have seen or been told. If you can, you should write down dates, injuries you have seen and/ or the exact words you have heard.

If you are a parent/carer or a member of the public and want to make a referral or make an anonymous request, please contact Newham Contact Centre on 020 8430 2000 at any time and if the referral is urgent.

 

What happens next?

Children's MASH Service will receive your form or phone call. The service includes representatives from our Children’s Social Care, Adult Social Care, Early Help Service, Community Health, Housing, Hestia, Change Grow Live, Education, Probation, Youth Justice Service and Newham Police.

Each team will check what information they hold about the child and family to make a decision together about which team should respond to your worries.

We will make this decision in at least:

  • one working day if we think a child is in need of our protection or
  • within four working days in all other cases

We will notify you of the outcome of your referral at least within four working days of receiving the referral.

 

What we do if we think a child has been harmed

If we think a child has been harmed or is at risk, we will try to find out what happened and decide what support and protection will help the family.

We put children first and protect people who can't protect themselves. A professional will:

  • ask questions about family circumstances
  • look at how often this happens and how serious the incidents are and the effect on the child

Involving the police

In some cases, Newham Child Abuse Investigation Team will investigate to find out whether a crime has been committed.

If we suspect child abuse, we and the police have a legal duty to investigate.

Removing a child from his or her home

We rarely remove a child from home. Our aim is to work with families to support and protect children.

We can only remove a child from his or her home with a court order if a judge decides there is a serious and immediate risk to the child’s safety. In an emergency, the police have the power to remove a child for up to 72 hours.

Domestic Abuse

Domestic abuse affects children even if they are not being directly abused. They can develop behavioural, emotional and mental health problems as a result of witnessing domestic abuse.

Get help and support if you are suffering domestic abuse.

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a crime in this country. It is also a crime to take a British national or permanent resident abroad for FGM or to help someone trying to do this.

Find out more about FGM and what you can do if you think you or someone you know is at risk of FGM.

Forced Marriage

You have the right to choose who you marry, when you marry or if you marry at all.

Find out what you can do if you are trying to stop a forced marriage or need help leaving a marriage you have been forced into.

Newham MASH

Newham’s Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) is a single point of contact for all safeguarding referrals for children. MASH provides a delivery framework that enables partner agencies to work together to support and safeguard children by sharing and analysing information that is held about them. MASH provides a space in which agencies can access their client data systems, balancing the need for privacy with the need to share information safely. By doing this, MASH aim to identify need and risk by building a full picture of the child and their family in order to inform decision-making. The service intends to provide a proportionate, timely and coordinated approach to all children in need and/or at risk within the Borough through effective partnership working that places the child at the centre of decision making and ensures that the right help is identified at the outset.

The joined up approach to information sharing in the MASH enables proportionate and timely decisions to be made about the type and level of services children need and facilitates timely access to resources in universal services, early help and targeted early help and when appropriate, statutory social care. Core partner agencies that work within the MASH are Children’s Social Care, Adult Social Care, Police, Health, Education, Youth Justice Service, Housing, Hestia, Change Live Grow, Early Help Service and Probation.

Private Fostering - taking care of someone else's child

A Private Fostering Arrangement is when a child under the age of 16 (or 18 if disabled) is cared for by someone who is not their parent or a ‘close relative’ for 28 days or more.  A ‘close relative’ is defined as a biological grandparent, uncle, aunt, brother, sister, step parent or legal guardian. A private foster carer could be a great uncle/aunt, family friend, neighbour or teacher, for example.

Parents and individuals who are privately caring for children are obliged under the law (Private Arrangements for Fostering Regulations 2005) to let the Local Authority know of these care arrangements in order that they can be monitored. Similarly, professionals and members of the public have a legal duty to contact the Local authority if they suspect or become aware that a child is being cared for in private fostering arrangement. Once notified, the Private Fostering team will ensure that children are being well cared for and that carers are offered support.

Notifications of a planned, current or suspected private fostering arrangement should all be made through the Children's MASH Service portal by clicking the link “Request support or protection of a child” or phoning the MASH Team on: 020 3373 4600

LADO - Concerns regarding a professional or volunteer who works with Children

The Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) is the person who should be notified when there are concerns a professional or volunteer who works with children has:

  • Behaved in a way that has harmed a child, or may have harmed a child
  • Possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child
  • Behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates they may pose a risk of harm to children;
  • Behaved or may have behaved in a way that indicates they may not be suitable to work with children.
  • Behaved in a way in their personal life that raises safeguarding concerns. These concerns do not have to directly relate to a child.
  • As a parent or carer, has a child that has become subject to child protection procedures
  • Is closely associated with someone in their personal lives (eg partner, member of the family or other household member) who may present a risk of harm to child/ren for whom the member of staff is responsible in their employment/volunteering. 

The LADO will provide advice and guidance on whether the allegation sits within the scope of the procedures. If the allegation does fall within the scope of the procedures, the LADO will oversee the management of the allegation, co-ordinate information sharing with the right people and monitor and track any investigations, with the aim to resolve it as quickly as possible.

The LADO liaises with organisations such as the police, other departments within the council such as social care, regulatory bodies such as Ofsted and professional bodies to ensure a thorough and fair process for all those involved.

For further information and to make a referral via the LADO, please go to https://www.newhamscp.org.uk/lado/

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Last updated: 28/02/2024

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