Safeguarding children - support for professionals

When a child is at risk of significant harm—such as serious abuse, neglect, domestic violence or parental substance misuse—they reach the level four threshold.

In level 4 cases, you  you must act fast and refer the child straight away to Children’s Social Care, which you can do using our consultation line.

Normally, you should ask parents for consent before making a referral, but if this would put the child in more danger or affect a police investigation, you can go ahead without it.

Children at this level need urgent protection and specialist support, so act quickly to ensure their safety and well-being.

If you think a child’s needs are beyond what general or early help services can provide, but do not require urgent protection, then you meet the criteria to refer to Children Services under the level three threshold.

A level three safeguarding referral is for children whose needs are complex and may affect their health, development, or welfare, but who are not at immediate risk of serious harm. These children might have a disability, emotional or behavioural difficulties, or face significant challenges at home.

Support at this level often comes from specialist services such as social workers, health professionals, or education teams, working together to help the child and their family.

Referrals at this level are commonly made via the Brent Family Front Door. When this happens, a multi-agency approach is taken to assess the child’s needs and plan coordinated support. An Early Help Assessment may also be carried out, and a lead practitioner allocated to oversee the process.

Always act promptly and seek advice from our MASH team if you are unsure—your actions can make a real difference to a child’s wellbeing.

Some children have needs that go beyond what universal services can offer. At the level 2 threshold, these needs may not be immediately obvious or may be just starting to impact a child’s wellbeing. Often, families are experiencing stress and, without support, a child’s health or development could be at risk. Early intervention is key to preventing problems from escalating.

When you identify that a child’s needs may be at Level 2, talk with the family about your concerns and always get their consent before making a referral.

If you think more than one service is likely to be involved, an Early Help Assessment is recommended.

This assessment helps decide if Early Help Services are suitable, or if Children’s Social Care should be involved, depending on the level of need. It works by getting everyone working together as a team, provides a clear action plan, and assigns a Lead Professional to act as the family’s main point of contact.

By noticing concerns early and bringing services together, we can support children and families before their situation worsens. If you’re unsure about the right steps, speak to your manager or safeguarding lead for guidance.

General health services can meet the needs of many children and young people with. These services are often referred to as universal health services and all children and families have the right to access them, e.g. GPs, Schools, and Health Services.

You do not typically need an assessment or referral to access them.

Brent provides a variety of drop-in services for early years and youth, available to all young people through our local Best Start Family Hubs. 

We work closely with children, young people, and families to ensure they know about and can access these services across the borough.