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Introduction
As part of a comprehensive multi-agency assessment, it is essential to consider information about the person(s) of concern – the individual(s) who may pose a risk of harm to the child. A person of concern may be someone within the child’s family, or part of their wider network (such as a peer, neighbour, practitioner or community member).
The UK Government guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children emphasises the importance of understanding the full context of the child’s life when assessing risk and planning protection. This includes the relationships and environments that may influence the child’s experiences of harm or safety.
Considering the person(s) of concern can help you to:
- clarify the nature of the relationship between the child and that individual
- assess the level and pattern of concern, including any wider network of children who may also be affected
- inform immediate and longer-term safety planning for the child and others
- support appropriate disruption, safeguarding, and criminal justice responses
- identify opportunities to provide early intervention or support for children or young people who are displaying harmful behaviours. Where a person of concern is a child themselves, the multi-agency assessment must prioritise their needs as a child – so you will need information to help you understand the potential risks they pose and the support they need to reduce these risks.
If you are the social worker conducting a multi-agency assessment, the tables on this page indicate the relevant information about each person of concern that may already exist across different organisations. Incorporating this information into the assessment ensures that decisions are grounded in a clear picture of both the child’s lived experience and the risks presented by those around them.
If you are a practitioner in another organisation, the tables show you the information that your organisation can contribute to a multi-agency assessment so you meet your safeguarding responsibilities; you can find out more in the What information could you or your organisation be sharing? section.
Click on the arrow beside each of the headings below to see a table showing the information that should be shared about an aspect of a person of concern’s life. You can also download all of these tables in PDF format.
This information provides important insight into patterns of behaviour and potential risks, even where the individual’s previous convictions are not related to sexual offences.
| Records of criminal convictions (sexual or non-sexual) | Police – held on the Police National Computer (PNC) |
|---|---|
| Records of police cautions (sexual or non-sexual) | Police – held on the Police National Computer (PNC) |
| Police intelligence (suspicions, allegations, or soft intelligence not resulting in a charge) | Police – held on the local force’s intelligence system, and in some cases on the Police National Database (PND) |
| Youth offending history (relevant if the person of concern is a child or had any contact with the youth justice service as a child) | Youth justice service – held on the AssetPlus framework |
| Records of behaviour while on probation | Probation Service – held on the nDelius case management system |
| Records from the Prison Service and Youth Custody Service/youth secure estate (including offence history) | Prison Service and Youth Custody Service |
| Records of Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) | Police, Probation Service and Prison Service jointly hold MAPPA records |
| Sexual offences notification requirements (sometimes referred to as the Sex Offender Register) | Police |
| Assessment or analysis of what these behaviours or offences mean in terms of current risk | Police or sometimes the Probation Service – held on the Offender Assessment System (OASys) |
Previous or ongoing behaviours such as emotional abuse, controlling actions, sexual harassment or exploitation may indicate an elevated risk of harm to a child. Including this information in an assessment helps you to identify recurring risk patterns, understand potential impacts on the child, and develop targeted safeguarding and protective interventions – whether the person of concern is within the family or part of the child’s wider social network.
| Source of information | Who holds it? |
|---|---|
| Domestic abuse incident reports (current or historical) | Police – held on local police systems and, where relevant, on the Police National Database (PND) |
| Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (Clare’s Law) information | Police – disclosure process managed by local force |
| Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) records | MARAC coordinator (usually within local authority or police); shared with relevant organisations |
| Safeguarding records relating to relationship concerns (e.g. coercive control, harassment, stalking) | Children’s social care, adult safeguarding teams |
| Safeguarding records relating to relationship concerns (e.g. coercive control, harassment, stalking) | Probation Service – held on the nDelius case management system or the Offender Assessment System (OASys) |
| Prison records (behaviour in custody relevant to relationships) | Prison Service |
| Specialist domestic abuse service case files (including perpetrator programmes and survivor support) | Independent domestic violence adviser (IDVA) or independent sexual violence adviser (ISVA) services |
| Health service safeguarding notes (if disclosures of concerning behaviour have been made in medical settings) | GP, mental health services, midwives, health visitors |
| Notes recording concerns about a person’s behaviour as a child or young person | Youth justice service – held on the AssetPlus framework |
Reviewing past interventions helps you to understand which interventions have been completed and how well the person of concern has engaged with them. This enables more informed risk assessment, safeguarding planning, and targeted interventions, whether the person of concern is within the family or part of the wider network.
