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Everyone who works with children and young people has a responsibility to help keep them safe. Any professional may become aware — through observation, information shared, or a direct disclosure — that a child or young person may be experiencing, or be at risk of, abuse, neglect, exploitation or violence.
In Aberdeenshire, our response is guided by a trauma-informed, relationship-based approach that places the child's safety, rights and wellbeing at the centre of all decision making.
For more detailed information see the Aberdeenshire Multi-Agency Child Protection Guidance (link coming). For early intervention see: Multi-Agency Guidance: Getting it Right for Children, Young People and Families in Aberdeenshire. Contact your Child Protection Lead for single-agency guidance.
When a child chooses to speak, they are showing trust and courage. A trauma-informed response helps reduce fear, avoids retraumatisation, and supports the child's sense of control.
Professionals should:
Professionals should avoid:
If a child discloses harm — or you observe or suspect risk — you must report concerns immediately to your line manager and follow your agency's Child Protection Procedures, including notifying the Named Person where appropriate.
Where child protection concerns may be present, a referral must be made to social work or, if there is immediate danger, to the police. Depending on your organisation's procedures, this may be done by you or your manager.
Children and Families Social Work: 01467 537111
Out of Hours Social Work (5pm–8:45pm weekdays, weekends & Bank Holidays): 03456 08 12 06
Police (Emergency): 999
Police (non-emergency): 101
Raise a Notification of Concern as soon as a worry, suspicion or incident becomes apparent. You do not need all the information — never delay in sharing your concern.
Include as much detail as possible, such as:
Record your contact carefully.
Once a referral is made, social work will determine the appropriate next steps. These may include:
Professionals are responsible for ensuring concerns are taken seriously and progressed. If you remain worried after an outcome, raise your concern again and speak with your line manager.
All Notifications of Concern suggesting actual or potential significant harm are prioritised. Social work gathers information promptly — often within 24 hours — to assess risk and determine what protection or support may be required. Other agencies may be contacted, and confidentiality must not prevent information sharing where a child's safety is at risk.
Where immediate protection is needed, police and social work may take urgent action. If a Child Protection Planning Meeting is required, this will be held within 28 days.
The Inter-Agency Referral Discussion is the first formal stage of joint child protection decision making. Social work, police, health and — where relevant — education share information and agree what action is needed. Decisions may include:
For more information see: Multi-Agency Guidance: Inter-Agency Referral Discussion
Where child protection procedures are required, police and social work decide whether the investigation will be joint or social work-led. The purpose is to understand what has happened, assess risk, and determine protective and supportive actions.
A reconvened IRD should be convened following a Child Protection Investigation, which may include a Joint Investigative Interview. The primary aim of this meeting is to review all available information and reach a clear decision regarding the next steps. This process is intended to be brief — a focused check-in to confirm and agree on the way forward.
A Joint Investigative Interview (JII) is the formal interview used in Aberdeenshire when a child or young person may have experienced abuse, neglect or exploitation. All Joint Investigative Interviews are carried out using the Scottish Child Interview Model (SCIM), which is a nationally agreed, trauma‑informed approach.
The Scottish Child Interview Model places the child’s rights, safety and wellbeing at the centre of the process, while also supporting effective safety planning and, where required, the collection of best evidence. Interviews are undertaken by specially trained police officers and social workers, with only one interviewer speaking directly with the child or young person. Careful planning and evidence‑based techniques are used to minimise distress and reduce the risk of re‑traumatisation.
The interview location is chosen based on the child’s best interests. In Aberdeenshire, the Bairns’ Hoose is often the preferred setting as it offers:
Where appropriate, an alternative local trauma‑informed setting may be used. The child’s views and preferences are considered wherever possible.
Families are offered support from an Advocacy, Rights and Recovery (ARR) worker from the Bairns' Hoose team. The ARR worker:
ARR workers do not attend the JII itself — they remain with the family to provide grounding, reassurance and guidance.
Aberdeenshire’s Bairns’ Hoose offers early and ongoing recovery support for all children and young people involved in an Inter-Agency Referral Discussion. Before the Joint Investigative Interview, families are asked if they would like to be contacted by the Children First Bairns’ Hoose Coordinator.
If they agree:
Families are informed of the decision and offered ongoing contact through the Bairns’ Hoose. Recovery planning can be revisited and adjusted throughout the child’s journey.
This multi-agency meeting assesses risk and agrees whether a Child Protection Plan is necessary. Children and families should be supported to contribute in a way that feels safe for them. When required, the child's name is added to the Child Protection Register.
