Safeguarding quick reference

For a child to tell you that something has happened to them, it takes courage and trust.

Do listen and give them your full attention. Praise the child for telling you. They have done the right thing. Show them that you are taking this seriously and are there for them.

Do write down their exact words as quickly as you can.

Do not change their words.

Do not ask any leading questions.

Do not promise to keep any secrets. Say that you will need to tell the people whose job it is to keep children safe, but you will support them and safeguard them.

Report to your Action for Children supervising social worker immediately by phone. If they’re not available, ask to speak to the team manager.

After 5 pm, before 9 am and at weekends, call Action for Children’s Out of Hours duty worker, on the number supplied to you on approval.

Send your written record and any incident report without delay to your Action for Children supervising social worker as well as phoning them.

Action for Children will work with you and the relevant local authorities immediately to follow their safeguarding procedures, to relay the information straight away to the statutory child protection team and if necessary the police and a medical practitioner.

Don’t delay. As a safeguarder, it is your legal duty, as well as ours, to report concerns. It is Action for Children’s job to help you to do so promptly and effectively.

Key phone numbers: your Action for Children Fostering social worker, your fostering team manager, Action for Children’s Out of Hours duty; your child’s local authority social worker and local authority emergency duty team.

For more information, visit where you can find out more.

You may wish to see also:

• Working together to safeguard children 2026

If a child goes missing, the risks are serious.

A child who has run away from care may be distressed or frightened about something. Or they may be under pressure, influenced or being exploited. The chances that they will be harmed are sharply increased while they are missing, they need you to act immediately to try to ensure their safety.

If your child is missing: Report to your Action for Children Fostering social worker as soon as you are aware of this, by phone. If they are unavailable ask to speak to the team manager or another member of staff.

If it’s after 5 pm, before 9 am and at weekends/public holidays, call Action for Children’s Out of Hours Duty worker on the number supplied to you.

Action for Children will help you to follow your child’s local authority procedures for missing children.

• This will usually include phoning your police service to report the child missing. There is no minimum time to wait before doing this.
• Once you have done this you will have a police log number and will need to report this to the child’s local authority social worker or (out of hours) the local authority emergency duty team.
• Action for Children will help you throughout and will keep in touch with you.
• Send your written record to your Action for Children Fostering social worker without delay as well as phoning them.

Missing or absent?

If your child is absent without agreement, contact Action for Children Fostering without delay for advice.

You will receive training on the difference between a child who is deemed to be missing and a child who is deemed ‘absent without authority’. Your Action for Children Fostering social worker will help you to follow correct procedure, working with the local authority protocol. Whatever the detail, if a child is not home and should be, you must report this to us so that we can help you.

Key phone numbers: your Action for Children Fostering social worker, Action for Children Out of Hours duty, your child’s local authority social worker and local authority emergency duty team.

Meanwhile:

Try to contact the child by phone, let them know you are worried about them, and reassure them that they are not in trouble. Be curious, but warm in your tone, about where they could be and who they might be with. Encourage them warmly to come back. Keep a dialogue going, sensitively and without ever imposing ultimatums or demands.

Action for Children Fostering will keep in frequent contact with you, recognising that it’s stressful for you as well as for the child.

If/when a child does return, they need you to welcome them back, and avoid judging or criticising them in any way. Don’t immediately ask them questions, but be kind and show them you’re glad they’re home. They may be tired, thirsty, hungry, cold: respond appropriately.

Always update Action for Children Fostering, the local authority and the police after a child returns.

A local authority representative (independent of the child’s team) will need to speak with the child within 72 hours of their return, to understand what led them to run away and how things could be safer for them.

If a child is at risk and going missing repeatedly there may be a meeting between the child and their local authority social work team to explore why this is happening. Further meetings to identify ways to reduce the risks to a child may follow.

There is much more to read about why children go missing and how you can help to reduce the risks to them.

For more information, visit where you can find out more.

Have you noticed changes in the child’s behaviour?

Is the child appearing preoccupied, distracted, unusually tired, less communicative than usual with you, or in other ways unlike themselves? Are they always on their phone? Secretive about their activities?

Has the child acquired new possessions – clothes, shoes, jewellery, tech, new phone etc? Do they have unexplained money?

Do they seem worried, afraid to go out, unwilling to go to school? or conversely, are they always finding reasons to go out?

Are they online more than usual (or less than usual)?

Is there any other factor that triggers your concern?

If so, a child in your care could be experiencing exploitation, for example by suppliers of illicit drugs. Your child could be being groomed with gifts or rewards in exchange for sex or other forms of abuse.

Another possibility is that the child could be being bullied by peers or others;

The child may have been subjected to online extortion (such as a threat to publish compromising photos) or the use of AI ‘adultification’ software.

Remember that the child may have been threatened with worse harm if they tell an adult or ask for help.

You must report your concerns without delay. As your first step, ALWAYS contact your Action for Children Fostering social worker or their manager.

After 5 pm, before 9 am and at weekends/public holidays contact the Action for Children Out of Hours duty worker.

Be sure to avoid giving the child any critical or shaming messages. This is when they need you more than ever to be kind, compassionate, respectful and available. They are not to blame.

If you think school peers are bullying the child please contact your Action for Children Fostering social worker and we will work with you, the child’s social worker and the school to safeguard the child.

