Child protection

If you know someone at risk, please contact the area office closest to you:

Aylesbury Vale and North Bucks Area:
Buckinghamshire County Council
County Hall
Walton Street
Aylesbury
HP20 1YU
Telephone: 01296 395000

High Wycombe, Chilterns and South Bucks Area:
Buckinghamshire County Council
Council Offices
Easton Street
High Wycombe
HP11 1NH
Telephone: 01494 475000
 
Emergency Duty Team - 01494 675802

For serious emergencies in the evening, weekends or public holidays, you can call the Emergency Duty Team for advice on 01494 675802 or fax 01494 672783

If you think someone is being hurt, please call Careline on freephone 0800 137915.

Reported children

If anyone is worried enough about your child to report it to us, we must act on it and make enquiries. A social worker will contact you to make enquiries of your family and to hear your views. They will need to speak directly with your child. We will also contact anyone who shares parental responsibility and speak with other professionals who know your child, from school and health services, to let them know what is happening. Only if the professionals believe a child is at significant risk of harm will the investigation continue.

If you find yourself involved in child protection issues we will support and work with you. We can do this best by involving you as much as possible, by understanding your views about your family, by helping you understand exactly what concerns the professionals have and what will be happening.

Child protection procedures give instruction to all professionals working with children to inform them of what they must do if they are seriously concerned about a child's welfare. Professionals who have concerns about your child should let you know. If they report their concerns to us, they must let you know they have done so, unless they think the risks to your child are very high and your role as protector is unclear.

During an investigation, visits will be made to your home by us and/or by the police. You have the right to refuse entry, unless they have a warrant. In the interests of your child, parents, carers, friends or relatives should help the investigation. If there is serious concern about the welfare of your child, the police can apply for a warrant to come into your home and see your child. It may also be required for your child to be medically examined by a paediatrician at the local hospital.

Social workers and police officers will try to cause as little distress to your child, your family and you, as possible ie they will investigate together to reduce the number of times a child has to repeat what has happened.

Contacting us

For child protection queries during office hours 9am - 5.30pm Monday to Thursday and 9am - 5pm on Friday, please contact: