Information for Children and Young People

Child Protection

When anyone is concerned that a child or young person has been abused or neglected or is at risk of abuse or neglect, they should contact the Children & Families Department or the Police (see What to do).

What is a Child Protection Investigation?

Sometimes adults or young people do things that hurt children or make them feel bad or frightened. This shouldn’t happen to anyone.

A Child Protection Investigation is what we do when we need to make sure that a child is OK or, if they are not OK, to find out what is going on.

What happens next?

The police and/or social worker will talk to the child and their family to try to find out what has taken place and why. It may sometimes be necessary for the child to be examined by a paediatrician (a children’s doctor) or a police doctor.

When we have spoken to all the people we need to speak to, we will decide what should happen. We may decide there is nothing we need to do or we may give the family some help and advice. Sometimes we will arrange a Child Protection Conference.  

What is a Child Protection Conference?

A Child Protection Conference is held when we are worried that a child may be coming to harm because of the way they are being looked after. It is a meeting between parents and “professionals” (people like doctors, health visitors, teachers and social workers) who know the child and their family.

If the child is old enough to understand what is going on, they can be invited to the Conference. They may bring someone with them to support them.

The person in charge of the conference is known as the Independent Reviewing Manager. It is their job to make sure that everyone has a chance to speak and focuses on the child’s care and safety.

What will happen at the Conference?

The Conference will decide how best to help and protect the child. All the people at the Conference need to make sure that they are working together.

They might:

• Add your name to the Child Protection Register
• Agree a Child Protection Plan – this means working out and writing down what each of the people at the conference, including your family, needs to do to help protect you from harm.
• Appoint a Keyworker – (a social worker) who will make sure that everything decided at the Conference gets done.

What is the Child Protection Register?

It is a computerised list of all the children who Conferences have thought need a Child Protection Plan to keep them safe from harm.

More information

You can find out more in the booklet:

Child Protection Conferences: Information for children / young people (PDF 477KB)