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All agencies working with children and young people are bound to the South
Yorkshire Area Child Protection Committees' Procedures, and are required to respond to child protection concerns.
The substance misuse screening process may raise concerns about child
protection, for example:
- Is the identified substance use might be unusual for a person of this age?
- Is the substance misuse becoming increasingly chaotic or dangerous?
- Is the substance use/misuse leading to crime or exploitation by others, including sexual exploitation?
- Is the substance use/misuse life threatening or seriously detrimental to health?
- Is an adult involved with the substance use/misuse (e.g. being injected by an adult)?
- Is the parent or sibling using? (Refer to Section 2.4 of the South Yorkshire Area Child Protection Committees' Procedures)
Alternatively the screening process might raise other child protection concerns that are not related to the substance misuse, but that you must nonetheless respond to.
You may wish to seek advice from the SHED Service to clarify any issues around particular substances and risk. However, this should not hold up the Child Protection procedures where concerns are serious. |
