The National Guidance for child protection states that all agencies have a responsibility to recognise and actively consider potential risks to a child, irrespective of whether the child is the main focus of their involvement or not.

How to report a concern

If you think a child is in immediate danger, contact the police on 999. If you're worried about a child but they are not in immediate danger, you should share your concerns in one of the following ways:

• Follow your agency child protection procedures. All organisations that work with children and families must have child protection/safeguarding policies and procedures in place.
• Contact Advice and Response 0141 777 3000.

Contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or by emailing help@nspcc.org.uk

Local authorities have a legal duty to investigate concerns about a child and assess if they are at risk of harm.

If a child’s in immediate danger an order can be made through the Sheriff Court. Depending on the situation, one of the following actions may be taken:

• If a child isn’t considered to be in immediate danger then more information will be gathered. This will allow for an assessment of whether the child is at risk of suffering Significant Harm.

After this assessment, the professionals involved will decide how to proceed. They may:

• Take no further child protection action if the child hasn’t been harmed and isn’t considered to be at risk of harm
• Carry out a joint investigation if the initial assessments suggest that the child may be at risk of significant harm. This aims to decide if any child protection action is needed and whether a Child Protection Planning Meeting (CPPM) should be held.

A Child Protection Planning Meeting (CPPM) is held if the child is assessed as being at risk of Significant Harm This enables all the relevant professionals to share information, identify risks and outline what needs to be done to protect and keep the child safe.

The Child Protection Planning Meeting (CPPM) must take place within 28 days of the original referral to the Police or children’s social work.

If professionals at the CPPM decide a child is at risk of significant harm, they will add their name to the child protection register and develop a child protection plan.

Review Child Protection Planning Meetings (RCPPMs) should be held every six months, or sooner if the child’s circumstances change. The review RCPPM aims to:

• Assess the level of risk to the child
• Decide whether the child’s name still needs to be on the child protection register
• Agree what ongoing support the child and their family need (even if the child is no longer on the child protection register, the family might still need support).

The CPPM may decide that the best way to protect the child is through legal interventions - either to make sure they get the help they need or to take the child into care.

When that happens, the case is referred to the Children’s Reporter who will decide if there needs to be a children’s hearing for compulsory child protection measures.

Child protection register

The child protection register (CPR) is a confidential list of all children in the local area who have been identified as being at risk of Significant Harm. It allows authorised individuals to check if a child they are working with is known to be at risk.

If a child’s name is added to the CPR they must also have a child protection plan, which sets out what action needs to be taken by whom and when, in order to protect the child and promote their welfare.

The Children's Hearings System is Scotland's unique care and justice system for children and young people in need of care, protection and support.  

Panel Members take part in children's hearings. Their role is to listen and make legal decisions with and for:

• infants
• children
• young people

 They can decide:

• to give the child or young person a Compulsory Supervision Order – this can say who they should live with, and who they can see and when
• that formal, compulsory supervision measures are not needed and end the case
• that they need more information to help them make a decision about what's best

The Children's Reporter

The Children's Reporter is managed by the Scottish Children's Reporter Administration and the role of the Children's Reporter is to manage access to the Children's Hearing System. 

A Hearing is a meeting that takes place to decide what needs to be done in the best interest of the child.

Who decides if a child has to attend a hearing?

The Reporter to the Children's Panel is primarily responsible for recommending that a child attends a Hearing.

A Children's Reporter will receive a referral, on receiving a referral they will decide if compulsory measures of intervention are required and if so a Children's Hearing will be held. 

Referrals can be received from anyone who has a concern for a child's welfare and protection, including members of the public.

The Children (Scotland) Act 1995 outlines the legislative framework for the child protection system in Scotland. It covers parental responsibilities and rights, and the duties and powers local public authorities have for supporting and promoting the safety and welfare of children.

The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 amends the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 to ensure children's rights are upheld.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill, is progressing through the Scottish Parliament, with the ambition to incorporate the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into Scottish law. This means that all public authorities throughout Scotland will have to comply with children’s rights in all the work they do.

Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) 

This is the Scottish Government’s approach to making a positive difference for all children and young people in Scotland.

• Its principles help shape all policy, practice and legislation that affects children and their families.
• It provides a consistent way for people to support and work with all children and young people.
• It aims to improve outcomes for children and make sure that agencies work together to take action when a child is at risk or needs support.

 National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021

This non-statutory guidance provides the current national framework for child protection and was updated in September 2021. The guidance sets out the responsibilities and expectations of everyone who works with children. This includes practitioners working in health, Police, third sector, local authority or education settings.

Plan 21-24 (The Promise Scotland, 2021)

This action plan explains how organisations in Scotland can achieve the goals set by the Independent Care Review (Independent Care Review, 2020). The Plan sets out priority areas for children in or on the edge of care for 2021 to 2024, including:

• The right to education
• Advocacy
• Youth justice
• Family support
• Peer and community support.

Advocacy means giving a person support to have their voice heard.

An advocate is independent, someone who will meet with you and talk to about your wishes and feelings and how things are for you. They will listen to you and support you to express your voice. Advocates will only say what you have agreed and if you don’t want to be at a meeting, they will go for you. Advocacy is available for a range of meetings as well as for providing advice and assistance and support if you wanted to make a complaint.

Who will provide advocacy?

Independent advocacy is there to help you decide what you want to say and then support you to say it. Your advocate will explain to you who your wishes and feelings will be shared with and agree with you what you would like others to know. They have a responsibility to pass on information if they think you or someone else are at risk of harm, they would always tell you if they needed to do this.

Why do I need one?

When meetings and decisions are being made that affect you, it is important that you can speak with someone who is neutral and independent, and that your wishes and feelings are listened to and heard. An advocate can help if you think you would find it difficult to speak at a meeting with lot of professionals, or an advocate can attend on your behalf.

How do I get an advocate?

If you would like to know more about how an advocate can help you;

Partners in advocacy 
Ceartas 
Who Cares Scotland 

What is Mind of My Own?

Mind of My Own apps make it easier for children and young people to express their views and for practitioners to evidence them.

Mind of My Own has two apps – the One app and Express app.

The One app helps young people communicate their views in a way that suits them, enabling them to structure their thoughts and say what they want to say. They can send their views, wishes and feelings to their workers any time they want, 24/7.

Young people create their own account on the One app, which can be used on any device. 

The Express app is an accessible app for younger children and those with additional needs to share their views. The Express app can only be accessed through a worker’s account. 

How does Mind of My Own work?

Once a young person has used either the One or Express app to share their views, wishes and feelings, Mind of My Own creates a clear and dynamic statement of their views that can be attached to case records, saving time for practitioners. A young person can sign up to the One app on their own but might need your encouragement to use it for the first time. 

Good for children & young people

The voice of a child is golden thread of our practice, without this, the work we do will always be lacking.

A child’s voice should inform our assessments in a way that allows the reader to understand how adult behaviours impact how they are being kept safe, helping them to aspire, succeed, live well and to grow up healthy and happy.  In our planning, we carry a responsibility to ensure that the child’s voice shines through in a way that allows us and those involved to understand how plans and any work with the family is working or not working for them.  

Good for you

You will be able to use the app to more easily evidence the views, wishes and feelings of young people. Mind of My Own apps can save you time by creating clear statements of the young person’s views that are easy for you and others to understand and you can easily attach these to the young person’s file.

Find out more about Mind of My Own Apps