Everyone has a duty and responsibility to protect all children from harm. These Argyll and Bute multi-agency child protection procedures are to assist staff in identifying indicators which might suggest that a child is being abused or is at risk of abuse, advise what steps should be taken if there are concerns about a child, and describe what happens once concerns have been reported. The welfare of the child is paramount and children’s Rights should be considered at every stage of the procedures. These procedures should be read in conjunction with the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 (updated 2023).
No one agency alone can protect children, and neither can procedures in themselves. These procedures are primarily to ensure effective multiagency communication, collaborative working and to provide a consistent framework for practice. Professional judgement based on thorough assessment and critical analysis is also required to ensure these procedures are applied appropriately to individual situations and the needs of the child. Links to the suite of multi-agency tools to support risk assessment, analysis and management are included in these procedures.
All staff should be familiar with and follow their own agency’s child protection procedures and they should be able to recognise signs which suggest a child may be at risk or experiencing abuse or neglect. Where any member of staff has concerns about the welfare or safety or is aware that a child is in immediate danger, they have a responsibility to pass on these concerns to Social Work and/or Police.
Argyll and Bute child protection procedures follow the stages of the child protection process as laid out in the national guidance.
Each stage sets out the actions you are required to take with corresponding protocols and guidance. These resources are there to inform your assessment and subsequent decision making in keeping children safe. Better outcomes are achieved when assessment tools are used because they are based on best practice. Clicking on each stage will navigate you through the process.