Addressing child welfare concerns: a new approach

In a small proportion of childhood hospital attendances there are obvious child protection issues. In a much greater number there is concern about the child’s welfare. Only if concerns are recognised, documented, and addressed at an earlier stage, can we hope to improve “safeguarding” children. In Peterborough District Hospital a “Concern Sheet” has been in use since 1998 to address child protection concerns throughout the Trust. Use of the Concern Sheet has been audited twice. Despite this, many failures of documentation, reporting, and follow up were identified. To address these problems, a joint hospital/community “Children’s Liaison and Discharge Coordinator” …