1.2.2 Referrals Procedure

1. Definition

1.1	A referral is a request for services from Children and Families and may be received in relation to: A child who was not previously known to Children and Families or A child who was previously known but the case has been closed or A child who is currently receiving services
1.2	Messages, enquiries, notifications and requests for information are 'contacts', not referrals, and should be recorded on ICS as such.
1.3	All referrals to Children and Families will be responded to within the terms of the Assessment Framework.
1.4	The CAF Form is not a referral form although it may be used to support a referral or a specialist assessment.

2. Consent to Referrals

2.1	Subject to paragraph 2.3, referrals should be received only with the knowledge and informed consent of at least one person holding Parental Responsibility and the child (depending on the child's age and level of understanding).
2.2	Subject to paragraph 2.3, further information should be sought from other agencies only with the knowledge and informed consent of a parent and the child (depending on the child's age and level of understanding).
2.3	Exceptions will be made in those cases where there are concerns of Significant Harm and where it appears that seeking parental and/or the child’s consent to the referral may increase the risk to the child and/or prejudice any police investigation. In these cases, referrals should be accepted and information sought from other agencies as appropriate without consent; however, the issue and timing of information sharing with parents and children should be discussed and agreed during the initial Strategy Discussion/Meeting.

3. Receiving Referrals

3.1	With the exception of referrals that include concerns of Significant Harm, a referral should be made in writing. Where a verbal referral is accepted from a partner agency because of concerns of Significant Harm, the partner agency should confirm this by submitting an Inter Agency Referral Form within 48 hours.
3.2	Except where the referral includes concerns of Significant Harm, the duty worker taking the referral should confirm that a parent or the child has consented to the referral being made and if a parent or competent child has not consented, the duty worker should advise the referrer that the referral cannot be accepted and that the referrer should secure their consent.
3.3	If any referral is being made by a member of the public in person or by telephone, the duty worker should obtain as much detail as possible.
3.4	Referrers should have the opportunity to discuss their concerns with a qualified social worker.
3.5	The duty worker should check the Department's records, to learn the status of the child and other members of the household, i.e. not previously known, previously known but now closed, currently receiving services, previous or current child protection concerns. Referrers should be asked specifically if they hold any information about difficulties being experienced by the family/household due to domestic abuse, mental illness, substance misuse, and/or learning difficulties.
3.6	Where the records check reveals previous or current child protection concerns, the duty worker should process the referral as a referral that includes concerns of Significant Harm (see Section 4, Receiving Referrals that include Concerns of Significant Harm).
3.7	The duty worker should enter the referral onto the database by completing an electronic Referral and Initial Information Record.

4. Receiving Referrals that include Concerns of Significant Harm

4.1

Where the referral includes concerns of Significant Harm, it can be accepted without the consent of a parent or child.

4.2

As such referrals may demand an urgent response, partner agencies are not required to submit written referrals. However, they are expected to follow up a verbal referral by sending an Inter Agency Referral Form within 48 hours. The duty worker should remind the referrer of this requirement.

Note: Where the duty worker is uncertain about how to categorise a referral, they should promptly seek advice from the duty manager.

4.3

Where a referral is received in relation to an open case, the worker receiving the referral should immediately telephone the child's allocated worker or a duty social worker in the relevant team to inform them of the referral, forward the details to them electronically and confirm that they have been received.

5. Timescale for Decision about Response Within 1 Working Day

It is a requirement that within one working day of a referral being received or new information being received about an open case, there will be a decision about what response is required.

6. Decision Making and Action on Referrals

6.1	The duty manager in the Referral and Assessment Team is responsible for making the response decision within one working day and ensuring that the referrer is informed of that response. This decision will be based on: The information in the referral; Information from other agencies where there are concerns about Significant Harm; Where practicable and appropriate, discussion with the referrer; The borough's Levels of Need and Thresholds for Access to Children's Social Care Services in Hillingdon Previous information about the child and/or family from past records.
6.3	The duty manager should be satisfied that the referral is appropriate, i.e. that it is a request for services to be provided by Children and Families in respect of a child who may be a Child in Need and that, except in referrals that include concerns of Significant Harm, a parent and the competent child have consented to the referral being made.
6.4	If consent has not been secured, and the referral does not appear to include concerns of Significant Harm, the duty manager should speak to the duty worker who received the referral and, if necessary, the referrer, to discuss the omission. If, following this discussion, the duty manager concludes that the referral cannot be accepted without consent, s/he should ensure that the referrer is informed and the record the decision.
6.5	Otherwise, the decision of the duty manager will be one of the following: No further action; Provision of information and advice; Referral or signposting to other agencies or teams; Initial Assessment.
6.6	The duty manager should record this decision on the Referral and Information Record on ICS and ensure that the referrer is informed of their decision and its rationale within 7 working days.
6.7	Where a referral from a partner agency raises concerns about Significant Harm, the referral will be acknowledged within one working day.
6.8	The duty manager should also ensure that the referred family is informed of the decision following the referral and its rationale, except where this would increase any risk of Significant Harm to a child.
6.9	Where the referral concerns a child who meets the threshold for Initial Assessment by the Children with Disabilities Team, the duty manager should forward the referral immediately to the Children with Disabilities Team. For a full explanation of the criteria, see Children with Disabilities Team Procedure.
	Where the referral concerns an unaccompanied asylum seeking child, the duty manager should forward the referral immediately to the Asylum Seekers Team.

7. Immediate Action

7.1

Where the duty manager is satisfied that there are concerns of Significant Harm, an Initial Assessment will be required. However, in such circumstances, the Initial Assessment may consist of little more than the clarification of the referral and a record check and be completed very promptly, before a Strategy Discussion is held - see Section 6, Referral and Assessment, London Child Protection Procedures.

7.2

Under no circumstances should any essential emergency action to safeguard a child or urgent medical treatment be delayed pending the conclusion of an assessment.

8. Concerns that a Crime may have been Committed

8.1	Where any referral, or new information on an open case, indicates that a crime may have been committed, the case should always be discussed with the police at the earliest opportunity. Any decision not to inform the police must be approved by a team manager and recorded.
8.2	Specific guidance in relation to under age sexual activity is contained in Safeguarding Sexually Active Children Procedure

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