The Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) is a statutory post. All allegations against people who work with children (whether paid or voluntary) must be reported to the LADO. These allegations must fall within the scope of the procedure which is:

• Where an individual may have behaved in a way that has harmed, or may harm a child
  
• Where an individual has possibly committed a criminal offence against a child
  
• Where an individual has behaved in a way that indicates he or she is unsuitable to work with children

It is the role of the LADO to manage and have oversight of any such allegations, regardless of the agency that the person works for.

Working Together to Safeguard Children states that every member agency of the Safeguarding Children Board should have a Named Senior Officer and Senior Manager with responsibility for allegations against staff. Their main role is to receive information about allegations within their organisation, and to ensure that the procedure for referral to the LADO is followed.

If such a referral is made to Social Care Direct or to the Police, as sometimes happens, they will also share the information with the LADO. Similarly, if the LADO receives the referral directly, they may discuss with Social Care Direct and the Police.

All allegations within this procedure that come to the employer’s attention should be notified to the LADO within one working day. The LADO will discuss the matter with the senior manager and where necessary obtain further details of the allegation details and circumstances in which it was made.

If the allegation is not patently false, and assuming that the allegation meets one of the criteria above, the LADO may arrange for a strategy meeting to take place, to enable all relevant parties to discuss the allegation in context. The subject of the allegation would not be invited to attend this meeting.

There may be up to three strands in the consideration of an allegation:

A police investigation of a possible criminal offence

• Enquiries and assessment by children’s social care about whether a child is in need of protection or in need of services
• Consideration by an employer of disciplinary action in respect of the individual.