We all have a responsibility to help children and young people be safe, healthy and happy – whether we are parents, family members, or other members of the community.

This section tells you what to do if you have concerns about a child or young person. Children and young people have the right to get the help they need when they need it – and we all have a part to play in making sure that happens.

Remember - you might feel that you only have a small bit of information. But other people might have other bits of information. And once all these bits are put together it will build up into a bigger picture.

What if I have a hunch or a feeling that's something's not right, but don't know if I should tell someone about it?

You can try to find out some more information. If you know the child, young person or the family, you could tell them that you're concerned that something's wrong and ask if there's anything that's worrying them or causing a problem. Remember - hunches and feelings are very often good indicators that there may be something wrong. Trust your instincts.

If I think there's problem, can I do anything apart from telling someone like a social worker, health visitor or a police officer?

If you know the family, you could offer to listen to what the problem is and offer to try and get the child, young person and family help to sort it.

If there are problems you could offer to try and help by listening to what the problems are. You could help the child, young person or family work out their own solutions. Or you could help them decide what sort of help they think might find useful and how to get that help.

What should I do if I believe the child is being harmed or at risk of being harmed?

If you know the child, young person or family, there's an awful lot that you can do to support and help them sort out the issues that have led to the problem. However, if you believe that a child or young person is being abused or neglected, or there is high risk of him or her being harmed, then the time has come to tell someone about it.

The quickest way to get the right people involved is for you to phone the social work department or the police (Click here) (hyperlink to Contacts page). People can sometimes feel guilty about doing this, thinking they're being unfair to the family. But if a child or young person is being harmed then the family needs help to stop that happening. The child or young person may need you to make that call.

If you find it difficult to phone the social work department or the police, there are a lot of other people you could phone (build hyperlink to contact info), or you can speak to a member of staff in places like a health centre, school, community centre, leisure centre, library. They will know what to do.

What if I'm wrong?

First of all, the family will not be given your details unless you agree to that in the first place.

The people whose job it is to carry out inquries will soon establish whether there is anything to be concerned about. If there's not, then they are not going to be bothered that your call didn't lead a major concern. They'll be glad that the child or young person is not at risk of significant harm. But they are going to be pleased that you showed you're aware of the need for children to be safe and that you made the call.