Children’s Services Safeguarding Out of Hours Service (CS SOOHS) Involvement
Scope of this chapter
Day Service Teams should ensure they follow the below processes when responding to involvement from Children’s Services Safeguarding Out of Hours Service (CS SOOHS). This involvement could include when a family or professional has contacted Children’s Services seeking advice and support outside of working hours.
Amendment
This chapter was added to the manual in May 2025.
It is expected that CS SOOHS involvement is reviewed the next working day by the relevant Team Manager and allocated practitioner. The Team Manager should then record case direction as a ‘Management Decision’ case note on the child/young person’s electronic record.
Contact should be made with the child/young person and if applicable, their parents/carers, the next working day (after CS SOOHS involvement) – the type of contact (e.g. telephone call, school visit or home visit) required should be decided between the Team Manager and allocated practitioner and will be based upon identified need.
If following CS SOOHS involvement, this was then subsequently opened as a LCS or EHM Contact and passed to the appropriate team, it is expected that the relevant Team Manager will review the EHM/LCS Contact Record the next working day (after CS SOOHS involvement). The Team Manager should then add a ‘Management Decision’ case note, outlining direction and contact should be made with the family that same day – the type of contact (e.g. phone call or face-to-face visit) with the child/young person and/or family will be decided by the relevant Team Manager and will be based upon identified need.
See also: Scheme of Delegation - Children's Services Safeguarding Out of Hours Service - Herts CC.
Last Updated: May 20, 2025
v11
