Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) Referrals
If you have concerns about an adult working with a child under the age of 18 that you would like to report, please access the LADO page for more information
If you think a child or an adult with care and support needs is in immediate danger, phone 999.
Safeguarding Children
If you have a concern about a child and wish to make a safeguarding referral, you will need to use the relevant online Safeguarding Referral Form (for a Cambridgeshire child and the Portal form for a Peterborough child.
If you are unsure which Local Authority is responsible for the adult, child or young person you are concerned about please use the Postcode Checker to ensure that there is no delay in responding.
Thresholds of need
Before submitting a referral, please refer to the Effective Support Document webpage – this provides the relevant part of the Thresholds and Pathways guidance that helps you to identify the child’s level of risk and an appropriate level of support.
When making a referral it is important that:
- All basic details are completed on the referral form (correct names and spellings, family members, date of birth, addresses, ethnicity, first language, disabilities etc). You must ensure that all mandatory fields are completed. If using a form (Cambridgeshire adult or child or a Peterborough adult) you will not be able to save an incomplete form and complete it later.
- Consent should always be sought from the family before passing information about them to Social Care, unless seeking consent would place them at increased risk of immediate and significant harm or may lead to the loss of evidence for example destroying evidence of a crime or influencing about a disclosure made. If someone is at immediate risk of significant harm, a referral to Social Care should not be delayed whilst consent is sought.
- The referral must clearly identify the concerns and the impact on the child/adult at risk as well as what support has been provided previously to help address these concerns and what strengths/resilience is within the family.
- Referrals should set out what the referrer wants to see happen as a result of the referral, and should include the views of the family and, where appropriate, the child or young person.
- The more information that is provided, the easier it is for the MASH to make a decision about the best course of action to take.
Prevent & Radicalisation
If you have a concern that a child or young person is at risk of illegal extremist activity you should still complete the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Safeguarding Children Referral Form. The form will ask you to identify this concern as “Prevent (Violent Extremism)”
Peterborough Children and Families (MASH) Portal downtime The Peterborough Children and Families (MASH) Portal will be unavailable on Tuesday 16th April between 08:30 and 14:00 to enable an upgrade to be installed. During this time, the Portal will not be available for referrals to be made to Peterborough MASH. If a child needs to be referred to Peterborough MASH during these hours, please refer the child using the following email: PCCMASHReferrals@peterborough.gov.uk It is anticipated that the upgrade will be completed within this timescale and after 14:00 on 16th April all referrals will need to be referred to MASH through the Portal as normal.
PCC Safeguarding Children Referral Online Form:
Training and guidance on using the Portal to make referrals is available on the Safeguarding Board website https://app.melearning.co.uk/auth/login
Should you have any problems in sending through referrals please in the first instance contact MASH using the following number: MASH General Enquiries 01733 864170
At this time police, ambulance and fire service will be the only referring professionals to send referrals via email as work is completed to facilitate their move to the Portal. PCCMASHReferrals@peterborough.gov.uk
Peterborough have a Professional Consultation Line which can be used in those circumstances when advice about a possible referral is required. It is not expected that this will be used instead of the Portal and professionals will be directed back to the Portal to submit referrals as appropriate.
The Professional Consultation Line number is as follows: Professional Consultation Line 01733 864180
There are no changes to the Emergency Duty Service and they will continue to operate across Peterborough and Cambridgeshire. The contact number is as follows: Telephone: 01733 234724
If at any time you have reasonable concern that a child or young person has suffered significant harm or may be at immediate risk of suffering significant harm, telephone the Customer Service Centre on 0345 045 5203, followed up by completing the online referral form within 24hrs of the call, attaching any additional relevant documents.
CCC Safeguarding Children Referral Online Form
Children you feel may need support and assistance:
If after having conversations with your internal safeguarding lead and following seeking parental consent, unless to do so would place the child at risk. Please complete the online referral form above indicating a need for support at level 3 attaching any previous early help assessments. Children’s Services will assess the referral and determine if a Section 17 assessment is required.
Professionals requesting information from Cambridgeshire Children’s Services please complete this Request for Information Form
CCC Professional Consultation Line go live date – to be confirmed
How to make an online referral
Professionals should use the new online referral form to submit safeguarding concerns to Children’s Services. This is a much more secure and efficient way of submitting a referral and will also give you a reference number on submission. The online form should be used instead of Word or PDF versions of the form.
Saving a copy
If you wish to save a PDF copy of the form you must do it by clicking the button on the acknowledgement page. Once you leave the acknowledgement page you will not be able to return to it to print a copy of your form.
Please note: The online form will timeout after 60 minutes from starting the referral. You are unable to save the form and return at a later time so it is recommended to have all relevant information ready before commencing. Any information that is entered into the online form will not be shared until after you have clicked on the submit button at the end. Prior to submitting the form you have the option to download or print a copy of the referral form. If you wish to retain a copy of the form, please ensure that you download and save or print the form prior to submitting it. The option to download / print will not be available to you once you have submitted it. Following submission you will be provided with an online form reference number.
DO NOT Please do not use a personal email address when completing the referral form. Please use your organisational email address
Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) Referrals
If you have concerns about an adult working with a child under the age of 18 that you would like to report, please access the LADO page for more information
Safeguarding Adults
Self-Neglect & Hoarding Assessment Tools for Safeguarding Adults
If you are concerned an adult is at significant risk of harm due to self-neglect or hoarding you can use the following risk assessments with a safeguarding adults referral
For more information on Self-Neglect and Hoarding visit
If you have a concern, suspicion or allegation that an adult is being subjected to harm, abuse or neglect you should contact:
Non-urgent referrals
Peterborough Adult Social Care
- 01733 747474, option 4 (9am to 5pm Monday to Friday)
- email adultsocialcare@peterborough.gov.uk
Emergency referrals
Within office hours – Peterborough Adult Social Care
- 01733 747474, option 4 (9am to 5pm Monday to Friday)
Outside office hours & at weekends – Emergency Duty Team
- 01733 234724
If you think a crime has taken place, you may call the Police on 101 for non-emergencies or 999 in an emergency.
Peterborough City Council:
Please complete the Referral form for Safeguarding Adults and email to adultsocialcare@peterborough.gov.uk
Anyone who becomes aware of concerns of abuse must report those concerns as soon as possible (within one working day) using the
Cambridgeshire County Council:
If you are unable to use the online referral form for Adults, please complete the old paper Referral form for Safeguarding Adults and email to referral.centre-adults@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Emergency referrals
Outside office hours & at weekends – Emergency Duty Team
- 01733 234724
If you think a crime has taken place, you may call the Police on 101 for non-emergencies or 999 in an emergency.
For more information
