Introduction
Very few adults harm children deliberately and most often, when harm does happen, families need support, not punishment or the removal of their children.
South Gloucestershire social workers and other professionals get involved when parents may be unable to protect their child from harm and need help. If they think an offence has been committed they will ask South Gloucestershire's child protection unit to become involved. Child abuse can be difficult to identify and will need a careful assessment to find out what has exactly happened and what support and protection will best help the family. Reporting child abuse rarely results in the child being removed from the home - it is not the main aim. Social workers can only remove a child from home with a court order demonstrating that there is a serious and immediate risk. In emergency situations the police have power to remove a child for 72 hours.
In summary:
- Parents are responsible for their children's safety
- If you are worried about your own or someone else's treatment of a child, seek advice about what emotional support is available
- It is important that children know what to do when they feel unsafe. Do they know who to talk to and how to get to a safe place or person?
- Social services will only become involved when they believe that physical injury, neglect, sexual or emotional abuse has occurred
- Decisions about abuse need careful assessment
- Professionals want to work in partnership with families and will meet with the family when abuse is reported
- Very few children are removed from home following abuse
If you have any concerns regarding child abuse then please contact (during office hours) The Children & Young People Information Service on 01454 868008 or if it is out of office hours and you think it is an emergency then please the Emergency Duty Team on 01454 615165 or call the Public Protection Unit of the police on 0117 9455969.
Helpline telephone numbers:
Family Rights Group: 0800 731 7696
NSPCC: 0808 800 2222
Children & Young People Information Service: 01454 868008
Emergency Duty Team: 01454 615165
Public Protection Unit of the police: 0117 9466969
For further information see the 'Other websites' section on this page.