Thresholds, Family Help, Referral and Escalation
Staff need clear pathways, not vague reminders to refer if worried. Working Together 2026 uses Family Help terminology — schools need to understand what that means in their local area and how it changes practice.
Reviewed against Working Together 2026 · KCSIE 2025 · May 2026
Why this matters
The most common referral failure is not unwillingness — it is uncertainty. Staff do not know whether something crosses a threshold. DSLs are unsure whether to call children's social care or request early help. Working Together 2026 restructures the system around Family Help, merging targeted early help and section 17 support into a more seamless offer. Schools need to understand their local front door and how concerns should travel through the system.
What the guidance expects
- 01DSLs must know the local threshold document and escalation route. (Working Together 2026)
- 02Schools must refer to children's social care where a child is at risk of harm. (KCSIE 2025)
- 03Where a referral is not accepted, the DSL must consider whether they agree and, if not, how to escalate. (KCSIE 2025)
- 04Staff need a plain-English route from concern to internal discussion, Family Help, section 47 and police referral. (Working Together 2026)
- 05Data protection legislation does not prevent necessary, proportionate safeguarding information sharing. (Information Sharing Advice)
Build a threshold flowchart using local terms
Use the language your local safeguarding partnership uses — not generic KCSIE language. If your LA calls it the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub, use that name. The flowchart should show: pastoral concern → internal discussion → early help / Family Help → section 17 → section 47 → police, with decision points at each stage.
Create an internal triage meeting for uncertain cases
Even experienced DSLs feel uncertain on borderline cases. A fortnightly triage meeting with DSL and a senior pastoral lead reduces isolation and improves consistency. Uncertain cases should never be decided alone.
Keep a live directory of local services
Family Help, social care, police, mental health, housing, domestic abuse, exploitation, youth offending and youth services. The directory should be accessible to all DSLs and deputies — not buried in a policy. Update it annually at minimum.
Train all staff on the decision pathway
Staff training should use real anonymised examples. When does school manage it? When does it need external help? When is immediate referral required? Generic criteria alone are not sufficient.
Know the escalation route when a referral is declined
Disagreement with a referral decision is not the end of the process. KCSIE is explicit that escalation is expected when the DSL believes a child is at risk. Know your local escalation route before you need it.
Quick check
0/5 yesOfficial sources
Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026
Family Help, published local arrangements, threshold document, escalation routes.
KCSIE 2025
Early help, referrals to children's social care, escalation when threshold is disputed.
Information Sharing Advice for Safeguarding Practitioners
GDPR does not prevent necessary, proportionate safeguarding information sharing.