Please note, this guidance is designed to complement any existing guidance on this topic that services and agencies may already have, not to replace it.
Introduction
This practitioner guidance is to help first-line practitioners including those in childminding, nurseries, the third sector, Police, community, education, housing and social work to identify 'hidden children' (babies, children and young people) who may potentially be at risk of harm, to make decisions and take appropriate action to respond proactively to keep these children safe.
See the infographic below for a quick summary of the key points for professionals to be aware of.
What do we mean by 'Hidden' children?
Babies, children and young people of any age who may be not known to health, social work, education or any other agency.
This can be due to the decisions and lifestyles of their parents or carers who may choose to live 'off-grid' or follow alternative lifestyles. Examples of what may lead to a child being or becoming 'hidden' include:
Parents who choose not to engage with antenatal care in pregnancy or to have a 'freebirth' - this is one in which they have chosen not to have any medical involvement in the birth of their baby.
Parents who decide not to register the births of their children, although this is a legal requirement and not optional.
Parents choosing not to register their children for school.
Parents choosing not to register their child with a GP, follow immunisation schedules or facilitate their child having recommended health or development checks. Some parents may decide not to engage with any form of healthcare, choosing alternative remedies for their children instead.
Most babies, children and young people who are cared for by parents or carers who choose to live alternative lifestyles will be well looked after and their needs will be met. Parents may be making fully informed choices regarding the care of their children and their best interests. However, in a minority of circumstances, this has not been and will not be the case, and babies, children and young people have sadly come to harm due to parental actions and inactions.
Whilst some adults deliberately hide children away from professionals to conceal maltreatment through abuse, neglect and exploitation, others may be following their genuinely-held beliefs or their interpretation of their religious doctrine and, in doing so, cause harm. Examples may be through the child being fed a diet which is not compatible with their needs, which may cause a non-organic failure to thrive or refusal of medical care for treatable conditions which may then cause permanent harm.
Other children may be unseen, rather than deliberately hidden, such as those of gypsy travellers who may move around the country seasonally or frequently, within Scotland and the wider United Kingdom, following their traditional lifestyle.
What sort of things should practitioners be looking for?
To help identify hidden children who may be in need or at risk, practitioners should consider the following as potential concerns which should be explored and action taken if necessary:
The mother or birthing parent has declined care within pregnancy and/or delivery; particularly where there are indications of treatment being needed for the mother or birthing parent or the unborn baby.
The pregnancy has been deliberately concealed/actively denied.
The parents have not registered the birth of a child as legally required.
The parents have not registered the child with a GP.
Parents or carers decline or avoid all contact with professionals.
A family has arrived without planning to the local area - perhaps presenting as homeless from another area, without a valid or verifiable explanation such as having to flee domestic abuse. It may be that the family has moved to avoid measures of statutory intervention from the other area.
Neighbours, friends, relatives and/or other members of the community tell you that they suspect a child is being concealed from view.
Where parents or carers will not engage with you/let you see the child and give you insufficient or inconsistent information for you to make informed decisions.
Where there are additional concerns, such as parental beliefs (for example, about diet or health care) which impact negatively on their children.
Where your professional knowledge and experience gives you additional cause for concern.
A note about cultural issues
There are a number of reasons why people from different cultures or belief systems may have reservations about engaging with services. The family's first language may not be English and they may not be able to understand verbal or written information. It may be that an interpreter is needed to ensure that people can understand what is being asked of them and why.
Some cultures and nationalities do not have antenatal care or any expectation of it in the same way as people in Scotland do - it is possible that the mother or birthing parent may be unaware it is available to them or they may not see it, as necessary.
Some parents and carers may have moved to Scotland from places in which they had every reason to be mistrustful or frightened of people whom they perceive as being in positions of authority. It is natural that those same worries would come with them and they may need lots of reassurance to feel comfortable accessing services.
It is important therefore that practitioners consider the culture of the family and what the barriers may be for them when services are trying to reach them.
Children and young people in home education
All parents and carers have the right to choose to provide home education for their children, although only a minority make the decision to do so. There are, however, some parameters to this for children and young people who are already registered on a school roll. Consent must be sought from the relevant local authority before the child is withdrawn, but equally, the local authority must not unreasonably withhold consent. It is important to be clear that whilst consent to withdraw the child from school is necessary, consent is not needed to home educate in itself.
