Worried about a child?

If you’re worried that a child or young person's at risk of harm or abuse, it’s vital that you tell someone. We’re not asking you to make judgements or get involved in other people’s lives.  We just want to make sure that the child or young person gets the help, support and protection they may need.

Who to tell

If you think the child is in immediate danger, call the police on 999 or (0114) 2202020.

If the child's not in immediate danger, but you're still concerned about them, call our social care assessment service on (01226) 772423 (weekdays before 5pm).

Call our emergency duty team on (01226) 787789 if you’re calling after 5pm, at weekends or on bank holidays.

You can also discuss your concerns with a professional you trust who works with children and families.  This could be a health visitor, social worker, school nurse or teacher (all schools have a teacher in charge for child protection).

Abuse and neglect - the type of issue you might become aware of

Abuse and neglect of children can present in many different ways. Sometimes abuse may occur by omission (something not being done for a child). This usually means the child’s needs being neglected. On other occasions, abuse may present as a deliberate act - for example sexual or physical assault of a child. Learning from serious cases tells us that many forms of abuse have links to vulnerable parents/carers such as domestic abuse, substance misuse, mental health and learning disability.

Barnsley Safeguarding Children Partnership

For more details about keeping children safe in Barnsley, visit our safeguarding children in Barnsley page.