It is important to keep accurate records of any safeguarding concerns and actions taken in your specific roles. You may not directly keep the records, but you should find out who does and how you are able to contribute any information to any records in your own agency.
The following are some tips for keeping records.
What?
- Signs and Indicators – what is it you are seeing, hearing, noticing
- Disclosures – what has the child or someone else told you
- Activity you have undertaken with the child/family – what is the relationship like with them, what work have you already undertaken and how have you engaged with them.
- Relevant contact with parents and or other agencies – names, DOB’s, relationships, communications needs, phone, email, address etc… detail
- Strengths within the family – what have they got going for them, what do they do well, what can be built upon?
- Record action taken and the reasons – what actions have you taken or NOT taken and what are your reasons for this
Why?
- Clarifies the nature and extent of concerns;
- Provides a clear record of development of concerns;
- Identifies patterns of behaviour, e.g. may notice things are worse when a certain family member is away, this can also include patterns to the strengths
- Assists any subsequent referrals;
- Ensures consistency if others need to take on the case
How?
- Factually - day, date, time place; detail is key
- Give background information; also consider adverse childhood experiences of all family members and the impact it may be having
- Record child’s word verbatim;
- Consider language used in notes
- Is it clear and precise? E.g., “the child often misses school” v’s “the child misses school 20% of the time” or “the kitchen was unkempt” v’s “the kitchen had dishes piled in the sink with mould on them and dog faeces smeared on the floor.”
- Is language fair, e.g. “the family is refusing to engage” v’s “so far we have been unable to engage with the family”. Or “the child is playing up and getting themselves into trouble” v’s “the child is often in trouble at school and we need to explore the reasons behind their behaviour.”
- Keep any initial notes alongside the written up notes