Practitioners may not be aware that parents and carers do not need consent if:
The child has never attended a public school.
The child has never attended a public school in that authority's area.
The child is being withdrawn from an independent school.
The child has finished primary education in one school but has not started secondary education in another.
The school the child has been attending has closed.
This means there is no obligation on families who move from one area to another to register their child for school in the new area and this could be considered a gap in safeguarding arrangements. Similarly, there is no statutory duty on parents and carers to inform the local authority that they are home educating their child or children, if consent is not required. Many local authorities would prefer, of course, that home educators in their area or moving to their area, to contact them.
For more advice and guidance around home education from a Perth and Kinross perspective, please see our Education at Home page. See the Scottish Government website for their home education guidance.
Children missing from education
Children and young people will sometimes be absent from school, sometimes with a parental explanation and sometimes without one. To give a clear differentiation between missing from school and missing from education (unexplained absence). The definition of a missing person from the National Missing Person Framework is anyone whose whereabouts are unknown and:
Where the circumstances are out of character; or
The context suggests the person may be subject to crime; or
The person is at risk of harm to themselves or another.
With this in mind, Children Missing from Education (CME) are children and young people of compulsory school age who are:
• On a school roll but are no longer attending and the school does not know their whereabouts. They will usually have not attended school for a period of time, around four weeks. However, this time period will be substantially less for a child or young person for whom there are known significant wellbeing and/or protection concerns.
• Not on a school roll and are not being educated otherwise (at home, privately or in an alternative provision).
Practitioners should be alert to the circumstances below and monitor for the potential that they may become a CME issue, such as where the child or young person:
• Has been absent from school without parental contact being made/established
• Does not return from a school holiday when expected
• Is on a family holiday of which the school was not made aware
• Is not at school prior to an official holiday and there is a level of concern for the child/young person
If you suspect that a child or young person's absence from school has become a CME concern, please contact the Perth and Kinross CME Officer without delay at cme@pkc.gov.uk. Should you make contact prior to a school holiday, please be reassured that the search for the child or young person will continue during the holiday period.
Follow the link for further detailed National Guidance regarding Children Missing from Education. For Perth and Kinross local guidance, please see our policy and guidance document.
What can we do when we become aware of a child who may be hidden?
Practitioners need to be mindful that people have the right to privacy in family life and can choose to refuse to engage with services. However, this must be balanced with the rights that babies, children and young people have to be protected from harm, and that the care and protection of children is always the paramount consideration.
Babies, toddlers, young children and those who are non-verbal are not able to speak for themselves and so it is even more important that their views are sought and their rights are protected. Practitioners must guard against losing sight of the importance of the baby/child/young person's needs and rights when there is conflict with those of the rights of parents and carers. Statutory services have a responsibility to intervene when babies, children and young people are being significantly adversely affected by adult decisions and choices.
When practitioners become aware of a child who may be hidden, they should be:
- Professionally curious: ask appropriate questions/make checks appropriate to your role to find out why the child may be being hidden from services. Consider multiple explanations and think about what is most likely. Take action on that basis, it is better to report a concern and be wrong than to not report a concern and to have been right.
- Taking responsibility - Do not assume that others will take forward concerns for the baby, child or young person. Your concerns will be taken seriously, and you may be a child's only chance.
- Aware of timing - For all children but for babies in particular, time is important. What may be seen only as a slight delay for an adult can have serious consequences for a baby due to their rapid development and growth in their first year of life. You must act swiftly where you think a hidden baby or young child may be at risk.
- Aware that lack of personal details is not a barrier to reporting - You can make a referral for a child or young person even if you do not know their name, sex, date of birth or full address. Obviously, as much information you can provide will support identification and location of the child. For example, if the family is living in car, van or temporary dwelling of some kind, you can use an app like what3words provide a location. A description of the child and parents will also be of benefit.
I am worried about a child who may be being hidden, what should I do?
It is understandable that you may feel concerned about raising your concerns but it is important that you do - children's lives may depend on it.
If possible, have a discussion with your line manager in the first instance. They will be able to provide you with advice and guidance. If you work in a school, you can seek advice from its designated Child Protection Officer. If you work for NHS Tayside, you can seek support from the Child Protection Team on 07817 062977.
If you determine that there is a potential child wellbeing or protection concern, please call the Perth and Kinross Child Protection and Duty Team on 01738 476768 without delay.
Share this page
