 There is now a service available to parents, carers or guardians allowing them to ask the police whether a person who has significant contact with their child or children has a record for sexual offences against children.
If you feel a child is in immediate danger you should contact the Police on 101 or Social Services on 03001 261 000 straight away
How will this service help to protect children in Northamptonshire?
This service enables parents, carers or guardians to request information about people involved in their child's life if they are concerned that he or she might pose a risk - for example, if a single parent wants to find out more about their new partner.
Other people can also raise concerns but information will normally only be disclosed to the parent/guardian of the child – not to another person.
You can also make an enquiry if there are no grounds to believe the person may be a risk. An enquiry can be made about a person who has contact with children to make sure that they are safe to do so.
The scheme does not replace checks done by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) or other safeguarding processes for people working with children.
Only 20 per cent of child sexual offences are carried out by strangers. The majority of child sexual offenders are known to their victims. They are often a member of the family, a friend of the victim, or a friend of the victim's family. By enabling you to ask for checks of people who have contact with children, this service allows you to better protect your child from harm.
What else can I do to protect my children?
Remember that anyone can pose a risk to children. No checking system is foolproof – not everyone who could pose a risk to children has come to the attention of the Police or other services, so they may not be on any records.
As a parent you have the main responsibility to ensure your children are safe. You should make sure you always know where your children are and who they are with. Make sure they can contact you if they need to.
You should supervise your children’s use of the Internet and set parental controls.
You should only leave your children in the care of someone who is registered as a child minder and has a current CRB (Criminal Record Bureau) check.
You should ensure that anyone who has regular contact with your children is safe to do so. Be alert to changes in your child’s behaviour around a particular person or if they suddenly become secretive about phone calls, texts or emails. Be aware of anyone who has contact with your children, especially anyone new in their life.
If you wish to make an enquiry under the scheme, please complete your details on the enquiry form and the Police will contact you.
| See also:
 How to access the service
FAQs
Scenarios
Is this Sarah's law? |
