When a professional, family member or member of the public is concerned about a child’s welfare or safety, they can contact us so we can look into it. This is called making an enquiry or referral.
The enquiry or referral will be handled by the Children’s Advice and Duty Service (CADS). The CADS team is a team of experienced social workers, working in partnership with police, probation services and health service to safeguard children and vulnerable adults in the community.
When they receive an enquiry or referral, partners will share information to decide if:
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The child has been hurt or could be hurt in the future
- The child or you would benefit from support from other people who can help
If you call out of hours (such as weekends, bank holidays or evenings) your call will be taken by our out of hours staff. They will make a decision as to whether the information you give us needs to be dealt with immediately, or whether it can wait until our CADS service returns to work. The staff you speak to will tell you what to expect.