Allegations Against Professionals

To manage allegations against professionals, every Local Authority appoints a Designated Officer (DO). The DO works within Children’s Services and should be alerted to all cases in which it is alleged that a person who works with children has:

behaved in a way that has harmed, or may have harmed, a child
possibly committed a criminal offence against children, or related to a child, or
behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates s/he may pose a risk to children. (Working Together 2015)

The term “professional” in this context includes paid employees, volunteers, casual/agency staff and self-employed workers who will have contact with children as a part of their role. The DO ensures that all allegations or concerns about professionals or adults working or volunteering with children are recorded appropriately, monitored and progressed in a timely and confidential way. The DO is involved from the initial phase of the allegation through to the conclusion of the case. The DO provides advice and guidance to employers and voluntary organisations, liaising with the police and other agencies and monitoring the progress of cases to ensure that they are dealt with as quickly as possible, consistent with a thorough and fair process.

The London Child Protection Procedure (Part A) and Practice Guidance (Part B) are fully adopted by Hounslow Safeguarding Children Partnership and its partner agencies.

You should:

report it to the Designated Senior Manager within your organisation as soon as possible, however trivial it may seem;
make a signed and dated written record of your concerns, observations or the information you have received to pass on to the Designated Senior Manager;
maintain confidentiality and guard against publicity while an allegation is being considered or investigated and follow local information sharing protocols

You should not:

attempt to deal with the situation yourself;
make assumptions, offer alternative explanations or diminish the seriousness of the behaviour or alleged incidents;
keep the information to yourself or promise confidentiality;
take any action that might undermine any future investigation or disciplinary procedure, such as interviewing the alleged victim or potential witnesses, or informing the alleged perpetrator or parents or carers.

Further guidance can be found in Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 and in the London Child Protection Procedures.

Managing allegations against staff and volunteers who work with children

When to contact the LADO:

A referral should always be made to the LADO if there is an allegation or concern that a person who works with children has:

Behaved in a way that has harmed a child, or may have harmed a child;
Possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child;
Behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates he or she may pose a risk of harm to children.

If you are unsure whether your concern meets these criteria you can contact the LADO for further advice and guidance.

The role of the LADO includes:

Providing advice and guidance to employers and voluntary organisations.
The management and oversight of allegations against staff and volunteers who work with children.
Liaising with the police and other agencies.
Monitoring the progress of cases to ensure they are dealt with as quickly as possible and that the processes followed are fair and consistent.

Hounslow has two Local Authority Designated Officers (LADO)

Natasha Hofmans

Tel: 0208 583 4933

Email: natasha.hofmans@hounslow.gov.uk

Working days: Monday – Friday (9:00am-5:00pm)

Sarah Paltenghi

Tel: 0208 583 3423

Email: sarah.paltenghi@hounslow.gov.uk

Working days: Monday – Wednesday (9:00am-5:00pm)

Want to report an allegation against a professional or would like a consultation?

New referrals / all new enquiries to the LADO should be made through the Safeguarding Advice and Allegations Management (SAAM) duty system:

Call: 0208 583 5730
Email: lado@hounslow.gov.uk

For all LADO referrals please complete this form and email to lado@hounslow.gov.uk

Hounslow LADO Protocols and Referral Forms

We will aim to respond within one working day on receipt of your referral.