Roles and Responsibilities

All agencies that work with children have a shared responsibility for protecting children and safeguarding their welfare. Each has a different contribution to make to this common task.

Children rarely contact police or social workers directly about abuse.Most child protection referrals come from other agencies, such as schools or primary health care professionals, or from the public, often parents and relatives, friends and neighbours.The police and social work services rely on others in contact with children to tell them about concerns and to pass on information given by children. Agencies should promote public awareness about risks to children and work towards developing trust between members of the public and professionals.Professionals should inform members of the public that they have an obligation to pass information about child abuse to agencies with statutory responsibilities to make inquiries, such as the social work service or the police, and that confidentiality cannot be guaranteed if a child may be at risk of serious harm.

Sport and Recreation
All States employees have a responsibility to pass on any concerns about the welfare of a child to the Children and Family Community Services. If a Sport and Recreation employee has concerns regarding the welfare of a child they must consult with their line manager.
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Education Service
The Education Service has a range of roles in relation to safeguarding children, although it does not directly investigate instances of suspected child abuse itself. Responsibilities extend beyond reacting to concerns about abuse to include the prevention of abuse, support for children and multi-agency co-operation.
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Health and Social Care
The duty to safeguard children overrides any responsibilities to provide a health and/or social care service to adults.
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Other Health
Other health staff will come across children who may need extra support, or be in need of protection and the responsibility to address these needs applies equally.
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Children's Convenor
The Children's Convenor is the gatekeeper to the Child Youth and Community Tribunal (the "CYCT"). Referrals can be made to the Convenor when it is thought that the child may be in need of compulsory intervention. The Children's Convenor will investigate the case and decide whether to refer on to the CYCT.
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Family Proceedings Advisory Service
The Family Proceedings Advisory Service provides social work reports for the courts in private and public law applications where there is a dispute between parties relating to arrangement s for children. The service is staffed by experienced social work practitioners whose primary responsibility is to represent the interests of children and young people to the courts.
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Police
The main role of the police is to uphold the law, prevent crime and disorder and protect citizens. Children, like all citizens, have the right to the full protection offered by the criminal law.
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Probation Service
The Probation Service have an important role to play in ensuring that children and young people are kept safe from harm.
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Prison Services
The Prison Service have an important role to play in ensuring that children and young people are kept safe from harm.
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Roles and Responsibilities

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