Safeguarding is about protecting children, young people and adults at risk from abuse or neglect. Â It also means helping children to grow up into confident, healthy and happy adults.
Most children enjoy generally happy childhood experiences within their own family. Unfortunately for some, this is not the case. During difficult family times, everyone who knows the child must do the best they can to protect them from future harm.
You could be a neighbour, friend, relative, childminder, teacher or doctor, or working for any organisation which has contact with children and young people.  Protecting children is everyone’s responsibility.
If you are concerned about a child or young person please call the telephone numbers below.
If you contact Southwark’s Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub you will speak to a professional who will listen to your concerns. They may take a few details and might need to contact you again but your concern will be dealt with quickly and appropriately.
You do not need to provide your name or give contact details if you do not wish to do so. Anonymous calls will not be ignored.
If someone is concerned about your child the local authority will look into it and may contact you to see how they can help support you and your child’s needs.
They may be able to provide information about different services you can access such as children’s centres, parenting classes, child care support, job centre plus, training advice and family health services to name but a few.
The social workers are there to help and advise you and your family.
The Family Information Service (FIS) directory is a useful guide to services and organisations that support children and young people, parents, carers and the people who work with them.
From antenatal classes to dance groups, disability support to healthy eating, we hope to meet everyone’s needs.
You can search for a local service or activity by type, location or age range, and can also search for specific requirements, for example wheelchair access or languages spoken.
The Southwark Local Offer is a comprehensive guide to the services in Southwark and neighbouring boroughs that are available for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) aged 0-25.
Southwark’s Local Offer was developed with parents, carers and children & young people with SEND.
The Local Offer is maintained and regularly updated to make sure that information is up to date and to take into account the suggestions and feedback of children and young people with SEND and their parents and carers.
Local authorities have a legal duty to publish a Local Offer (Children & Families Act 2014, Section 30), setting out in one place information about provision they expect to be available across education, health and social care for children and young people who have Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND), including those with and without Education, Health and Care plans.
If you are looking for something on our website that you cannot find please contact us on 0207 525 3104 or Localoffer@southwark.gov.uk.
If you need help or support accessing the Local Offer website please contact the Southwark Information, Advice and Support team. To find out more about the service please visit the SIAS webpage.
Taking pictures and videos of children and young people’s achievements and activities is a wonderful way of capturing a memory and promoting successes but consideration needs to be given to who might have access to those images.
Nothing if used by the right people for the right purpose. However, if used by the wrong people for the wrong purpose, children and young people could be at risk.
Promoting children and young people through photography or video is not an unsafe activity but careful consideration should be given about the amount of information shared in context of the image and also who might have access to that information.
Nearest tube: Elephant & Castle underground station (Northern and Bakerloo lines).
Nearest Railway Station: Elephant & Castle
Buses from Elephant and Castle: ask bus driver for Burgess Park. Bus numbers: 12, 171, 148, 176, 68, 484, 42, 40, 45