SafeguardingUpdated a year ago
Protecting children at risk of neglect or abuse
Although a rare occurrence where Sitters childcarers are concerned, it is a sad fact that those who work in the childcare services may occasionally come across families where there are safeguarding issues. If you visit a family and have any child protection concerns there are a number of steps you can take (depending on the nature and urgency of the situation):-
- If you have immediate concerns that a child (or other family member) is at risk of violence and there is a sense of urgency, you can call 999 and speak to your local Police department.
- If there is a medical emergency during the booking and the child needs urgent medical attention - you should call 999 immediately.
- If you have serious concerns about the welfare and safety of a child (or other family member) and you believe them to be at risk of neglect or abuse, your first point of contact should be your local Council's 'Children and Young People's Social Care Services' department. To find contact details for your local Council, click here: https://www.gov.uk/find-your-local-council.
- If you wish to discuss any non-urgent concerns you may have about the setting where your booking took place, or you do not feel safe in the setting for whatever reason, please contact Sitters to inform us about your concerns. Whilst we are unable to report any claims on your behalf (as this is your responsibility), we need to understand the nature of the circumstances.
- Please also keep us informed if you have had reason to contact the Police or your local Council for any safeguarding concerns about a family that you have been introduced to through Sitters. Although the first concern must be for the protection of any children at risk, if necessary we also need to take steps to ensure other Sitters carers are not put at risk, so we do need to be made aware of any safeguarding concerns you have reported.
- If you receive an offer of babysitting for a family that, for whatever reason, you do not feel comfortable attending, you can let us know by declining the offer and selecting the appropriate option. We will then never send you offers from that family in the future.
Other useful contacts:-
NSPCC helpline:- 0808 800 5000