Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)

Kirklees Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) Service is available for you to contact where you have /or have been made aware of a safeguarding concern or an allegation concerning any individual who is in a position of trust with children within any setting.

The definition of being in a position of trust with children, working or volunteering with children is as follows:

An adult who is working or volunteering with children (anyone under the age of 18-year-old) or coming into contact with children through work or volunteering would be seen as being in a position of trust over them. In addition, this would also apply to someone under 18 in the same position e.g. a 17-year-old teaching or instructing a group of children.

This Kirklees LADO web page allows professionals, employers, voluntary or faith organisations to contact or make a referral to the LADO Service.

• 'Contact LADO' form - this form enables you to leave a message or brief information updating LADO or requesting a call from the LADO service. The form also allows you to attach up to 5 documents.
• 'Make a LADO referral' form - this is the LADO referral form.

The 'Contact LADO' form and the 'Make a LADO referral' are submitted directly to the LADO Service mailbox.

Identified below are three options to enable you to seek early advice from the LADO Service via Phone, email or contact form. If your contact is regarding concern for the safety of a child and requires a more urgent response, please contact the Police and/or Kirklees Children's Social Care Duty & Advice Team.

When must you contact the LADO?

The LADO must be informed within 1 working day (or the next working day) when a safeguarding concern or an allegation is made about an adult in a position of trust with children /young people; prior to any further investigation taking place. Improved outcomes for children are aided by close collaboration between single and multi-agency partners, through early, timely and quality conversations.

The LADO, must be informed if a concern has been raised or an allegation has been made, in relation to any individual who may have:

• Behaved in a way that has or may have harmed a child.
• Possibly committed a criminal offence against/related to a child.
• Behaved toward a child in a way that indicates an individual would pose a risk of harm
• Behaved or may behave in a way that indicates they may not be suitable to work with children.

This can be in connection with any individual's employment or voluntary activity, or in relation to a person's private life where they have behaved in a way that indicates that they may pose a risk of harm to children.

LADO HARM - DEFINITION

DEFINITION

• Harm means ill-treatment or impairment of health or development including for example impairment suffered from seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another.
• Development means physical, intellectual, emotional, social, or behavioural development.
• Health means physical or mental health.
• Ill-treatment includes sexual abuse and forms of ill-treatment which are not physical.
• All forms of physical and/or emotional maltreatment, sexual abuse, neglect, or negligent treatment, or commercial or other exploitation, resulting in actual or potential harm to the child's health, survival, development, or dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust, or power.

The LADO will ensure that all safeguarding concerns, allegations and enquires relating to an adult in a position of trust are managed proportionately and appropriately; sharing information to ensure that children are safeguarded within multi agency settings.

Safeguarding and Allegations Management guidance can also be accessed through the online West Yorkshire Consortium Inter Agency Safeguarding and Child Protection Procedures.

LADO Guidance

• LADO First Response Guide
• LADO Practice Guidance Flow Chart
• LADO guidance notes for employees and volunteers
• School settings - Low level concerns Flow Chart
• Childrens Non-Schools settings - Low level concerns Flow Chart
• Kirklees LADO Allegations Management Guidance for Professionals
• Kirklees LADO Notification of allegation for Employers Organisations - letter template
• Kirklees LADO Outcome Letter for Employers Organisations - letter template