| Source of information | Who holds it? |
|---|---|
| Records of interventions to address sexually harmful and offending behaviour | Specialist sexual behaviour intervention services (e.g. NSPCC, Lucy Faithfull Foundation, locally commissioned services), Probation service |
| AIM assessment (for children who have displayed harmful sexual behaviour) | Youth justice service |
| Records of previous or current youth offending interventions for harmful sexual behaviour as a child | Youth justice service – held on the AssetPlus framework |
| Probation records (completion of accredited programmes such as Building Better Choices; information from polygraph tests) | Probation Service – held on the nDelius case management system |
| Prison records (completion of accredited programmes, therapy, or treatment in custody) | Prison Service |
| Notes from therapy or counselling where sexual behaviour concerns were addressed | Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), adult mental health services, independent therapists |
Considering a person’s employment status and history is important because research and safeguarding guidance highlight that patterns in employment – such as instability, working in positions with access to children, or past employment-related concerns – can indicate potential risks or opportunities for harm (Hackett, 2014; Brandon et al, 2020). It can help you to assess exposure, monitor risk and plan protective measures, whether the person of concern is within the family or part of the child’s wider social network.
| Type of information | Who holds it? |
|---|---|
| Current employment status (employed, unemployed, self-employed, student) | Department for Work and Pensions (DWP); Jobcentre Plus; HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC); employer (HR records) |
| Employment history (previous roles, dates, gaps, dismissals) | Employers (HR/payroll records); HMRC (tax and NI contributions); professional registration bodies if relevant (e.g. Nursing & Midwifery Council, Health & Care Professions Council) |
| Current education or training if not employed | Colleges, universities, training providers; local authority (for young people in education/training) |
| Occupational health concerns affecting employment | Occupational health services; employer HR/health and safety departments |
| Disciplinary history in employment | Employers (HR records); professional regulatory bodies (if applicable) |
Many individuals convicted of sexual offences against a child or children report that they perpetrated their first offence at times of depression, anxiety and stress (Gillespie et al, 2018; Walker et al, 2018), which may have precipitated their offending. Understanding the presence, history and management of mental health difficulties helps you to assess potential risks, plan appropriate safeguarding measures, and coordinate support.
| Source of information | Who holds it? |
|---|---|
| Mental health diagnoses (e.g. depression, anxiety, psychosis, eating disorders) | GP, child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), adult mental health services |
| Therapy or treatment records (e.g. counselling, psychotherapy, CBT) | CAMHS, adult mental health services, private therapists |
| Crisis intervention records (A&E visits, crisis team involvement) | Hospital records, mental health crisis team |
| Notes of mental health concerns recorded during social care assessments | Children’s social care, Early Help teams |
| Specialist service assessments (neurodevelopmental, trauma-related, substance misuse co-occurrence) | Specialist health teams – e.g. autism/ADHD clinics, substance misuse services |
This is particularly important where the person of concern is part of the child’s family network, as children who live in a household with someone with someone who misuses alcohol or drugs are three times as likely to have been sexually abused as those who do not.
| Source of information | Who holds it? |
|---|---|
| Therapy or treatment records (e.g. counselling, psychotherapy, CBT) | Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), adult or young person’s substance misuse or mental health services, private therapists |
| Crisis intervention records (A&E visits, crisis team involvement) | Hospital records, mental health crisis team |
| School/college observations (changes in mood, engagement, attendance linked to mental wellbeing) if the person of concern is under 18 | Designated Safeguarding Lead/Person (DSL/DSP) |
If an individual has experienced trauma or abuse, this is not an indicator that they will go on to abuse others. However, there is evidence to suggest that traumatic experiences can influence the way individuals think, interact with others, regulate and respond to emotions, and control their behaviour in response to impulses/situations.
It is therefore important that any assessment relating to child sexual abuse considers whether the person of concern has experienced trauma, not least because this may affect their ability to engage with programmes to manage their behaviour.
| Type of information | Who holds it? |
|---|---|
| Social care records (historical safeguarding concerns, child protection plans, looked-after status, records of abuse or neglect) | Children’s social care, Early Help teams |
| Health service records (disclosures of trauma, injuries consistent with abuse, mental health presentations linked to trauma) | GP, hospital records, mental health services |
| Therapeutic service notes (counselling, trauma-focused therapy, play therapy) and | Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), adult mental health services, independent therapists |
| Education safeguarding files (disclosures to staff, behavioural indicators, referrals to external organisations) | Designated Safeguarding Lead in school/college |
| Police records (crime reports, statements, intelligence related to victimisation) | Local police force, Police National Database (PND) |
| Youth justice records (trauma history relevant to offending behaviour assessments) | Youth justice service – held on the AssetPlus framework |
| Specialist support services (domestic abuse, sexual violence, exploitation, refugee/asylum support) | IDVA/ISVA services, rape crisis centres, trafficking/exploitation support organisations |