Referral Threshold Decision Tool

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Outcome

Section 46 — Police Protection

The child appears to be in immediate danger. You have the power to remove them to safe accommodation or prevent their removal from a safe place.

Statutory basis

Children Act 1989, s.46 — Any constable who has reasonable cause to believe that a child would otherwise be likely to suffer significant harm may remove the child to suitable accommodation and keep them there, or take reasonable steps to prevent the child's removal from hospital or another place.

Immediate actions — in order

1

Exercise the power — take the child to suitable accommodation (police station is a last resort — prioritise a local authority emergency foster placement or hospital).

2

Notify the Local Authority immediately — the LA must be notified as soon as possible (Working Together 2026). They must appoint a designated officer to review the case within 24 hours.

3

Notify the child's parents/carers — unless doing so would put the child or another person at risk of harm.

4

Notify NSPCC — as required by s.46(3)(c).

5

Inform the child (in age-appropriate language) of the steps taken and the reasons, as far as reasonably practicable.

6

Record everything — the precise time protection began, your reasons, all notifications made. Protection can last no more than 72 hours.

Critical limitation

Police Protection cannot exceed 72 hours. If longer protection is needed, the LA must apply for an Emergency Protection Order (EPO) under s.44 Children Act 1989. You cannot extend police protection.

Key contacts

Local Authority EDT
Emergency Duty Team — available 24/7

NSPCC 24hr helpline
0808 800 5000

Force safeguarding lead
Contact your force's CYP/safeguarding unit

MASH (daytime)
Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub — local number

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Outcome

Section 47 Enquiry

There is reasonable cause to suspect significant harm. The Local Authority has a statutory duty to make enquiries. Police involvement is likely under joint protocol.

Statutory basis

Children Act 1989, s.47(1) — Where a Local Authority has reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm, they shall make enquiries to enable them to decide whether they should take any action to safeguard or promote the child's welfare.

Immediate actions

1

Refer to the Local Authority / MASH immediately — do not delay. Where possible, call first then confirm in writing. Working Together 2026 requires the LA to respond within 1 working day.

2

Initiate joint protocol — if the concern involves a crime (assault, sexual abuse, exploitation), notify your force's child abuse investigation unit (CAIT/SOIT) for a joint strategy discussion.

3

Strategy Discussion/Meeting — within 24–48 hours of referral, involving LA social worker, police, health, and relevant others. Purpose: share information, agree the s.47 enquiry plan, agree who interviews the child.

4

ABE interview decision — if the child needs to be spoken to about possible abuse, the Achieving Best Evidence 2011 framework applies. This is a joint police/social work interview; arrange ASAP to preserve evidence.

5

Consider urgent medical assessment — if physical harm is suspected and medical evidence may be time-critical.

6

Preserve evidence — scene, clothing, digital evidence, witnesses. Do not delay for the strategy discussion if evidence is at immediate risk.

Note on parallel criminal investigation

A s.47 enquiry and a criminal investigation can run simultaneously. Neither prevents the other. The strategy discussion is where agencies agree how to coordinate both strands.

What happens next

The s.47 enquiry leads to one of: Child Protection Conference (within 15 working days of s.47 decision), no further action (with recorded rationale), or referral back to early help. The LA leads; police are a statutory partner.

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Outcome

Section 17 Referral — Child in Need

The child appears to meet the "child in need" threshold. Refer to children's services for a child in need assessment. This does not require immediate police action.

Statutory basis

Children Act 1989, s.17(1) — It shall be the general duty of every local authority to safeguard and promote the welfare of children within their area who are in need, and to promote the upbringing of such children by their families, by providing a range and level of services appropriate to those children's needs.

Actions

1

Refer to children's services — contact the MASH or duty social worker. Provide your observations, the child's details, family circumstances, and your reason for the referral.

2

Confirm in writing — follow up any verbal referral with a written record within 24 hours.

3

LA response timescale — the LA should acknowledge the referral and decide within 1 working day whether to proceed to child in need assessment. Assessment should be completed within 45 working days.

4

Monitor — if the situation escalates before the assessment is complete, re-refer under s.47 or exercise police protection if the threshold is met.

What the LA will do

The LA will undertake a Child and Family Assessment (CFA). This looks at the child's developmental needs, parenting capacity, and family/environmental factors. Outcome may be: services provided under a Child in Need Plan, referral to s.47 if concerns increase, or Early Help if threshold not met.

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Outcome

Early Help / Preventative Support

No statutory referral threshold is met, but there are lower-level concerns. Early help is warranted — this prevents escalation and is a legitimate and important outcome.

What this means

Early help means providing support as soon as a problem emerges, at any point in a child's life. It can involve the school, health visitor, youth worker, PCSO, housing, or a voluntary sector provider. The lead professional is whoever is best placed — this may or may not be you.

Actions

1

Speak to the school's DSL — if the concern arose in a school context. The DSL can initiate a Team Around the Child (TAC) process or a CAF/EHAF.

2

Contact the Early Help Hub — most LAs have a single point of contact for early help referrals (sometimes part of MASH).

3

Record your concern — even if you take no further action, record what you observed, your assessment, and why you considered early help appropriate. This creates a pattern of concern if the situation escalates.

4

Review — set a review point. If the child comes to your attention again, re-assess against all thresholds.

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Outcome

No Further Action — Record & Review

No threshold has been met. No further statutory action is required at this time — but your decision must be recorded with your reasoning.

What this means

On the information available, there is no statutory basis for a referral or police protection. NFA is a legitimate and appropriate outcome. The critical obligation is to record your decision and revisit it if new information emerges.

Actions

1

Record your decision — on your force's system. Include: what you observed, what information you had, which thresholds you considered, and why NFA is appropriate.

2

Set a review — NFA is not "close and forget." If the child comes to your attention again, reassess from the beginning.

3

Consider intelligence value — even an NFA may be worth logging as intelligence for future pattern analysis.

If in doubt

You can always consult your force's safeguarding lead or the MASH duty worker without making a formal referral. "Checking in" costs nothing and may reveal additional information that changes the picture.

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Outcome

Borderline Case — Consult and Refer

You are unsure whether the significant harm threshold is met. This is common — threshold is a judgement, not a formula. The right action is to consult and refer for professional assessment.

Key principle

Working Together 2026 is explicit: "Professionals should not delay in taking action to safeguard a child because they are unsure whether the threshold is met." If in doubt, make the referral and let professionals with the full picture assess it. The risk of under-reporting is greater than the risk of over-reporting.

Actions

1

Contact MASH for a consultation — most areas allow you to discuss a case without naming the child first (an anonymised "professional consultation"). This gives you the benefit of a social worker's assessment of whether the threshold appears to be met.

2

Consult your force safeguarding lead — they can review the facts with you and advise on threshold.

3

When in doubt, refer — if after consultation you remain unsure, a referral is the appropriate outcome. It is the LA's job to assess threshold, not yours.

4

Record everything — who you consulted, what they said, the decision reached, and why.

Is the child in immediate danger right now?

Do you have reasonable cause to suspect the child has suffered, or is likely to suffer, significant harm?

Is the child "in need" of services to achieve or maintain a reasonable standard of health or development?

Are there lower-level concerns that would benefit from early help or preventative support?

📋 Decision Record