EncouragingYou
Raise a concern

Empower young people and strengthen the wider community through practical guidance, safe spaces, and youth-led support.

Back to Safeguarding

Child safeguarding

Raise child safeguarding concerns clearly and without delay.

Use this route when the concern is about a child or young person. If there is immediate danger or urgent medical risk, call 999 first.

Child or young person
Secure concern form
Emergency services first if urgent
Read adult safeguarding

This route is for safeguarding concerns, not ordinary programme, session, or volunteer questions.

Child safeguarding

Child or young person

This route is for concerns about a child or young person. It keeps the emergency boundary, the reporting route, and the basic safeguarding expectations visible without turning the page into a dense policy document.

Use this route when the concern is about a child or young person who may be at risk of abuse, neglect, exploitation, grooming, unsafe treatment, or serious welfare harm.

Use the child safeguarding route when

  • the concern is about a child or young person
  • you are worried about abuse, neglect, exploitation, grooming, or unsafe treatment
  • a disclosure, incident, or pattern of behaviour makes you think a child may not be safe

Keep in mind

  • Keep the facts clear.
  • Do not promise confidentiality.
  • Act quickly when the concern is serious.

What to do now

The aim is to make the next step obvious without implying the website replaces emergency or statutory action.

  1. Step 1

    Call 999 first if the risk is immediate

    If the child or young person is in immediate danger, needs urgent medical help, or cannot be kept safe right now, call 999 before using any site route.

  2. Step 2

    Raise the concern as soon as possible

    Use the secure concern form or the public safeguarding inbox instead of waiting for a fuller story or a more polished account.

  3. Step 3

    Keep the information factual

    Say what you saw, heard, or were told, when it happened or became known, and who was involved if you know.

  4. Step 4

    Do not promise secrecy you cannot keep

    If someone has shared a concern with you, explain that you may need to pass it to the right safeguarding people to help keep them safe.

Before you send a child safeguarding concern

  • Use names, ages, or relationship details only if they matter to understanding the concern.
  • Say where the concern happened or who else may already know.
  • Be clear about any immediate risk, recent incident, or urgent welfare need.
  • Send the concern even if you do not know every detail.

What this page does not promise

  • It does not promise an instant reply or live emergency support.
  • It does not replace emergency services or statutory safeguarding action.
  • It does not publish a full policy download or named lead until those details are approved.