Child Protection
Adopters and foster carers play a key part in protecting vulnerable children in Nottingham. To learn more about the way that Nottingham City Council's Children's Services works with and supports such children.
Our main responsibility is to protect and safeguard the welfare of children in need. This means any child or young person whose health and welfare may suffer if they do not receive our help.
This includes:
Children and young people who may be at risk of harm or neglect or who may have been harmed children and young people in trouble with the law children with disabilities children who cannot live with their own families, for whatever reason
The best place for any child to grow up is at home within their own family and we aim to keep families together wherever possible. We work closely with children, young people and their parents, relatives or other carers. We also work closely with other organisations to find the best solution to a problem.
This will always take into account the child and family's religious, cultural and social background.
There are often times when families feel under extreme pressure and unable to cope. This is when we offer support to the families, relatives and carers as well as to the children and young people themselves. This includes young carers - children or young people looking after a parent or family member who is ill or disabled.
We are not the only organisation working with children, young people and families. Many other agencies locally have a child's best interests at heart and we work in partnership with them. These include the Health Services, the Police, the Probation Service as well as voluntary organisations.
Children and young people at risk
If a child or young person appears to be in danger or at risk because of neglect or physical, emotional or sexual abuse, we have a legal duty to look into the circumstances.
As we need to make sure that the child is safe, it means we may have to get involved with your family even if even if you do not want us to.
However, it does not necessarily mean that the child will be separated from the family - this only happens in extreme cases or in emergencies. Whatever the case, we always keep people informed about what is happening.
If you are worried about any child or young person who is in danger, please contact us. We will always deal with any call - including calls from children themselves - in the strictest confidence.
Children and young people in trouble
If children and young people are in trouble with the law, we work closely with them and with the Police, Probation Service, Education and the Courts. Our Youth Justice Team aims to support young offenders and discourage them from committing further offences.
Children and young people 'looked after'
There may be situations where children can no longer live at home with their families, or with other relatives or friends. This could be for a number of reasons - illness, a family breakdown or break-up; or parents or carers unable to cope or to provide the right sort of care and protection.
When this happens, we try to find accommodation so that the child is 'looked after' by us. This could be with foster carers or in a children's home for a few days, weeks or longer. It's best if we can do this with the parents' agreement, but sometimes if we believe that a child needs protection from abuse or neglect we have to take action through the Family Courts.
Young people who are about to leave their foster home or children's home to live on their own receive help from our staff to find accommodation, set up home and manage money.
Children with disabilities
Children with disabilities' includes those who have physical or learning disabilities, sight or hearing loss or a serious illness or medical condition.
We work with other organisations such as the health services, Education and voluntary agencies to provide the children and their carers with advice, information and support.
Services we may be able to arrange include:
- Extra support at home - for example, for families of children with disabilities, to help with practical tasks such as washing or shopping.
- 'Respite care' or 'shared care' - a short break for your child either with a family, or in a children's home. This provides a break for families of children with disabilities or special needs, to enable them to continue coping with caring.
- Counselling for parents and carers - to cope with problems, advice on caring for your child, and details of other local and national organisations or groups which can provide services and information
- Counselling for children and young people - who are being, or have been abused or are in trouble and need our help
- Welfare rights advice - help and information on claiming benefits through the Benefits Agency or DSS.
- Information about local day care facilities - such as family centres. These provide supervised play and educational activities, meals and refreshments for the children, as well as support for families.
- Advice, support and counselling - from specialist social workers based at local hospitals.
- Childminders - lists of childminders registered with Children's Services and information for people who want to become childminders.
- Adoption and fostering advice - information for people who would like to become foster parents and advice on adopting a child and support for families with adopted children.
Further information
The Children's Services Plan is produced by a number of agencies including Children's Services. It describes projects completed over the previous year and a 3 year plan for how we hope to develop services in the future.
The Department of Health also produces a series of booklets for children and families about the Children Act. These should be available from most public libraries.
Getting in touch with Child Protection
Contact your local office or arrange for someone to do this for you. When you contact us you will be able to discuss your situation in confidence with a member of staff.
Our offices are open from 8.30am to 4.50pm Monday to Friday. To make it easier to contact us, all our social work teams have the same phone number which is 0115 915 5500. If you know who you want to speak to, the switchboard operator will put you through. If you don't, they will help to find a 'Duty Social Worker' in the right office. Outside office hours, our Emergency Duty Team is in operation but can only deal with emergencies or crises which cannot wait until the next working day. For the emergency team call: 0115 915 9299.
We can arrange for an interpreter to assist people whose first language is not English, or for a sign language interpreter for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
If you are a relative or carer of a child or young person who is in - or about to leave hospital, speak to the social work or health staff based there.
Headquarters (please note that no there are no social work teams based here):
Children's Services Offices
1 Gilead Street
Bulwell
Nottingham
Tel: 0115 915 5500
The Clocktower 8-22 Commercial Road
Bulwell
Nottingham
Tel: 0115 915 5500
126 Mansfield Road Nottingham
Tel: 0115 915 5500
Support after Adoption
126 Mansfield Road
Nottingham
Tel: 0115 915 5500
Emergency Duty Team (only for crises)
Tel: 0115 915 9299
which cannot wait until the next working day)
Listen to this websiteAccessibility
