Managing Allegations Process

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This page is for professionals. If you are a member of the public or a parent, visit Report a concern about a child or a teenager.

When an allegation or concern has been raised about a person who works or volunteers with children, refer to the  Managing Allegations Guidance [378.7 KB] [pdf] and follow the pathways below:

Pathway 1: A clear disclosure of harm such as physical or sexual abuse:

  1. Contact the Single Point of Advice (SPOA). If it is out of hours, contact the Emergency Duty Service on or 01273 335 905

  2. SPOA checks the concern and decides how serious it is. If it is very serious (level 3 or 4), they will tell the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH).

    For levels 1 and 2, see Organisations that help families.

  3. The MASH Practice Manager will check the referral with the Police. They will decide if they need to have a Strategy Meeting,
    or close to Children’s Social Care and refer to LADO to take forward

  4. In a Strategy Meeting, they will choose to do one of the following:
    - refer for a Children’s Social Care assessment
    - start a police investigation
    - decide no further action (NFA) is needed for Children’s Social Care
    - ask LADO to take forward for oversight of employer’s internal investigation

  5. A Children’s Social Care assessment could result in:
    - transfer to long-term Children’s Social Care team
    - no further action (NFA) to Children’s Social Care

  6. A Police investigation could result in:
    - prosecution
    - no further action (NFA). LADO to be kept updated on Police investigation outcome.

  7. If the Police investigation closes with NFA,

    LADO will tell the Employer the next steps. This might include an internal investigation with HR advice on a risk management plan until the investigation is finished. The outcomes might be:

    - no further action (NFA)
    - disciplinary process
    - LADO to be kept updated on the employer’s investigation outcome

  8. A disciplinary meeting might result in:
    - dismissal or resignation (consider the threshold for DBS referral)
    - training/guidance
    - no further action (NFA)
    - LADO should be updated on the outcome of the disciplinary process.

Pathway 2: A general concern, e.g. conduct or behaviour:

  1. Make a LADO referral

  2. LADO will advise on the next steps, including whether to start an internal investigation:
  • if new concerns are identified, consider a referral to SPOA
  • Do an internal investigation with HR advice on a risk management plan until the investigation is finished.
  • NFA
  • disciplinary process. 
  • LADO to be kept updated on the employer’s investigation outcome

An internal investigation could result in a disciplinary process (see pathway 1, point 8).