Our contact and referral service for children living in Derbyshire.
Starting Point - if you are concerned that a child is suffering or at risk of significant harm, call 01629 533190 (do not use the 'Professionals' advice and consultation line to report urgent concerns).
For all other, non-child protection concerns, referrals should be discussed with parents / carers and consent obtained. To access intensive or specialist services, practitioners are expected to have worked or offered to have worked with the family under the Level 2 framework – Emerging Needs, before making a referral to local authority Children’s Services, unless there is a clear rationale for escalating the unborn baby/child/young person’s needs before early help work has been completed. The evidence of this work would be provided within a new or updated Early Help Assessment and Team Around the Family (TAF) action plan, which should set out the concerns of the family and the involved agencies, and should form the basis of the referral.
The online request for support form should be completed and submitted to Starting Point. When using this link, please go to the home page before using the relevant referral forms for guidance; you will find the early help assessments and guidance in the section 'Support for families and early help'.
A 'Professionals only' consultation and advice line runs each day between 10am and 4pm for professionals. These are anonymous discussions, and no details of a child will be taken and no information will be recorded on Children’s Services systems. Tel: 01629 535353.
We have a separate process for reporting allegations made against professionals. The 'Allegations against staff, carers and volunteers procedure' is available on the Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Procedures online documents library.
You can view all the most up-to-date policies and guidance documents, including the Multi-agency dispute resolution and escalation policy and template, on the Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Procedures online documents library.