CHILDREN 1ST >> Are you worried about a child or young person?


		text only

		You may know or suspect that a child is being abused or harmed in some way. If you are unsure of what to do, where to go, or afraid of what will happen if you tell - you are not alone. Many people feel this way. Child protection is every adult's responsibility. By voicing your concerns, you could help prevent a child being abused or harmed. if a child tells you they have been abused: let them know you take them seriously praise them for telling tell them it is not their fault talk with the child about what needs to happen next. Every situation is different. If you would like to talk things through, you can call our free helpline ParentLine Scotland on 0808 800 2222. We will listen and help you work through what you need to do and what support is available. where to get help: call the Police if you think a child is in immediate danger contact your local Social Work Office speak to a healthcare worker such as a family doctor or health visitor contact the School you can also give information to the Reporter to the Children's Panel who will decide what action to take. The Reporter is an independent official who can decide if there is a need to take action to protect a child. All of these numbers are in your local telephone book. what happens if you report abuse? If you call your local Social Work Office or the Police, you don't have to give your name but you will be encouraged to, in case they need more information that could help the child later on. The most important thing in any investigation will be the safety and welfare of the child. Details of what will happen next vary across Scotland. Usually when a concern about abuse is passed to either the Police or Social Work Services, they will contact each other and in some cases a doctor to share information about the concern. Background information will be considered to help decide if a formal investigation is needed. The parents or carer of the child will be fully involved in any further investigation, unless this would make things worse for the child. what will happen to the child? Many people are reluctant to report suspected child abuse, because they are afraid that the abuser will be sent to prison or the child taken away from home. This is not necessarily the case. The priority will be to stop the abuse, keeping the family together where possible. In a small number of cases where it is felt that the child will not be safe, a child may be looked after by a relative or the Local Authority. Most of these children return home as soon as it is felt they will be safe. Just remember, child protection is everyone's responsibility. If you have a concern, ACT NOW. If you would like more information about the way the Child Protection system operates in Scotland, you can download our Factsheet. [back]

		CHILDREN 1^ST • 83 Whitehouse Loan • Edinburgh • EH9 1AT • Tel: 0131 446 2300 • Fax: 0131 446 2339