Child Protection Procedures - East Ayrshire Council

3.14.4 Initial Response to the Child
3.14.4.1 The following must be borne in mind by the person in
whom the child has confided:
3.14.5 Immediate Action
• The allegation must be taken seriously
• The allegation must be acknowledged with the child
and he/she must be advised that it will be
investigated.
• The allegation must be recorded as soon as
possible after the child has spoken.
3.14.5.1 Consideration should be given at an early stage to the
appropriateness of continuing with the placement. As part
of the ongoing investigation the following factors should be
considered:
• The nature of the alleged abuse
• The length of the placement
• Whether the placement is permanent or temporary
• The implications of the allegation for other foster
children in the placement.
• The implication for birth children in the family
3.14.6 Child Protection Investigation
3.14.6.1 As with any other child protection investigation the
appropriateness of removing the alleged perpetrator rather
than the child should be considered.
3.14.7 Inter-Authority Issues
3.14.7.1 Where an investigation involves children from more than
one local authority or agency the authority receiving the
complaint must notify the Head of Social work of any other
authority or agency which may be involved.
3.14.7.2 Where the investigation involves children from more than
one authority a decision must be made by the Head of
Social Work regarding the process for conducting the
investigation. If a child protection investigation is
undertaken in relation to a foster carer, the investigating
authority must notify the host authority i.e. the authority
where the foster carer lives and alert them to any concerns
regarding any other children.
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