By Blogger Ben - Referring to Children's Services - How to make a good referral

 

I wonder if I was to ask you what was your best day ever? What would you say? I hope lots of lovely memories would come flooding in; maybe it was a wonderful day, where you did something really fun, on a holiday, maybe at a wedding, the day a child was born or the day you met someone special.

 

How about if I asked you the opposite? What if I asked you for an example of a really tough day in your life?

 

The reality for some of the children and families that we work with in any of our respective roles as professionals working with children, is that one of their toughest periods in their lives; let alone days, all started on the day that we had to make a referral to children services.

 

Maybe you were concerned because a child had told you something, or maybe your own observations of a child, had made you feel worried. Maybe you know a family are in crisis and need some support, or worried that if action isn't taken, something could happen. As professionals, we know our responsibility in making those referrals is needed, because whatever the outcome, there was something you were concerned about that warranted further information and potentially intervention and support.

 

As professionals we cannot change the need for those referrals to be made, but we can take seriously our responsibility the need to ensure the quality of the referral made. Which if addressing the concerns clearly; can ensure that the right decisions are made for children's safety quickly and efficiently and can ensure that timely action is put into place if needed. A good referral can reduce the need for a family to have to share their story and trauma over and over again and for it to be understood and heard at the initial stage of working with them. It is our duty of care, to make sure we get that right.

 

So here are our top tips for how to make a good referral:

 

-Imagine the child/ren that the referral is being made about, sitting next to you and reading it over your shoulder. Then imagine that child asks you questions about what is in the content. The reality is that many of our children will come back and request to see their files and we want to ensure that the referrals that they read about themselves; whatever the content, are respectful, factual and clear. Be mindful of the language that we use to describe children, their families and their situation.  -Avoid judgement based language and ensure the language used is easy to understand and clear.

-Any referrals in relation to injuries on children should be accompanied with a body map (not a picture). As much information on these as possible, such as the colouring of an injury (ie bruise), where it is raised, the size of it and as shown on the body map, specifically where it is on a child’s body.

-Put in as much information as possible about what a child may have actually said or information they have provided. Put the information into context, what do you know from your role with this child/family - what has given you cause for concern? Differentiate in the referral between fact and opinion/ your view but both are important!

-As well as the content related to the child, ensure that any other relevant information you know abut the family is included. For example, if the concerns are of a safeguarding nature and the parents are professionals, such as a Police officer, this is crucial information for the referral, as that information may influence other action that needs to be taken, such as a LADO referral.

 

Lastly, but really importantly, make sure you seek support for yourself in dealing with the referral. It can be a stressful and worrying time when making a referral and it is important that you as a professional dealing with that, have an opportunity to debrief and address anything it may have raised for you. It is so important to be able to reach out for support in this scenario and even more important that this support is provided.

When we complete a referral that is sent to children services, its loaded onto the system initially as what we call a ‘contact.’ But that information is not a contact, it’s a child. A child for whom a decision will be made, as to whether a child is safe or not and what support they may need as a result. A child who may just need someone to have noticed something is going on and to start the ball rolling in ensuring their safety and wellbeing. That ‘contact’ could save their life, make it count.