These set out the responsibilities, expectations and actions for everyone involved in protecting children from significant harm in East Lothian and Midlothian. They describe how the national guidance for Child Protection is put into practice. They highlight what action is taken, who is involved in this and the timescales for action. Everyone who comes into contact with a child in their work or volunteering role needs to be familiar with the Child Protection Procedures for their own organisation and the Edinburgh and the Lothians Multi-agency Child Protection Procedures.

Child Protection Procedures will be instigated when Police, Social Work or Health professionals determine that a child may have been abused or is at risk of significant harm. There is no legal definition of significant harm, and the extent to which harm is significant will relate to the severity or anticipated severity of impact upon a child’s health and development. A single, traumatic event may cause significant harm, but more often significant harm results from an accumulation of events that interrupt, change, or damage the child’s physical and psychological development. Child Protection processes fall at the end of a continuum of services that include prevention and early intervention. A common theme is supporting and promoting the rights and wellbeing of children and ensuring that any action is taken at the earliest appropriate time to prevent acute needs arising. The level of risk a child is exposed to can shift, often rapidly, as circumstances change, or information emerges.

Abuse or neglect may involve inflicting harm on a child or failing to act to prevent harm. Harm refers to the ill-treatment or impairment to the health or development of a child. This can include impairment as a result of seeing or hearing someone else being abused or harmed. A child may be abused or neglected in any setting and online. Those responsible may be previously unknown or familiar, or in positions of trust. They may be family members. Children may be harmed pre-birth, for instance by domestic abuse of a mother or through parental alcohol and substance use.

Read more here about types of abuse and harm:

Child Protection Scotland – Types of abuse

NSPCC Learning – Child abuse and neglect

Not all types of abuse and harm are visible. A child might find it difficult to say what is happening to them or know that what is happening to them is abusive. The person or persons causing harm to a child may cover up what they are doing or may threaten or coerce the child and other people close to the child in order to keep abuse and neglect hidden and secret. 

Even if a child does not tell someone verbally about what has happened to them, there may be other indicators that something Is wrong. A child’s presentation or behaviour may change, or they may try to communicate about what is happening in another way, for example through pictures or in their play. You can read more about some of the ways that concerns might come to light here:

NSPCC Learning – Recognising and responding to child abuse and neglect 

Concerns about possible harm to a child from abuse, neglect or exploitation should always be shared with Police, Social Work or Health without delay. Every organisation and agency should have a designated Child Protection Lead who can be consulted and will have procedures for reporting concerns. If there is a concern that the child is at immediate risk and/or needing immediate medical attention, the emergency services should be called. It is important to give as much information as you know about the child and what is or may be happening to them. 

The Edinburgh and the Lothians Multi-agency Child Protection Procedures apply to all children up to the age of 18. Concerns about a 16- or 17-year-old should be raised under Child Protection Procedures. For some 16- or 17-year-olds, it may be appropriate to consider Adult Support and Protection, and this should be considered at the Inter-agency Referral Discussion stage. 

An IRD is an Inter-agency Referral Discussion, which is the start of the formal Child Protection Process. Police, Social Work and Health will share information about the concerns and the child’s circumstances, and will decide on what investigation, assessment and action is necessary to ensure the safety of any child at risk of significant harm. The IRD will make an interim safety plan. It will decide if the child or anyone else should be interviewed by trained professionals (Social Work and Police), if the child needs to have a medical assessment, and if there is a need to take any legal action to keep the child safe. The IRD will also decide if there needs to be a Child Protection Planning Meeting.

A Child Protection Planning Meeting is a formal meeting to decide whether the child is at risk of significant harm and develop a plan to reduce the risk. This is achieved by ensuring that all relevant information is shared and analysed. The child and their parents/carers should be invited and supported to participate. Social Work, Health, Police, Education, and other agencies currently working with the child and their family will be at the Child Protection Planning Meeting. If the Child Protection Planning Meeting decides that the child is at risk of significant harm, their name will be added to the Child Protection Register and a multi-agency Child Protection Plan will be put in place. 

The Child Protection Register is a list of children who have an inter-agency Child Protection Plan in place because they have been identified as being at risk of significant harm. It includes unborn babies. It has no legal status. It is an administrative system to alert practitioners that there are concerns about the child’s safety and that a Child Protection Plan is needed to protect and support the child. Every local authority has a Child Protection Register. 

Children and their main care givers should be involved at every stage of the Child Protection process unless there is a clear reason (and this is stated) why this would increase risk to a child. A child has the right to have their views sought, listened to, and considered at every stage. The views of parents and carers should always be listened to and considered. A child and their main carer should be supported to understand what actions and decisions are being taken, and why, and to contribute to the Child Protection plan.