Are you worried about a child or young person?

This information is for anyone worried that a child or young person may be at risk of abuse or neglect. 

Contact details

Frequently asked questions

You may see or hear things which make you worry about a child's care, welfare or safety. This may be related to the actions of anyone caring for a child. This page contains information which may answer some of your queries or concerns in relation to a child or young person.

I am being abused, who can help me?

Please speak to a safe adult about what is happening to you. This could be someone in your family, your teacher, a neighbour or your doctor. You can phone our Early Access and Intervention Team yourself, if you would like to, by calling 01738 476768, or you could email them on [email protected]. If this feels too hard, you can call Childline free on 0800 1111 at any time, to talk about any problem.

You can also look at our page with information for children and young people where there is a lot of information about your rights and places you can go for help.

What is child abuse?

All unborn babies, infants, children and young people have a right to be kept safe and protected from harm. Abuse is a general term which includes:

• physical abuse: hurting a child's body (for example punching, hitting, or kicking)
• sexual abuse: any inappropriate sexual behaviour and activity involving a child; this would include direct sexual contact with a child, causing or forcing them to watch sexual content, taking nude or semi-nude sexualised photos of children
• emotional abuse: includes repeatedly putting a child down, ignoring them, or humiliating them, not giving them the emotional care and support they need to thrive
• neglect: consistently not meeting a child's basic needs, this includes not feeding them properly, not providing suitable clothes or shelter, or not keeping them clean and safe through age-appropriate supervision
• exploitation: children and young people may be sexually exploited by one person or by a group of people acting together; they may also be criminally exploited by one person or by a group of people acting together:
  • an example of sexual exploitation includes coercing or persuading children and young people to perform sexual acts
  • an example of criminal exploitation is forcing or persuading children and young people to do criminal acts such as sell drugs or shoplift

What signs should I be concerned about?

Children and young people who are being abused, neglected or exploited can find it very hard or impossible to tell someone about it. This can be due to fear if the abuser has threatened or blackmailed them. It can also be fear that if the child or young person tells that their family will be split up or they may have to go into foster care. They can be scared to tell due to shame even though children and young people are never responsible for abuse and it is not their shame to carry. So, it is important that adults are alert to the signs of abuse, are curious and can recognise when something might be happening. You might notice signs like:

• the child has unexplained bruising or bruising in an unusual place
• the child seems afraid, quiet or withdrawn or may be afraid to go home
• the child seems hungry, tired or unkempt
• the child or young person is left alone or unsupervised, is out late at night or in harsh weather conditions
• the child or young person seems to have too much responsibility for their age
• the parent or the carer appears to be problematically using substances or alcohol
• you hear shouting, screaming or sounds of domestic abuse within the child's home

You may also see behaviour in an adult which makes you worry about any children they care for such as violent and aggressive behaviour.

Who should I speak to if I have a concern?

If you have urgent concerns about a child who is being hurt or harmed, or you are hearing sounds of a violent disturbance within the home, please dial 999 and seek emergency support from the police.

Otherwise, if you have concerns about an unborn baby, infant, child or young person, please contact the Council's Early Intervention and Access Team for advice and support on 01738 476768 or by emailing [email protected]. If the matter is urgent, please always call rather than send an email. The team is available Monday to Friday from 9am until 5pm. Calls are answered by staff at the Customer Service Centre and will be transferred to the duty worker during these hours. The staff at the Customer Service Centre will ask you some questions to make sure that they are transferring you to the most appropriate person who can help you.

Between 5pm and 9am and at weekends, calls to this line are answered by the Out-of-Hours Service which offers emergency and crisis support. Please only call during evenings and weekends if the matter is urgent. You can reach the Out-of-Hours Service on 01738 476768.

Alternatively, you could speak to a health visitor, teacher, nursery worker, family doctor, social worker, police officer or the Children's Reporter. 

I am concerned about a child but they have no physical injuries, what should I do?

Many types of abuse do not leave visible injuries. If there are other signs which make you worried about a child, you should speak to someone. The Early Intervention and Access Team can provide advice and support on 01738 476768 or by emailing [email protected].

Please remember it is always better to have said something and be wrong when you suspect abuse might be happening than to stay silent and leave a child at risk.

I am having difficulty caring for my child and think I need help, who can I speak to?

Parenting and looking after children as a carer can be really hard. Many parents and carers need some extra support at one point or another in their parenting journey. Please don't be afraid to ask for some help. There are lots of organisations who can help you. The Whole family support - Directory of services is a great place to start. Money worries can place a lot of strain on carers so please always make sure that you are getting all the help you are entitled to by contacting our Welfare Rights Team.

You could speak to your child's health visitor, teacher or your doctor for support.  All of these people can help you to find the support you need to take care of your child.

You could also call Parentline Scotland, a free telephone helpline for anyone caring for children in Scotland, on 0808 800 2222.

If I ask a professional for advice about my concerns, can I be sure that they will treat the information confidentiality?

We will treat all the information you give us with great care and discretion. We will not share any information, including your name, unless we have to in order to protect the child. You should be aware that sometimes the person about whom you are raising concerns may be able to work out that you have shared information, for example, if you are the only person that witnessed a concern. If you are worried about your safety, please discuss this with the professional.

What will happen next if I report suspected child abuse?

We treat all information seriously and will act on what you tell us. We will check the records we already hold, if any, and make some checks. We may speak to the child and family to help assess the situation. We will make sure the child is safe. Due to privacy and confidentiality, we cannot give you information about what happens next with respect to the individual child or young person.

What will happen to the child and family if I share my concerns with someone?

Once we have finished our enquiries there are a range of things which might happen. We may decide that no action is needed. We may offer the family support or put them in touch with other agencies which can provide them with services. In some cases it may be necessary to take legal action to protect the child and to put them in a place of safety. Wherever safe and possible, children and young people are always supported to be with their families.

Will I have to give my name?

You don't have to give your name and can remain anonymous if this is what you wish to do.