For further information, see: Practitioners Guide: Attending a Child Protection Planning Meeting.
A Care and Risk Management Meeting, often referred to as a CARM meeting, is a multi agency child protection meeting used in Aberdeenshire for a small number of children and young people aged 12 to 18 who may present a risk of serious harm to others. This can include concerns relating to serious violence or harmful sexual behaviour. CARM is a child protection process and is given the same level of priority as other child protection interventions, ensuring that children are seen first and foremost as children with rights, needs and vulnerabilities.
The purpose of a CARM meeting is to bring relevant agencies together to share information, assess risk and agree a coordinated risk management plan that supports the child while reducing the risk of serious harm. The meeting focuses on understanding both risk and need, taking account of the child’s experiences, strengths and circumstances. CARM is underpinned by GIRFEC principles and supports proportionate, timely and rights based decision making, with clear actions and review arrangements agreed across agencies.
The Core Group implements and reviews the Child Protection Plan, working closely with the child and family to ensure safety, progress and support.
Operational Guidance for Social Work and Police — explains how police and social work must work together when a child under 12 is thought to have caused or risked causing serious harm. It emphasises that children under 12 cannot be criminalised, and all responses must prioritise the child's wellbeing, use non-criminal language, and be compassionate and proportionate.
Further resources:
Harmful Sexual Behaviour (HSB) describes sexual behaviours displayed by children and young people that are inappropriate for their age or stage of development, or which cause harm to themselves or others. In Scotland, a coordinated multi-agency response ensures early identification, proportionate assessment, and trauma-informed intervention.
Partners work together to manage risk, support recovery, and promote safe, respectful relationships, recognising that many children displaying HSB have their own wellbeing needs and vulnerabilities.
Local Guidance:
National Guidance:
Further Guidance and Resources:
A Lessons Learned and 7-Minute briefing are short focused learning tools developed by Aberdeenshire Child Protection Committee to share key messages from audits, learning reviews and changes to Scottish legislation policy or guidance. Designed to be read or discussed quickly it supports clear consistent learning that can be applied to practice. Used alongside the Aberdeenshire CPC Lessons Learned and 7 Minute Briefing Action Plan, teams can reflect on the learning in supervision or team meetings, agree actions and record how learning has been considered and embedded to support improved child protection practice across Aberdeenshire.
Please see below for a list of Lessons Learned and 7-minute Briefings:
Child Protection Planning Meeting (CPPM) Guidance
Child and Young Person’s Plan Templates and Supporting Documents:
Child Protection Planning Meetings (CPPM)
Core Group Meetings
Parents and Carers
Child sexual abuse is a serious and often hidden form of harm that can involve physical contact, non‑contact abuse, online abuse or sexual exploitation, and may be carried out by adults or by other children and young people. Practitioners must feel confident to name, question and act on concerns about possible child sexual abuse, even where information is incomplete, a child has not disclosed, or the signs feel ambiguous. In line with the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland, uncertainty should never delay action.
Speaking up about concerns, sharing information promptly and seeking multi‑agency discussion are essential protective actions, not accusations. Children rarely disclose abuse directly, and professional confidence, curiosity and persistence are often the critical factors in identifying risk and protecting children from further harm.
Guidance:
Recognising child sexual exploitation, including group‑based exploitation, is critical to safeguarding children and young people. Child sexual exploitation often involves hidden, coercive and manipulative behaviours that may be normalised by the child or concealed through fear, loyalty or control. Group‑based child sexual exploitation, where more than one perpetrator is involved, can increase harm and make identification more complex. Early recognition enables practitioners to disrupt abuse, take timely protective action, and ensure children receive coordinated, trauma‑informed support that prioritises their safety, recovery and rights.
Guidance to support multi-agency practitioners to Recognise, Respond and Report CSE:
For further support and guidance:
The Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015 came into force on 31 May 2016. Child trafficking is a serious crime and a child protection concern. It involves children being moved and exploited and this can happen within Scotland. A child does not need to cross international borders to be trafficked. They may be moved within towns and cities, including from one street to another, for the purpose of exploitation.
Responding to child trafficking requires a strong multi agency approach. National guidance is in place to help professionals recognise the signs of child trafficking, make appropriate referrals and ensure children receive protection and support. Concerns about child trafficking are reported through the National Referral Mechanism.
Resources:
In Aberdeenshire, domestic abuse is recognised as a significant child protection concern, with children understood as victims when they see, hear, or experience abuse at home. Local practice is guided by the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland (2021, updated 2023).
