What you should do if you think a child or young person is being harmed.
Act straight away if you think a child is being abused. It is important to stop the abuse as soon as possible to prevent the worsening of a child’s health and well being; in a few extreme cases, even a child’s death. Children and young people are dependent on others for their survival and have a right to be protected and to have someone who will act on their behalf.
For details about who to contact to report child abuse please see below.
Children and Young People’s Social Care
If you have a child protection concern about a child or family living in Leeds, phone Children and Young People's Social Care's Contact Centre on
0113 222 4403.
If you need to contact them out of normal office hours, contact the Social Care Emergency Duty team on
0113 240 9536.
If you feel urgent action is needed because a child or young person is at immediate risk of harm, contact the police on 999.
If you need to report a crime, but it is not an emergency, phone the police on 0845 60 60 606.
Please act promptly. It can be very difficult to investigate concerns if there is a delay, as some signs of abuse can disappear quite quickly. If you are unsure, you may first like to discuss your concerns with someone who works with children and families, such as your health visitor, social worker, school nurse or teacher (as all schools have a teacher responsible for child protection).
What will Children and Young People’s Social Care do when I contact them?
All child protection referrals are taken very seriously and your concerns will be properly considered and acted upon by a senior officer.
Will I have to give my name?
If you feel very strongly that you cannot give your name, you need not do so – your concerns for a child or young person will still be examined. Your name and address will be kept confidential if you request it.
What happens once I have told Social Care about my concerns?
The person you speak to will take your concerns very seriously and refer the matter to a Social Worker specially trained in child protection who will contact you. The Social Worker will first check their records to see whether the person is already known to Children and Young People’s Social Care and will then discuss the case with a senior officer in the organisation. Enquiries often start with asking a teacher, a health visitor or a doctor who knows the child. In most cases there will be a discussion with the parents and the child. Sometimes it becomes clear at a very early stage that concerns are not founded.
If initial enquiries do reveal significant concerns about the child or young person’s welfare, then the formal Child Protection Enquiry procedures will begin immediately.
Will I be kept informed of progress?
Because of the highly confidential nature of this work, you will not be given detailed information about the outcome of an enquiry. However, you will be told whether an enquiry is taking place and you may be contact for further information.
