Child Protection Guidance 2021

Part 4: Specific support needs and concerns 213 National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 Version 1.0 September 2021 4.490 Professional response. Any reasonable professional concern that a child may be at significant risk of harm will always override a professional or agency requirement to keep information confidential. All service providers have a responsibility to act to make sure that a child whose safety or welfare may be at risk is protected from harm. Service users should always be made aware of the circumstances when confidentiality needs to be breached, preferably during the initial stages of contact with a service. 4.491 When a report of historical child abuse is received by any agency, consideration needs to be given to the investigation of any current child protection concerns. This should include determining whether there are any children potentially still at risk from the suspected perpetrator(s). This may be in a professional capacity such as in a residential or foster care setting, within a personal family setting in the wider community, within other institutional settings, or a combination. 4.492 A person sharing their experience of abuse may be unable or unwilling to go to the police. Consideration should be given as to whether the person requires support and protection as an adult at risk of harm. Their needs must be balanced against the need to protect any child/children who might currently be exposed to risk from the suspected perpetrator(s). Where possible, there should be an agreement between agencies to allow individual support plans to be put in place. 4.493 Services supporting or taking part in investigations relating to persons reporting historical abuse should be mindful of potential barriers to making a report. As with other disclosures of abuse these may include a fear of not being believed, and uncertainty about how investigations will proceed. Feelings of distrust or suspicion may also arise, particularly if the abuse has happened within a care setting. 4.494 Referral of concerns about historical abuse to Police Scotland or social work will lead to consideration of an IRD in accord with Part 3 of this Guidance. A planned and co‑ordinated approach should balance current child protection risks with support for the person. A trauma-informed approach is necessary in the planning and investigation of abusive experiences. Where investigations into reports of historical abuse suggest that the reported abuse was part of a wider organised network or involved multiple abusers, agencies should follow this guidance. For further information, see the section on complex child abuse investigations above. 4.495 Access to records. Investigation of reports of historical abuse will entail accessing relevant records. For example it may become necessary to access information from local authorities and relevant agencies in relation to former staff and carers. Local guidelines should include clear protocols on record-keeping and record management, including record retrieval, which could be for the purpose of assisting complex investigations.

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