Child protection

When concerns have been raised about your child by professionals or by a member of the public, it is a social worker's job to get information to see if your child's welfare is being harmed.

The social worker will start by trying to talk to you and your family. In the vast majority of cases they will visit you at home, sometimes with a Child Protection Police Officer, to:

• make sure you understand the concerns that have been raised and get your views
• speak to your child or children on their own, if they are old enough, and check any immediate risk to their safety
• get information from other professionals who know you and your child, to help the social worker to build a picture of you and your child's needs and help decide on the level of risk

Professionals will normally ask your permission before gathering information from others if there are concerns about your child's welfare.

If the social worker feels that your child is at risk of significant harm they don't need to ask you to gather more information.

Professionals can share information about your child without your permission if they believe that the child is at risk of suffering significant harm.