Safeguarding concerns may arise at any stage of the investigation process and may not have been evident to staff in Intake or Assessment. All staff must be aware of safeguarding protocols and make referrals to the local authority safeguarding lead in all appropriate cases. Guidance on safeguarding is available. 

Sometimes we are in contact with someone who threatens to harm themselves or others. See our Guidance on self-harm (included in ‘Managing challenging complainant behaviour’). 

If we are contacted by a whistleblower and the issues are separate from any complaint we are handling, it is unlikely that we will be the best placed body to act. Therefore, we should generally refer the individual to their own organisation’s whistleblowing policy or, if they cannot go to their employer, to the most appropriate prescribed person or body. Please refer to our guidance note for more information.