Responding, recording, sharing and referral decisions

When staff have concerns, they should remain calm, avoid confrontation and follow the home's safeguarding practice of observing, recording and escalating. If there is an immediate threat of violence or serious harm, contact the police right away. Lower-level concerns should be shared through the home's safeguarding route so they can be assessed in full.

Records must state what was actually seen, heard or found, not an interpretation based on politics or belief. Clear factual notes help managers, safeguarding leads and Prevent partners assess risk accurately.

Safer response basics

• Stay calm and do not inflame the situation.
• Record words, behaviour, timing and context.
• Think about immediate safety and weapons risk.
• Tell the right manager or safeguarding lead promptly.
• Use Prevent or police routes according to risk and procedure.

Manager focus: referral quality

Prevent decisions are safer when staff record the child, the behaviour and the context clearly, not when they rely on assumption or alarm.