It is vital that staff are confident in being able to raise concerns about what seems to be unacceptable or unsafe conduct towards other colleagues or children.
Concerns that are raised should be listened to fairly and equally with all allegations taken very seriously.

Allegation made to:
Employer
If an allegation is made it should be reported instantly to a senior manager at the organisation, which should be outlined in the employers procedure process.
If the allegation is about a senior member of staff at the organisation then the incident should be passed to a alternative designated officer.

If an incident where the police or childrens social care are not deemed necessary to be involved then the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) should be involved in the immediate discussion with the employer to confirm next steps. The LADO should be made aware of the incident within one working day.
In most circumstances the options available for the employer are

• no further action
• dismissal
• discontinue the use of the service.

The severity of the allegation, information and evidence available can often determine the next stages taken.

Police or children's social care
Allegations made to the police should be passed straight to the forces designated liaison officer, who will immediatly contact the LADO. This is also the case if an incident is reported to children's social care, the member of staff should contact the LADO without delay.

Considerations
The LADO will pursue the allegation firstly with the employer to obtain further details of the incident and circumstances. The liaison with the employer should determine whether the allegation is unsubstantiated.

If the allegation is a definate and there is cause for concern that a child is suffering, at risk or likely to suffer significant harm, then the LADO should refer instantly to children's social care and iniciate a strategy discussion. The LADO and employer should be involved in the loop of activity and outcomes. 

If a criminal offence has occured then the LADO should immediatly involve the police and decide whether a investigation is needed. The employer should be involved in any discussion.



In cases where the allegation doesn't involve a criminal investigation this should be dealt with by the employer. If the incidnet doesnt require further disciplinary action, other appropriate means could be taken, this must be done within three working days.
Disciplinary hearings if required can be held with no further investigation, these should be undertaken within 15 working days.

Where further investigation is needed it is recommended that a person independent to the case undertakes the disciplinary investigation to ensure fairness of the process. The independent person should aim to compile a report of the investigation within 10 working days.
On completion of the findings the employer will have 2 working days to decide whether a hearing is required.

The LADO is required to have a presence throughout the case, they should be available for the employer to offer support, help and advice but should also monitor the progress during the case. 

Police Investigations should take no longer than four weeks after the incident occured.
The police should set a target date for review progress for the investigation.
The Police with consulation  from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) will need to scrutinise evidence gathered in order to charge the person if nessecary at a later stage of the case.

If the CPS and police concluded that no charge is nessecary all information should be passed to the employer who will then decide whether a disciplinary hearing is required. If a disciplinary is actioned then the employer should contact the LADO who should help the enquiry.

If the alleged individual is convicted of any offence the police should contact the employer immediately so they can undertake further action as they see appropriate.

Vetting and Barring scheme referral
Employers and providers must refer details to the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) when a alleged person has resigned or they have been dismissed because they have harmed or could harm children or vulnerable adults.

The information should be referred to the ISA as soon as it becomes known.
Failing to refer the relevant information to the ISA will result in a fine for the employer.
Duty to refer information factsheet