Sometimes a threat emerges over time. You may have noticed small changes over weeks that provide a cumulative picture of risk. Your logs and incident reports will be key to keeping track of these and reporting frequently to your Action for Children Fostering Social worker for advice. If in the slightest doubt, report any concern.

Things you can do:

• You can reduce online risks by maintaining a healthy dialogue with the child about their online activities. Your relationship with the child may be crucial in helping to keep them safe.
• You can also use monitoring/filtering software/apps; online safety approaches are included in your training programme. You will need to agree what apps are used with your Action for Children Fostering social worker and the child’s social worker. Any monitoring apps must be used with a child’s knowledge and consent.
• Be comfortable online yourself; if you are internet-literate, you can model safer use to a child, and your curiosity about their own online world will be better informed.
• You must report suspected criminal exploitation immediately to Action for Children, your child’s local authority and the police.

Key phone numbers: your Action for Children Fostering social worker, your fostering manager, Action for Children’s Out of Hours duty (England), your child’s local authority social worker and local authority emergency duty team.

For more information, visit where you can find out more.

If you think a child is right now endangering their life, for example by taking an overdose, please call 999, then alert your Action for Children Fostering social worker/duty worker and your child’s local authority social worker.

If a child has seriously harmed themselves or has taken serious risks (such as experimenting with alcohol or drugs or other actions that could alter their consciousness or breathing) you should seek medical treatment for them without delay. If necessary, call 999 and request an ambulance. Then alert your Action for Children Fostering social worker/duty worker and your child’s local authority social worker.

If you’re worried that a child is doing something that causes mild or moderate harm to themselves (such as superficial cuts or scratches to skin) please:

• Ensure the child is safe and has received any immediate first aid required.
• Report immediately to your Action for Children Fostering social worker or Out of Hours duty (England).
• Your supervising social worker or duty worker will advise you on next steps, depending on the situation. This may include taking the child for medical treatment, or possibly providing further first aid at home.

What you can do:

Your Action for Children training includes an understanding of why children may self harm and how they can be supported to stay safe.

Remember that a child who is self harming may be distressed, seeking release of very strong feelings or needs, and/or in need of high levels of support. The best way to help them is to start by accepting this is how they are feeling – and not to judge or criticise them.

• Record in writing your observations, and send your written record to your supervising social worker without delay, remembering that this will be shared with the child’s local authority.
• Action for Children Fostering and your child’s local authority will work together to agree a plan to reduce the risks of any future self harm.

Key phone numbers: your Action for Children Fostering social worker, your fostering manager, Action for Children’s Out of Hours duty (England), your child’s local authority social worker and local authority emergency duty team.

For more information, visit where you can find out more.

If a child in your care experiences racist verbal, physical or emotional abuse from peers or adults, the abuse must always be reported to police and to the child’s social worker without delay. Please contact your Action for Children Fostering social worker to seek support with this. If the racist abuse takes place in the child’s school, you must also inform the school without delay.

Children living in a foster home have the right to as normal a childhood as possible and to enjoy having fun with their peers. Growing up can involve adventure and exploration, and a level of risk in some activities, such as skateboarding, playing rugby or horse riding. With care, accidents and injuries can be minimised, but they do happen.

Your Action for Children Fostering social worker will work with you and your child’s social worker on risk prevention, to ensure sporting and other risky activities are organised by competent providers, agreed in advance, and that risks are assessed and mitigated.

If a child has an accident and is injured, even if this is minor, you must:

• seek medical attention for the child as soon as possible, unless the injury is very minor and can genuinely be treated with first aid;
• tell your Action for Children Fostering social worker and the child’s social worker or the duty worker.
• Record and send written reports as advised by your fostering social worker.
• If the accident or injury happens at school, it is still important that you report it and that you are satisfied medical attention has been given; if not, please seek medical attention.
• If you’re not sure whether a minor injury can be managed with first aid, seek medical attention anyway. This could include contacting NHS 111 or a pharmacist where appropriate.
• If an older teenager refuses to consent to receive medical attention after an accident or injury, you must contact your Action for Children Fostering social worker or the duty worker and seek advice.
• Never hesitate to contact us about accidents or injuries, however minor.

Illness

If your child is unwell, you should seek medical attention as necessary, provide care as instructed, and report to your supervising social worker.

Action for Children Fostering is responsible for making sure that children who are looked after by our carers are as safe and healthy as possible. The service also has regulatory responsibilities on the timely recording and reporting of all injuries, illness and accidents.

Always tell your Action for Children Fostering social worker (or the duty worker) as soon as possible about any other incident affecting a child in your care, for example:

- A child is involved in an argument or physical conflict with another child

- A child is subject to bullying by another child or may have bullied another child

- A child has been accused of shoplifting or other criminal activity

- A child has been using alcohol or illicit drugs.

If a child has been caught up in an incident or is accused of illegal activity, please report this to us straight away. This is also applicable if the incident involves another child living in your household. You’ll receive advice and support on what steps to take in each case.

If a child says you have hurt them, or harmed them in any way, please report this to your Action for Children Fostering social worker or the duty worker without delay. Please see the section on Allegations in the Handbook, under ‘Our Support to You’ for details of what steps must be taken.