Practitioners across Aberdeenshire are increasingly supported through domestic-abuse-informed approaches, including the Safe & Together model, which improves multi-agency understanding of risk and strengthens responses to children and non-abusing caregivers.
Clare's Law (Disclosure Scheme for Domestic Abuse Scotland — DSDAS) allows individuals to find out if a current or former partner has a history of abusive or violent behaviour:
The Aberdeenshire Alcohol and Drugs Support website provides a central source of information about alcohol and drug support, treatment and recovery services available across Aberdeenshire. It is designed to help individuals, families and professionals find clear and accessible information about local services, how to access support, and the range of help available at different stages of need.
For more information:
Emotional abuse is a persistent pattern of behaviour that undermines a child's emotional development, sense of worth and wellbeing. It can include constant criticism, rejection, intimidation, humiliation, or exposure to distressing or inappropriate situations. Emotional abuse may be less visible than other forms of harm, but its impact can be profound — affecting attachment, resilience, mental health and behaviour.
Practitioners should remain alert to changes in a child's presentation, the quality of parent–child interactions, and any indicators of coercive, controlling or degrading behaviour within the family environment.
A webinar recording is available on Aberdeenshire Learning and Development Online (ALDO) to support further understanding of emotional abuse (link to be added).
Further guidance: ChildLine
Peer‑on‑peer abuse includes sexual abuse, harmful sexual behaviours, child sexual exploitation, adolescent domestic abuse, bullying, online harm and criminal exploitation occurring between children and young people. It is a child protection concern, even when statutory thresholds are not met.
Practitioners should recognise that power imbalances exist, harm is often hidden or normalised, and children who cause harm may also have experienced harm themselves. Responses should be trauma‑informed, child‑centred and proportionate, avoiding rigid labels such as victim and perpetrator.
Effective practice focuses on early recognition, understanding context and peer dynamics, and multi‑agency working to prevent escalation, safeguard all children involved, and support recovery.
For more information:
The Scottish Government's Responding to Female Genital Mutilation in Scotland: Multi-Agency Guidance (2017) provides a national framework to help practitioners identify risk, respond effectively, and work collaboratively to protect girls and women from FGM. It outlines key indicators of risk, good-practice approaches, and the importance of sensitive, trauma-informed engagement.
This framework is strengthened by the Female Genital Mutilation (Protection and Guidance) (Scotland) Act 2020, which introduced FGM Protection Orders (FGMPOs) to offer enforceable legal safeguards.
Further guidance: Female Genital Mutilation Aware
The Mental Health Hub is a vital resource for fostering positive mental health and wellbeing. It is designed to empower individuals and services with the tools and knowledge to create a healthier, more supportive environment.
Neglect often develops slowly and can be overlooked, leading to missed opportunities for early intervention. All services must work together to spot early concerns, act promptly, and avoid drift, delay, or the 'start again' syndrome.
The Aberdeenshire Practitioners Neglect Toolkit, developed by local partners and based on the National Neglect Framework (2021), strengthens guidance to help staff recognise, record, and share concerns.
The toolkit aims to increase knowledge and support our workforce in recognising, recording and sharing information about neglect. It provides practitioner practice tools in the form of guidance documents covering: Identification, Sharing Information, Gathering Information, Assessing, Analysing, Responding, Referring, and Escalation.
Online spaces are a routine part of children and young people’s lives, but they also present safeguarding risks including bullying, grooming, sexual exploitation, pressure to share images, harmful content, scams and contact from strangers. Harm can occur across social media, gaming platforms, messaging apps, live streaming and websites, involving both known and unknown contacts.
Online harm can significantly impact a child’s emotional wellbeing, behaviour, confidence and sense of safety and may be linked to wider child protection concerns. Children do not always disclose harm, so practitioners should consider online contexts as part of assessment and remain alert to patterns of change rather than single indicators.
Where a child has shared a sexual image of themselves, or is being pressured to do so, responses should be supportive, trauma‑informed and non‑judgemental.
Report Remove supports under‑18s to have sexual images of themselves removed from the internet without requiring police involvement.
Think Before You Share supports prevention and early intervention by helping children understand risks and seek help before harm escalates.
Practitioners should support parents and carers to respond calmly and help children access appropriate support.
Key links to support practice:
A robust approach to risk assessment in Aberdeenshire is rooted in a tiered, proportionate model that aligns with both the Aberdeenshire GIRFEC Operational Guidance and the National Risk Framework. Practitioners are expected to use graduated levels of assessment, beginning with everyday GIRFEC practice and escalating to more detailed, multi-agency analysis when risks become complex, cumulative or indicate potential significant harm.
