In situations where issues in your personal life may be relevant to your role at work, the following process will be followed to determine how to manage the information:
Evaluation by the LADO
The Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) will assess the personal situation to determine if it poses any risk or potential risk to children in your care or within your professional environment.
Examples of cause for concern include:
- your child is the subject of a Child Protection enquiry (Section 47).
- your child is being supported by a Child Protection plan.
- you have been arrested, cautioned or convicted in relation to offences of violence.
- drug or alcohol misuse in your personal life
- there has been an allegation of abuse against a member of your
- household or a person closely associated with you.
Immediate Risk of Harm
If it is assessed that a child is at immediate risk of harm, the LADO will share the relevant information directly with your employer without delay. In this case, you may not be notified before your employer is informed, as the priority is safeguarding the child.
No Immediate Risk of Harm
If the LADO concludes that there is no immediate risk to children, it is more likely that you will be given the opportunity to share the information with your employer yourself. This provides you with the chance to address the matter openly with your employer before any formal actions are taken.
This process ensures that the balance between protecting children and respecting your opportunity to disclose personal issues is maintained. The focus remains on assessing whether the personal circumstances impact the safety and well-being of children.