LADO - Managing allegations against persons who work with children

Worcestershire’s Local Authority Designated Officers (LADO) deal with managing allegations against persons in a position of trust.

All organisations providing services to children and young people must ensure their staff and volunteers are safe to do so. Most adults who work with children and young people act professionally and aim to provide a safe environment for the children and young people in their care, however, it must be recognised that there are adults who will deliberately seek out, create or exploit opportunities to abuse children.

The allegations' process is managed by Worcestershire’s Local Authority Designated Officers (LADO) as part of the Safeguarding and Quality Assurance Service.

A LADO referral should be made when there is an allegation or evidence that any person who works with children (via their employment or voluntary activity) has met the below threshold:

behaved in a way that has harmed a child or may have harmed a child
possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child
behaved in a way that indicates they may pose a risk to children
behaved or may have behaved in a way that indicates they may not be suitable to work with children

If you are unsure about referring to the LADO please speak to your Designated Safeguarding Lead or manager in the first instance and read the leaflet for professionals to ensure threshold is met before you refer. Once you have done this if you are still unsure you can contact the LADO on 01905 846221.

On this page you will find a series of instructional videos and information to guide you through Working Together to Keep Children Safe: Your Role in Managing Allegations Against Persons in a Position of Trust.

1. About the LADO

The video below focuses on the LADO (Local Authority Designated Officers), their responsibilities, and when you should make a referral.

After watching the video, please download the infographic for future reference: The LADO (PDF)

2. Before referring to the LADO

The video below covers the key points you should consider before referring to the LADO.

After watching the video, please download the infographic for future reference: Before Referring to the LADO (PDF)

3. Submitting a referral

Online portal

Use the online portal to submit your referral:

you may have to register if you haven’t already
complete the form with clear, factual information
submit it to the local authority where the individual works

Submit a referral to the LADO

Be sure to include:

your own contact details
the subject’s full details, including:
- name
- date of birth
- home address
- work role
- as much detail as possible if they hold positions of trust outside of your agency, such as coaching a football team
the details of the alleged victim, if they have an allocated Social Worker, include their full name and contact details
details of the allegation: when reporting an allegation, it’s important to include clear, relevant details

The LADO will need to understand the full picture, so consider the following points:

What is being alleged

What did the person do or say during and after the incident? how often did it happen, and how long did it last?

What’s the wider context

What does the LADO need to know about the person involved, the victim, or the organisation?

Was anyone harmed

Was the victim injured? do they, or their parents, want to speak to the Police?

Has this happened before

Are there any previous concerns about this individual? what were those concerns, and how were they addressed?

How did each person respond

What was the subject’s reaction after the incident? how did the victim respond, and what effect did the incident have on them?

Was it witnessed or recorded

Were there any witnesses or CCTV footage? what does that evidence show?

What action has been taken so far

Have you or any other agencies done anything to reduce the risk of further harm?

Providing detailed, accurate information helps the LADO make informed decisions and ensures the right safeguarding response.

4. Next steps

You have submitted your referral to the LADO, what happens next? The video below details the next steps of your referral.

After watching the video, please download our infographic for future reference: What Happens Next - The LADO (PDF)

5. After the meeting

As the employer you may be asked to undertake a number of tasks as part of the Position of Trust process, these may include:

completing an investigation or risk assessment
updating the individual on what was agreed, unless doing so could increase risk or affect a police investigation
ensuring support services or HR support is in place
depending on the situation you may also need to update the victim and their family, this would be confirmed by the LADO

Once all investigations are complete the LADO will discuss with all involved parties what the outcome will be and what final steps need to be taken.

There are leaflets available to help you explain the process, you’ll find these here:

Your role is essential in keeping children safe and supporting a fair process for everyone involved.

For more detailed training including case scenarios, please book on to the Management of Allegations training available here:

Book Management of Allegations training

LADO - Managing allegations against persons who work with children

LADO - Managing allegations against persons who work with children

1. About the LADO

2. Before referring to the LADO