Aberdeenshire's implementation of the National Risk Framework emphasises shared language, consistent standards, and structured tools that support practitioners to identify, assess and plan effectively.
Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI), sometimes referred to as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), is associated with known risk factors, and there is strong evidence about actions that can significantly reduce risk. Practitioners have a crucial role in supporting families through informed, compassionate conversations that help them understand how everyday care practices can affect their baby’s safety. By providing clear, consistent advice and supporting families to recognise and reduce known risks, practitioners can help protect babies and improve outcomes for children and families.
Key guidance:
Some children and families face barriers that make it difficult for services to build consistent engagement — stemming from trauma, fear of consequences, previous negative experiences with agencies, or practical issues such as communication or accessibility needs.
Multi-agency collaboration is essential to address these barriers, ensuring risks are understood and children remain visible and supported.
The Aberdeenshire When Services Find It Hard to Engage webinar supports practitioners across Grampian to strengthen engagement with families. It explores why engagement can break down, highlights the role of each agency, and offers practical, trauma-informed strategies. Available on Aberdeenshire Learning and Development Online (ALDO).
An e-module providing more in-depth knowledge is also available on Aberdeenshire Learning and Development Online.
Physical harm, involves the deliberate or reckless infliction of physical injury on a child. It may occur as a single serious incident or as a pattern of behaviour and can include hitting, shaking, kicking, burning, scalding, poisoning, suffocation, rough handling, fabricated or induced illness, and inappropriate restraint. Physical harm may be visible or concealed, and practitioners should consider injuries in the context of the child’s developmental stage, explanation provided, and any wider safeguarding concerns.
Since 7 November 2020, children in Scotland have had equal protection from assault under the Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) Act 2019. The Act removed the defence of reasonable chastisement, meaning all forms of physical punishment of children are unlawful, including smacking, slapping and skelping. The Act did not create a new offence but clarified that children have the same legal protection from assault as adults.
Practice implications
Further Information:
Multi-Agency Equal Protection Guidance – Multi-Agency-Equal-Protection-Guidance-.docx
Equal-Protection from Assault 7-Minute Briefing - 7-Minute-Equal-Protection-from-Asaault-General-Briefing.pdf
Sexual extortion, often referred to as sextortion, is a form of online blackmail where a child or young person is coerced into sharing sexual images and then threatened if demands are not met, commonly for money. UK intelligence indicates that boys are disproportionately affected, with the Internet Watch Foundation identifying that the majority of confirmed child sexual extortion cases involve boys, particularly those aged 14 to 17. Sexual extortion can have a significant emotional impact and is never the fault of the child or young person. [iwf.org.uk], [saferinternet.org.uk]
Practitioners and parents may observe the following indicators:
Where sexual images have been shared, professionals should be aware of Report Remove, a confidential service delivered jointly by Childline and the Internet Watch Foundation. Report Remove enables children and young people under 18 to self report sexual images of themselves so action can be taken to remove them from the internet, helping to reduce ongoing harm and regain control.
For further information and Guidance:
Aberdeenshire Child Protection Committee has adopted The Criminal Exploitation of Children: Scotland’s Framework for Practice, in line with the definition set out in the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland (2021).
Criminal exploitation refers to situations where an individual or group uses an imbalance of power to coerce, control, manipulate or deceive a child or young person under the age of 18 into criminal activity. This may be in exchange for something the child needs or wants, or for the financial or other advantage of the perpetrator or facilitator.
Criminal exploitation includes, but is not limited to, county lines, where organised crime groups exploit children and young people to transport, store or sell drugs, manage drug supply lines, or hold money or weapons. In Aberdeenshire, this exploitation may involve movement within local communities as well as travel to and from other areas. Children involved in county lines are victims of abuse and exploitation, not offenders.
The framework recognises criminal exploitation, including county lines, as a child protection issue and provides a practical, protective and trauma‑informed model for identifying and responding to harm. It supports practitioners to take a coordinated, child‑centred approach focused on safety, disruption of exploitation and recovery.
The framework includes guidance across the following areas:
Aberdeenshire Child Protection Committee is grateful to Action for Children and the Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice (CYCJ) for developing this framework, which strengthens professional responses to criminal exploitation and county lines across Scotland. Include the link to the framework: Scotlands-framework-for-Practice-CEC.pdf
For more information: Criminally Exploited Children | Action For Children