Mobile Children and Families
Last updated: January 9, 2009
Table of Contents
2. Identifying children at risk
When families move frequently, it is more difficult for agencies to identify risks and monitor a child’s welfare.
Professionals in all agencies should be alert to the possibility that a child or family who has moved may not be in receipt of universal services and be competent to proactively engaging the family and link them into local universal services e.g.:
- seeking information about the child/family [full names, dates of birth, previous address, GP'S name, if attending any school etc]
- providing information about relevant services
- following up to ensure that the family has managed to make contact and register with a local GP, school and other relevant services to which the child is entitled
- engaging appropriately with relevant agencies any concerns which emerge
Along with other indicators of risk, for example, domestic abuse, parental substance misuse, and parental mental ill health, the following circumstances associated with children and families moving across local authority boundaries are a cause for concern:
- a child and family, or pregnant woman, not being registered with a GP
- a child not having a school place or whose attendance is irregular
- a child or family having no fixed abode e.g. living temporarily with friends or relatives
- several agencies holding information about the child and family, which is not co-ordinated and/or which has not followed the child or family i.e. information which is missing or has gaps
