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 a reason not to refer it: the young person has made allegations before. Read what the tool does with that line, and what it says about the conversation the manager has already had with the man she named.
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 staff that a named, experienced staff member grabbed her arm and pulled her up the stairs during an incident a few days ago. The staff member accepts guiding her by the arm but denies pulling her. The physical intervention record mentions a guide but not the stairs. The disclosure was written in the daily log only, on-call was not contacted, and the manager was told this morning. The manager spoke briefly to the staff member about the substance before any referral, and has moved him to office duties. Nobody has spoken to the young person since the disclosure.
If this does not match what you meant, start a new conversation rather than acting on the guidance below.
Key Factors Identified
- This is an allegation that a member of staff used force on a child, so it meets the threshold for a mandatory LADO referral
- The staff member accepts using physical contact, and the incident record does not mention the stairs, so there is a recorded discrepancy to be examined
- The young person's history of unsubstantiated allegations does not lower the threshold: previous outcomes cannot be used to judge this one
- The previous allegations appear to have been handled in house and may never have reached the LADO, which is a separate governance question
- The disclosure sits only in the daily log, with no separate safeguarding record, and on-call was not told overnight
- A conversation about the substance of the allegation has already taken place before any referral
- The young person has not been spoken to since she disclosed, and may be unsure whether she was believed
Recommended Action
Make a referral to the LADO today, as soon as you are able, and do not carry out any further internal fact-finding first. Tell the LADO everything in order, including that you spoke to the staff member this morning and what he said.
An allegation that a staff member used force on a child must go to the LADO, and the decision about whether and how to investigate belongs to them, not to the home. The staff member's own account and the incomplete incident record make it more important, not less, that someone independent examines this. The young person's history cannot be used to weigh this allegation, because the credibility judgement is not yours to make.
Additional Considerations
- Regulation 40: an allegation of abuse against a staff member is a notifiable event, so notify Ofsted without delay (0300 123 1231) and confirm it in writing (Regulation 40(5)(b)), stating what has happened, who else has been notified and what action you have taken
- Before you speak to the LADO, pull together what exists: the daily log entry, the physical intervention record, who was on shift, and any CCTV if the home has it. Preserve these and do not alter or add to any record. If anything needs clarifying in writing, make it a dated, clearly labelled later note, never an edit to the original
- Write down today, factually and with times, what you were told, when, by whom, and what you said to the staff member this morning, including his account. This is your own record and it supports transparency with the LADO
- Tell the LADO the whole sequence, including that on-call was not contacted overnight and that you spoke to the staff member before referring. Let them advise on suspension versus alternative duties and on any investigation. Office duties may be reasonable as a holding step, but it should be reviewed with the LADO, and the staff member should not have unsupervised contact with the young person or be involved in working with her while this is open
- Ask the LADO and the child's social worker who should speak to the young person, and how. Avoid asking her to repeat or explain the allegation yourself. Make sure someone she trusts checks on how she is, tell her she did the right thing to speak up, and offer her an independent advocate. The home has a duty to protect her and to take her views seriously whatever her history
- Notify the child's social worker and placing authority today. They hold legal responsibility for her and will have a view on whether a Section 47 enquiry is needed
- Tell your Responsible Individual today
- Treat the disclosure being logged only in the daily log as a learning point, not a reason for blame: allegations should go to the manager or on-call immediately and be recorded in a separate safeguarding record. Consider with the staff member's line manager how this is picked up in supervision and team guidance
- Separately from this case, once it is under way, ask your RI to review how the earlier allegations were handled and whether any should have gone to the LADO. This is a governance question for your Regulation 44 and Regulation 45 oversight, not something to resolve before today's referral
- Be aware the staff member may also need support and a clear explanation of the process. Ask the LADO what you can share with him and when
- The final decision on all of this rests with you and your organisation as the registered professionals, and I would encourage you to talk it through with your RI before and after the LADO call
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Further reading