When social services receive a report of concern about a child,
they need to find out more about the child’s situation.
The first thing they must find out
is whether the situation is so serious
that the child needs urgent protection.
Perhaps the child is exposed to serious domestic violence
or needs to be taken out of danger.
But most cases are not this urgent,
and the social worker contacts the parents and the child
to talk about the information social services received.
The social worker might also need to speak
to the person who provided the information.
Often these conversations are all that’s required.
But if there is still a concern for the child’s welfare,
social services will start an investigation
and continue talking with the family.
The aim is to see if the child and parents
need any help from social services.
Both the parents and the child get to talk about their situation
and what they might need help with,
and ask questions about things they wonder about.
The social worker might also need to ask other people questions –
family members, maybe someone at school or pre-school,
or others who know the child and the family.
But the social worker is not permitted to tell anyone else
about the family’s situation or what has happened.
If necessary, an interpreter will be used in these conversations.
The family can bring along someone they know
to give them moral support – if they want.