Whistleblowing

Organisations that work with children and young people should have policies in place that allow individuals to escalate a child protection concern outside of their management structure. This may be where an individual believes that their manager, senior managers or appointed child protection officer are not dealing with a child protection concern appropriately (including when allegations of harm are dismissed or minimised). It could also be where the individual suspects that a colleague who forms part of the management structure may be harming a child or young person. While these policies should be in place, any individual who has concerns about a child’s wellbeing should contact their local authority social work department or Police Scotland without delay if they believe a child or young person is at risk of harm.