Concern about a child

How to request a Local Authority Early Help service or worker?

Where a professional identifies a need, it will be their role to discuss with the family, seek consent and complete the Early Help Assessment Plan (PDF, 235KB)  alongside the family to highlight the support required.

Within the EHA professionals will be required to outline who is supporting or has supported the family, outline a plan being specific about the Local Authority service they are requesting.

Once the EHA has been completed with the family and consent gained to submit the assessment, this should then be sent to [email protected]

Further guidance can be found on SaferNEL.

Report a safeguarding concern about a child

Keeping children safe in North East Lincolnshire

Find out what to do if you’re worried that a child is being neglected or abused.

If you are ever concerned that a child is in immediate danger, you should contact the police on 999.

Safeguarding children and young people is the responsibility of everyone. If you are concerned that a child is being abused, or they may be at risk of harm, you should contact our Integrated Front Door Service (IFD) to make a referral:

• Members of the public and professionals can call the IFD on 01472 326292 (option 2, option 2) (Monday to Thursday 8.30am to 5pm and Friday 8.30am – 4.30pm).

You must ensure that all relevant information, including parental consent or clear reasons why this has not been obtained, is provided to ensure that the referral can be progressed as effectively as possible. You will receive acknowledgement of your contact being received, should you not receive this please follow up to ensure your information has been received. Professionals will be expected to follow up their referral in writing

If you are a professional and aware that the child/family has an allocated Social Worker, the team can be reached on 01472 326292 option 2, option 1.

What to expect when calling the IFD to make a referral

You can expect to be asked:

• Have you spoken to parents about your worries, if not why? what have    parents said?
• Who is in the family network and the TAF supporting the family? Please have names, numbers, address etc ready.
• What are your worries? What has led to you calling today?
• What makes the worry more of a worry today than yesterday?
• What actions you have taken if any to reduce these worries.
• What is the impact on the child?
• Who could help the family?
• If there is an injury – what does this look like? What is the child saying?    Why does it concern you?
• Has this happened before?
• Scaling

Urgent reports out of hours

Children’s Social Care also run the Emergency Duty Team (EDT), which you can contact on 01472 326292 (option 2).

This service is an EMERGENCY ONLY service open from 5pm to 8:30am, Monday to Thursday and 4.30pm Friday to 8.30am Monday.

Please only contact the Emergency Duty Team if you have a concern where by a child is at immediate risk of harm and the call cannot wait until the following morning when a Social Worker will be available to take your call.

Contact details

New Oxford House, 2 George Street Grimsby, DN31 1HB

Telephone: 01472 326292 (option 2)