Managing Allegations - Local Authority's Designated Officer (LADO)

Role of the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)

The role of the LADO is set out in Government guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children (DfE).

Local Authorities should have a Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) to be involved in the management and oversight of individual cases. The LADO should provide advice and guidance to employers and voluntary organisations, liaising with the police and other agencies and monitoring the progress of cases to ensure that they are dealt with as quickly as possible, consistent with a thorough and fair process;

• any allegation should be reported immediately to a senior manager within the organisation. The LADO should also be informed within one working day of all allegations that come to an employer’s attention or that are made directly to the police; and
• if an organisation removes an individual (paid worker or unpaid volunteer) from work such as looking after children (or would have, had the person not left first) because the person poses a risk of harm to children, the organisation must make a referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service. It is an offence to fail to make a referral without good reason.

The LADO role applies to paid, unpaid, volunteer, casual, agency and self-employed workers. The LADO is involved from the initial phase of the allegation through to the conclusion of the case.

Their role is to give advice and guidance to employers and voluntary organisations; liaise with the Police, when necessary and other agencies, and monitor the progress of cases to ensure that they are dealt with in a timely manner and consistent with a thorough and fair process.

The LADO helps co-ordinate information-sharing with the right people and will also monitor and track any investigation, with the aim to resolve it as quickly as possible.

The LADO should be alerted to all cases in which it is alleged that a person who works with children has:

• behaved in a way that has harmed, or may have harmed, a child;
• possibly committed a criminal offence against children, or related to a child;
• behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates they may post a risk of harm to children; 
• behaved or may have behaved in a way that indicates they may not be suitable to work with children.

What does the LADO do?  CLICK HERE TO VIEW A BITE SIZE VIDEO OF THE LADO ROLE

Provides an ‘Initial Discussion’ which allows for the giving of advice and guidance relating to the most appropriate way of managing the allegation or concern, and most importantly will help establish what the ‘next steps’ should be in terms of investigating the matter further. See flowchart regarding managing allegations process.

To contact Sefton's LADO tel: 0151 934 3783.

Sefton's LADO REFERRAL FORM - Please return completed referral form via secure email to safeguardingunitadmin@sefton.gov.uk

Managing Allegations Information Leaflets:

Leaflet for Employers

Leaflet for Employees

Leaflet for Parents/Carers

Leaflet for Foster Carers

To view the Managing Allegations Procedures, visit Sefton SCP  Multi-Agency Safeguarding Procedures.