Writing an Effective Children’s Social Care Referral: A Step-by-Step Guide

What makes a good referral to Children's Social Care?

Writing an effective referral to children's social care involves promptly providing detailed and accurate information. A well-written referral will enable quicker intervention and support for the child and their family. A poorly written referral could mean that there is a delay in getting support for the child and create further risk and harm.

Knowing (and remembering) what to include in a referral can be challenging, especially in the heat of a moment when you have just taken a disclosure of abuse from a child. As an essential checklist, the following information should be included. It is important to note that each local authority works slightly differently, each having its preferred referral template or reporting system. Your local Children’s Safeguarding Partnership can help if you are stuck.

Remember, if there is an immediate risk to the child, call 999.

The basic information that is needed on a referral

Every referral should include some basic information. Depending on your agency, you may know more or less about the child and their family. As a minimum, you would need to know the child’s name and date of birth or address, as this would allow the MASH (Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub) team to look at the child on their database—some other information which should be included where possible includes:

Child’s details - Name, Date of Birth, Current school and any known medical information.
Sibling details - Names and details of any known siblings.
Carer details - Names and details of parents/carers.
Other details - Include the details of anyone else who lives in the household (or frequents the house regularly) and the relationship of these individuals to the child and each other (a genogram can be helpful). These potentially ‘unknown’ adults could pose a risk.

Your reasons for making a social care referral

In this section, you must highlight your concerns, providing as much context as possible. The person within the MASH team who reads your referral is unlikely to know much about the child or their family; therefore, you must spell out your concerns to them. Think of it as “A dummy’s guide to why I am concerned about this child.”

It's crucial to ensure that the information you provide is accurate and factual. For instance, using language such as “I am concerned because the child said that Daddy hurt Mummy last night” rather than saying, “The parents fought” Or “When mum collected X from school, the class teacher observed a fresh bruise and small cut just over the left-eye socket; when the teacher asked if she was OK, mum looked at the ground and walked off” rather than saying “Mum looked like she had been beaten up”. If you are adding your opinion, be sure to differentiate what is factual and what is opinion. This distinction is vital as it helps the reader to trust the information provided.

Each local authority will have a threshold of needs document (see Page 28 for an example) which demonstrates what would be considered normal developmental behaviours and what would be considered a concern. You can directly quote from the threshold of needs document when writing your referral. The assessment triangle is also a valuable resource for identifying areas of concern.

You should also describe any previous concerns for the child or family (add a chronology if it helps to build a pattern/picture).

How have you supported the family?

It is helpful to demonstrate what support has already been offered so you should list details of any actions taken (for current and historic concerns). For example, this might be the second or third time that you have made a referral for this family due to similar problems. Also, list any meetings that you have held with the family and any interventions that have been held with the child and note any progress that has been made following the support you have offered.

Include a description of how the parent/carer explained the incidents or how they reacted to you discussing it with them. Did they seem genuinely concerned? Were they dismissive?

The child’s voice and Impact on the child

Including the child’s voice in the referral is crucial. It ensures the referral remains child-centred, focusing on the child's experiences and needs. When recording the child's voice, ensure that the words the child uses are written verbatim, including slang or offensive language. You can add clarification of slang words after quoting the child.

It's important to describe how the current situation is impacting the child. For example, you may have noticed a decline in behaviour over the past two weeks, or every Monday after spending the weekend with family, the child may appear very withdrawn. This helps the MASH team understand the urgency and potential severity of the situation, making it easier for them to prioritise their response.

Professional Judgement and Analysis

Your professional opinion and expertise are highly valued by children's social care; after all, you are more likely to understand the child and their family better.

It's crucial to offer your professional judgment regarding the level of risk and potential harm to the child. For example, you could say, “We are concerned that if additional support for X’s mental health is not provided now, the long-term risk is that the child will not meet their expected academic levels due to their inability to focus in class.” This professional judgment is valuable as it helps to guide the reader's understanding of the situation.

Another example could be saying, “We are concerned that if support is not offered for mum’s alcohol misuse, X will be emotionally and socially isolated as he takes on the role of carer for his two siblings when mum is intoxicated. We have referred X to young carers for additional support; however, unless Mum seeks help, X will continue to be the primary carer for his siblings and will not be able to have a childhood.”

What is the aim of the referral?

You can say what you would like to happen next; for example, based on their threshold of needs, you might feel that a Level 3 Child in Need plan is appropriate, or you may think an immediate strategy meeting needs to be held as the risk is high and requires a swift multi-agency response.

You can also say how you/your agency will contribute to any assessment or plan agreed upon moving forward.

Gaining consent from parents and carers

Unless it is likely to place the child at an increased risk of harm, it is best practice to speak with the parent/carer before making a referral to children’s social care. Some parents might be grateful for the additional support, and others may become hostile. However, you should at least try to gain consent before making the referral.

If consent was not gained, you should explain why. This could be that you feel that gaining consent will put the child at a greater risk of harm, or when you spoke to parents, they declined to give consent. Lack of consent should not prevent you from making a referral. If you have concerns, note why you have overridden the need for consent.

Contact Details

Ensure you include your contact details so the MASH team can contact you for any follow-up; you usually provide a contact number and email address.

Include the details of other professionals or services working with the family, such as GP, Health Visitor, CAMHS, etc.

Things to avoid in your referral

It is best if you avoid jargon and acronyms. If describing something technical (such as a medical diagnosis), explain what this means and how it impacts the child.

Lack of detail:

Instead of saying "The child has poor attendance", be explicit and say "The child has X% attendance this academic year, meaning they have missed X days of school and are now falling behind their peers academically and socially." You can then further highlight that "If the child's attendance continues in this trajectory, they will be less likely to achieve GCSE passes in Year 11, adversely affecting their adult life."

Instead of saying "The children are not being looked after properly", say, "Parents are neglecting to meet the basic needs of the children and have failed to collect the children on time 5 times over the last two months, and most mornings (again, add actual explicit details), they arrive late to school. On arrival, the children have not had breakfast, their hair appears unbrushed, and 2 out of 3 of the children reported toothache in the last week. Parents have yet to book a dentist appointment regarding this."

Your primary concern might be that the parents have a drug addiction; however, if you fail to highlight the impact that this has on the child, then your referral might not meet the threshold.

You should also avoid hyping up, exaggerating or making a referral just in case. If in doubt, speak to the MASH team first.