Child Protection Procedures - East Ayrshire Council

(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)
The Head/Guidance Teacher may wish to consult etc initially
with other managers/advisers within the Education
Department. This is acceptable, provided that it does not
cause undue delay in a referral being made to the Social Work
Department.
Where Psychological Services have been involved with a child
the Educational Psychologist may be able to offer a useful
longitudinal perspective on the child’s learning and
development. He/she may be able to provide an assessment
of changes in the child’s social and emotional development
and some interpretation of behavioural ‘symptoms’. For those
pupils who have special educational needs the Educational
Psychologist can provide a developmental profile and may be
able to comment on changes in the rate of progress over time.
Abuse may present itself in various forms, some more obvious
than other. (Please refer to Appendix 2). In cases of obvious
abuse, e.g. severe physical injury, direct allegation by the
child, or in any case where sexual abuse is suspected, an
immediate referral should be made to the Duty Social Worker
in the child’s local area. A list of telephone numbers and
addresses is contained in Appendix 3. The Duty Social
Worker will then advise on when and where any interviews will
take place, who should be involved, and when and by whom
the parents should be told.
In cases where the suspected abuse is cumulative, e.g. a child
who over time appears to be physically neglected or
emotionally abused, the Head/Guidance Teacher will wish to
consider informing the parent that she/he intends to inform the
Social Work Department. It is important to record all relevant
information as it happens.
In cases of genuine doubt as to whether the factors causing
concern constitute abuse, the Head/Guidance Teacher may
consult with a Team Leader (Children and Families) without
naming the child. If the Team Leader (Children and Families)
advises that there appears to be a prima facie case, the
teacher will be expected to identify the child. As soon as a
named child is referred, the Social Work Department is duty
bound to cause further enquiries to be made if it is believed
that the information warrants it.
Notwithstanding (e) above, the investigating Social Worker
and Police Officer will wish to discuss the teacher’s concerns
with him/her before interviewing the child or the parent. In
some cases, it is recognised that it might be appropriate for
the teacher to be involved in the interview with the child.
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