Child Protection Procedures - East Ayrshire Council

interviews by a Police Officer and Social Worker as part of a multidisciplinary
investigation.
(g)
(h)
(i)
(j)
(k)
In every case where a person is arrested or charged with an offence
involving a child, the child and any other children in the household
will be referred to the Social Work department and the Children’s
Reporter.
In cases where there is not sufficient evidence to substantiate a
charge but there is suspicion that a child may have been abused, a
report will be sent to the Social Work Department. A report will also
be sent to the Children’s Reporter.
The Enquiry Officer will consult with either the appropriate Duty
Inspector or officer from the Female and Child Unit who will be
responsible for consulting the Social Work Department to determine
whether the child’s name is on the Child Protection Register. If
she/he is not available, any other Inspector or, if unavailable, the
Duty Sergeant will carry out this task.
The Enquiry Officer will arrange for expert examination of the locus
and for any necessary photographs of the locus and/or victim.
Emergency child protection measures may be taken by a Police
Constable under section 61(5) of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 in
cases where the conditions for the making of a child protection Order
(CPO) are satisfied, but if it is not practicable to make an application
to the Sheriff, and in Order to protect the child from significant harm
(or further such harm) it is necessary to remove the child to a place
of safety. The power to keep a child in such a place of safety lasts
for only 24 hours from the time the child is removed until the disposal
of an application for a CPO.
As soon as reasonably practical after a child has been so removed
the Police Constable must inform (a) any relevant person; (b) the
local authority for the area in which the place of safety is situated; (c)
the local authority where the child is ordinarily resident, (d) the local
authority for the area where the child was resident immediately
before being removed to the place of safety if different from (b) or
(c); and (e) the Children’s Reporter.
Thereafter the child may be liberated by the Children’s Reporter if he
or she decides that the conditions for granting a CPO are not
satisfied or there is insufficient evidence. The Police Constable may
also release the child where the circumstances have changed prior to
a CPO being granted. The Police will ordinarily consult with the local
authority and the Children’s Reporter where such release is
contemplated. (See Section 61(5) of the 1995 Act and Regulations
2-16 of the Emergency Child Protection Measures (Scotland)
Regulations 1996 for more detail).
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