Article: Dealing with allegations against people who work with children
All managers that work in settings where children are educated,
or cared for, may be faced with dealing with an allegation made by,
or on behalf of, a child.
Within the local authority the Designated Local Authority
Officer or LADO has responsibility for overseeing
the investigation of all allegations and
maintaining detailed records of their conduct and the
outcomes. General enquiries about the Safeguarding
Board's procedures and their implementation can be made with
the Safeguarding Children's Unit on 01226 772400
NEW
The LADO's 2013-14
Annual Report is available here
The
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) oversees
the "duty to refer" which is a legal duty for employees following
the exclusion of an individual from the regulated authority
workforce when they have harmed, or pose a risk of harm, to
vulnerable groups, including children.
Following introduction of the
Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (Part 5) with effect
from 10 September 2012, there are important
changes for organisations that may need to refer
individuals. The DBS provides a number of Fact Sheets and
other useful information, including a
leaflet on disclosure and barring, to explain the
legislative requirements and how to make a referral.
Referral Form and Instructions
on completing a referral
Referral Guidance for Employers and Volunteer
Managers
Fact note on the scope of Regulated Activity in relation to
children
Employers - When to make a referral
Referral and Decision Making Process
Relevant Offences
Data Protection and Security
Local Authority Referral Duty and Power
Reviews of Barring Decisions
Appeals against a barring or review decision
Advice for Schools
This is
statutory guidance from the Department for Education.
This means recipients must have regard to it when carrying out
duties relating to handling allegations of abuse against teachers
and other staff.
Barnsley Safeguarding Children Board Policies and
Procedures are available
here