Medway Council Children'S Social Care Referral Form printable pdf download

Medway Council

Children’s Social Care Referral Form

This form is to be used by all agencies when referring a child to Medway Council Children’s

Social Care.

The Kent and Medway Inter-Agency Threshold Criteria for Services for Children document

provides guidance for professionals and service users, to clarify the circumstances in which

to refer a child to a specific agency to address an individual need, to conduct a CAF or refer

to Medway’s Children’s Social Care. This document is available on the Medway Council

Web site:

The document describes:

the threshold criteria for Medway Children’s Social Care;

how that fits within the wider context of universal services and multi-agency support;

the process by which Children’s Social Care assess against the threshold criteria.

If a professional is unclear about whether to make a referral they should first consult with

their designated Child Protection lead within their agency. Following this, a consultation

can be held with a professional within one of Medway’s Children’s Referral, Assessment and

Support Teams (CRAST). To request a consultation, contact Customer First using the details

at the foot of this page.

If a CAF has been completed then this is important information and should be attached to

the referral if consent from the child/parent has been given.

The referral form should be completed with as much relevant information as possible. If

referring more than one child in the same household, a separate referral form is not needed

for each child, but the referral must state which children are being referred for a service.

Consent should always be sought for a child in need referral and for relevant information to

be shared.

In most child protection cases, parents should be informed that a referral is being made and

what the concerns are about the child. However, there are exceptions where this is not

appropriate, namely if to inform the parent / carer would:

Place the child at increased risk of significant harm

Place a member of staff at risk by the response it may prompt

Lead to the risk of loss of evidence eg someone destroying evidence of a crime, or

influencing a child about a disclosure issue

In these situations, referrers should seek advice from their safeguarding lead or line

manager within their own agency and, if still unsure, consult with Medway Council

Children’s Care. To request a consultation, contact

Customer First Adults and Children’s Team

Telephone: 01634 334466 / 24 hour emergency 0845 7626777

Fax:

01634 333188

email:

ss.access&info@medway.gov.uk.

Medway Council Children’s Social Care Referral Form

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Medway Council Children'S Social Care Referral Form