After a referral: what happens first

A referral is information sent to children's social care because someone thinks a child may need help or protection. It might come from the other parent, a school, a GP, the police, a family member or a member of the public. It's the start of a process, not a verdict.

The process matters

It helps to know the steps, because each one leads somewhere different. A referral doesn't automatically mean a big investigation. Many end with no further actionNFA (No Further Action). Police/CPS decide not to proceed with a criminal case at that time. Not a formal finding of innocence., and many lead to an assessment and some support.

Who looks at it. The team that takes referrals may be called the front door, MASHMulti-agency safeguarding hub (MASH). A team where children’s services, police, health and other agencies share information about safeguarding concerns and decide what action may be needed. Local names vary. or another local name. They gather information, sometimes from school, health or the police, and may contact you. A social work manager should make, or oversee, a decision within one working day. It should say what happens next, whether your child needs urgent protection and whether an assessment is needed.^[13]

No further action. The referral is closed. The family may be pointed to other support.

An assessment. A social worker gathers information and works out what help, if any, your child and family need. This is a common outcome, and it may lead to Family HelpFamily Help. The coordinated approach described in Working Together 2026, bringing targeted early help and section 17 support into a more seamless offer through a family help plan and named lead practitioner. Local arrangements….

Child protection enquiries. If there's reasonable cause to suspect your child is suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm, a strategy discussionStrategy discussion. Multi-agency discussion (usually without parents) to plan section 47 enquiries and immediate safety. is held and section 47Section 47. Local authority duty to make enquiries where there is reasonable cause to suspect significant harm. enquiries may start. These can go ahead without your agreement.

Some areas now run these enquiries through new multi-agency child protection teams, bringing social care, police, health and education together, and every area should have them from 2027. If yours does, a lead child protection practitioner may lead your child's case.^[14][15]

The routes aren't fixed. An assessment can end with no further action, lead to Family Help, or move to child protection if new worries come up. A section 47 enquiry can also end with no further action, or with support.

Ask which route you're on. It changes what to expect and what you need to do.

If it's an assessment

The social worker will look at your child's needs, how each parent meets them, and the wider family picture. The next chapter explains what they're looking for.

What the assessment is called

Working Together to Safeguard Children sets out how the assessment should be done, but local authorities give it different names. You might hear it called a single assessmentSingle assessment. The social worker's assessment of what help or protection a child needs, carried out under Working Together to Safeguard Children. Local authorities call it different things, including a single assessment, a child…, a child and family assessment or a Family Help assessment. They all mean the same thing.^[1]

If the paperwork uses a name you don't recognise, ask.

How long it takes

An assessment should reach a decision on next steps within 45 working days of the referral at most. Some need to be done sooner, and support can start before the assessment finishes. If it goes over 45 working days, the reasons should be recorded.^[13]

Family Help

If your family needs support, you may be offered Family Help. It's the newer name for what used to be called early help and support for children in need under section 17Child in Need (CIN) / section 17. A child who is unlikely to achieve or maintain a reasonable standard of health or development without services; whose health or development is likely to be significantly or further impaired without services; or who…, so you may still hear the old names in some areas. It's meant to give your family one lead practitionerLead practitioner. The named professional who coordinates support and keeps the family’s plan under review. and one plan.^[1] It's voluntary, so you can choose whether to accept it. In practice, saying yes and taking part usually helps your child and shows you're working with people.

You should be part of it

As your child's dad, you have a lot to offer an assessment. You know your child's routines, moods, health, friends and what helps when they're struggling. Being involved means the social worker hears that from you, not just from other people.

The rules back this up. Social workers are expected to work in partnership with parents, and the national guidance they follow names "fathers and male carers" specifically.^[1] In practice, that means:

• you should be involved in decisions wherever possible, because parents are often the experts on their own children
• the assessment must take your views into account, and your child's
• it should look at what each parent can offer, including a parent the child doesn't live with
• you should be told who will be at meetings, and you can bring a family member, friend or supporter^[1]

The law also expects local authorities to support children to be brought up by their own families, where that's right for the child. That includes you.^[17]

You don't need parental responsibilityParental responsibility. The legal rights, duties and authority a parent has in relation to a child. It does not on its own guarantee a set amount of time with the child. to be involved. It affects decisions and access to information, but it isn't the test. Dads who don't live with their child, or don't have parental responsibility, should still be part of the family picture.^[1]

Asking to be involved

If you haven't heard how you will be included, ask. Keep it friendly and put it in writing. If you're not sure who someone is or what they can decide, ask that too.

If there's a reason it isn't safe for you and the other parent to be involved together, ask how your views will be gathered. Being seen separately is fine, as long as you're still part of it.

For more on where you stand, see Your rights as a father.

What to expect from an assessment visit

The social worker will want to meet you and see your child, within a timescale that matches the concern. They may visit your home, talk to your child and family members separately or together, and get information from school, health, police or other services. How it plays out depends on local practice and what your child needs.

If your child doesn't live with you, ask how you will be included. Most assessments should still involve both parents, even where one has little or no contact.

Turning up matters. Missed visits and unanswered calls are usually recorded by date, and a run of them can be written up as "limited engagement", even with good reasons. If you can't make an appointment, say so beforehand, give the reason and offer another date. Keep your own note of each visit and message.

Your home doesn't need to be perfect

Social workers look for good enough parenting, not a show home. They want to see that your child is safe, fed and warm, has somewhere to sleep, and that the home is reasonably clean and free of hazards. Routine, stability and whether your child's needs are met day to day matter far more than tidiness or decor.

Before a visit, it can help to:

• make sure your child's bed and belongings are there and in order
• have any medication stored safely, and any hazards dealt with
• jot down a few notes about your child's routine, school and health
• think about two or three things you would like the social worker to know