Child Protection Guidance 2021

Part 4: Specific support needs and concerns 148 National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 Version 1.0 September 2021 4.107 Third Sector organisations, such as Scottish Women’s Aid, play an essential role in developing and providing services for women and children. A National Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline is open 24/7, 365 days a year. This is available for professionals seeking advice, as well as for individuals who are at risk of or experiencing domestic abuse. 4.108 Disclosure Scheme for Domestic Abuse Scotland (DSDAS) aims to provide a way of sharing information about a partner’s abusive past with a potential victim. It gives people at risk of domestic abuse the information needed to make an informed decision on whether to continue the relationship. Disclosures are only made where it is lawful, proportionate and necessary to do so. 4.109 Sex Offender Community Disclosure Scheme (Keeping Children Safe) was introduced across Scotland in 2011 and is managed by Police Scotland. The scheme enables parents, carers, guardians, or any other person who is concerned about a person’s access to someone else’s child to apply, albeit only the parent; carer or guardian can be given information under the Scheme (Information on how to submit an application for the Sex Offender Community Disclosure Scheme. - Police Scotland) . 4.110 In cases where Police Scotland believes that an individual poses a risk to the child concerned, discussions will also take place with partner agencies, and steps agreed and progressed to ensure the child’s safety. 4.111 Police Scotland provides governance and co‑ordination for the scheme to ensure it is publicised widely and embedded in national police training. 4.112 Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARAC) are local meetings where representatives from statutory and non-statutory agencies meet to discuss individuals at high risk of serious harm or murder as a result of domestic abuse. A referral to a MARAC should be considered at the point this risk is identified. MARACs can play a vital role in terms of safety planning for victims of domestic abuse and their children. Safelives, a UK- wide domestic abuse charity, has developed a suite of resources to help ensure that each MARAC keeps as many victims of domestic abuse as possible safe (Home | Safelives) . 4.113 Multi-Agency Tasking and Co-Ordination (MATAC) is a Police Scotland-led and chaired initiative to identify and manage the most harmful domestic abuse perpetrators. MATAC aims to effectively tackle offending by domestic abuse perpetrators who present the greatest risk of harm. It does this through: • effective partnership working to identify those domestic abuse perpetrators who present the greatest risk of harm • multi–agency information sharing to support intelligence development and proactive enforcement action against identified perpetrators • using tasking and co‑ordination to proactively investigate identified perpetrators, using relevant and legitimate tactics 4.114 Where MARAC or MATAC processes identify children at risk, consideration should be given to referring the children for IRD. Where a risk or a potential risk of significant harm to children is identified during a MARAC or MATAC conference then an IRD should be held without delay.