Once an allegation is made, it is important to be prepared for contact with the local authority. This is usually with the local area designated officer (LADO) – though it is a title no longer stipulated in guidance, there will always be someone within social services to fulfil this role. On initial contact, the LADO will want as much information as you can give – without you carrying out your own investigation (see previous article in this series).
If the LADO has concerns, a strategy meeting will be required. You can prepare a file for this. You should not share this information with anyone and the member of staff involved should not be told. The seriousness of the allegation will influence which agencies social services invite to attend. Often these are police officers, local area advisers as well as the LADO and other personnel from social services. Your role here is to share as much information as you can so that a strategy of next steps can be put in place, describing who will undertake what parts of the investigation.
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