Safeguarding Chat
Structured safeguarding guidance at the moment you need it, aligned to Working Together 2026.
What it does
Describe a safeguarding concern and receive structured guidance on thresholds, referral pathways, and next steps. All guidance is aligned to Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026: the statutory framework governing multi-agency safeguarding in England.
How it works
- 1
Describe the safeguarding concern or situation you are facing
- 2
CareClarity provides structured guidance on the applicable threshold under Working Together 2026
- 3
Receive clear next steps: whether that is internal recording, referral to children's services, or police notification
- 4
Use the guidance to inform your decision and ensure your response is documented correctly
What it covers
What CareClarity assesses when you upload your safeguarding concerns or situations
Safeguarding thresholds
Guidance on whether a concern meets the threshold for referral to children's services under Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026.
Referral pathways
Clear direction on the appropriate referral route: children's services, police, or both: and what information to include.
Immediate safeguarding steps
Guidance on immediate protective actions, recording requirements, and who needs to be informed.
Working Together 2026 alignment
All guidance is anchored to the current statutory framework, updated in 2026 to reflect the new multi-agency safeguarding arrangements.
Worked example
See it on a real concern
A manager brings a staff allegation, and brings two reasons not to refer it: the young person has made allegations before, and the man she has named is one of the most experienced on the team. Read what the tool does with those two lines, and read the last thing it says before you decide whether it is useful.
Manager
CareClarity
This is a serious situation and I can hear that you're trying to handle it carefully. Before I give you a full picture, I want to make sure I understand the circumstances properly so the guidance is as useful as possible.
A couple of focused questions to start:
First: When you say you're "looking into it" - have you spoken to the named staff member about the allegation yet, or asked anyone else to look into what happened? I want to understand what steps, if any, have already been taken before today.
Second: Do you know roughly when the incident is alleged to have happened - and was it recorded in the daily logs at the time, either as an incident or in any other way?
These will help me give you the most accurate guidance on next steps.
Manager
CareClarity
Thank you for being open about that. I want to be straightforward with you, because I think you need clear guidance right now.
A couple more questions before I pull this together fully:
First: The young person's history of allegations not being substantiated - do you know whether those previous allegations went through a formal LADO process, or were they handled internally?
Second: When the young person disclosed this last night, do you know whether the staff member she told made a written record of the disclosure at the time, and whether your manager or on-call was notified last night?
I'm asking these because they're going to be important. But I also want to flag something now, because I don't want to wait until the end of our conversation to say it.
You have already spoken to the named staff member about the substance of the allegation before making a LADO referral. I understand why that happened, and I'm not saying this to alarm you, but that step needs to be disclosed to the LADO when you make the referral, because the LADO guidance is clear that internal investigation should not begin before the referral is made. The LADO will want to know what was said.
This does not mean you have done something catastrophic. It means you need to act quickly now, and be transparent about the timeline when you speak to the LADO.
Please answer those two questions and I will give you a clear picture of everything that needs to happen next.
Manager
The summary CareClarity returned at the end of this conversation. Nothing is uploaded.
Safeguarding Chat Summary
Advisory only. This AI-generated guidance supports your thinking. The decision and all professional responsibility rests entirely with you.
The concern as I understand it
A young person disclosed to a staff member that another staff member had grabbed her arm and pulled her up the stairs during an incident a few days ago. The named staff member has confirmed physical contact occurred, describing it as guiding her by the arm, but this is not fully reflected in the physical intervention record from that night. The disclosure was made last night, recorded only in the daily log, on-call was not notified, and the registered manager spoke to the named staff member about the substance of the allegation before a LADO referral was made.
If this does not match what you meant, start a new conversation rather than acting on the guidance below.
Key Factors Identified
- The allegation describes physical handling by a staff member that may constitute inappropriate use of physical intervention, which meets the threshold for a mandatory LADO referral regardless of the young person's history of making allegations or the named staff member's experience and reputation.
- Internal investigation has already begun: the registered manager spoke to the named staff member about the allegation before the LADO referral was made. This must be disclosed transparently to the LADO.
- The physical intervention record from the night in question mentions a guide but does not mention the stairs, which is a discrepancy that the LADO and any subsequent investigation will need to consider.
- Previous allegations against staff were handled internally without LADO referral. If those allegations involved physical handling or abuse, this may be significant and should be disclosed to the LADO.
- The disclosure was not escalated to on-call last night, was recorded only in the daily log rather than as a safeguarding record, and the young person has not been spoken to again since disclosing. These are procedural gaps that need to be addressed.
Recommended Action
Make a LADO referral immediately today. Do not take any further steps to investigate internally. Contact Ofsted on 0300 123 1231 to make a Regulation 40 notification without delay.
Any allegation that a person working with children has harmed a child, or behaved in a way that may have harmed a child, requires a mandatory LADO referral. This threshold is met here regardless of the young person's history or the staff member's experience. The named staff member's own account confirms physical contact occurred on the stairs, which is not reflected in the intervention record, making this a matter that must be independently investigated. The LADO will decide how the investigation proceeds: that decision is not yours to make.
Additional Considerations
- A Regulation 40 notification to Ofsted is required without delay under Regulation 40 of the Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015. This allegation against a staff member is a notifiable event. Call Ofsted on 0300 123 1231 today and follow up in writing.
- The named staff member should not be in direct contact with the young person while this is investigated. Moving him to office duties was a reasonable immediate step, but the LADO will advise on whether suspension or other action is needed: do not make that decision without LADO guidance.
- Be transparent with the LADO about the full timeline: when the disclosure was made, when you were told, that on-call was not notified, and that you spoke to the named staff member before making the referral. Do not omit this.
- The young person needs to be supported sensitively. She should not be formally interviewed about the allegation by anyone in the home: that could compromise any subsequent investigation. However, she should be reassured that she has been listened to and that the matter is being taken seriously.
- The previous allegations handled internally without LADO referral should be disclosed to the LADO. They may or may not be relevant, but that judgement belongs to the LADO, not to the home.
- Notify your Responsible Individual today if you have not already done so.
- The physical intervention record from the night in question should be preserved exactly as it is. Do not amend it.
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Built for children's residential care teams
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