Making referrals to social care is, for many schools, a regular occurrence. It might, however, come as a surprise to discover that they are not obligated to do so. Schools are expected through statutory guidance to report child abuse but cannot be prosecuted if they don’t.
Although there are moves to make it a legal requirement, there are also those who argue that legislation will lead to overloading the system, as more and more referrals will be made. Some feel that recourse to a legal threat will simply heighten anxiety around the issue and may lead to services failing to support those with the most urgent needs.
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