1.5 Explain how and why referrals are made between agencies

This guide will help you answer 1.5 Explain how and why referrals are made between agencies.

Referrals between agencies are an important part of work with children and young people. They help to provide the right support at the right time. A referral means passing information to another service that has the right skills, knowledge or authority to address a concern.

Workers in the children and young people’s workforce often identify needs that cannot be met within their own setting. Making a referral means connecting the child or their family to these services. This can involve health professionals, social care teams, education staff, housing services, youth services or specialist support agencies.

The main aim of a referral is to safeguard the wellbeing of the child or young person. It ensures they receive additional help that an individual worker or single organisation cannot provide alone.

Reasons for Making Referrals

There can be many reasons for referral. The child or young person may have needs beyond the scope of the original service. These needs might be physical, emotional, social, behavioural or educational.

Common reasons include:

• Concerns about physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse or neglect
• Medical concerns requiring specialist assessment or treatment
• Emotional or mental health issues affecting daily life
• Risk of self-harm or harm to others
• Special educational needs that require multi-agency input
• Homelessness or housing instability affecting the child’s welfare
• Substance misuse by the child, young person or their parent/carer
• Domestic violence witnessed or experienced in the home
• Concerns about radicalisation or exploitation
• Involvement in offending behaviours needing specialist intervention

Each case must be considered carefully and referrals should only be made when there is a clear need, backed by evidence or observation.

How Referrals Are Made

A referral process normally follows a clear path set out by the organisation or local authority. This makes sure information is passed accurately and securely.

Typical steps in making a referral:

1. Identifying the need – The worker recognises a concern during normal duties. This could be from direct observation, information shared by the child, parents, carers or other workers.
2. Gathering information – Facts should be recorded accurately. This involves noting dates, times, behaviours, statements, symptoms or events. Information should be factual rather than based on opinion.
3. Checking internal procedures – Most organisations require staff to speak with a supervisor or designated safeguarding lead before making a referral. Policies explain who to speak to, how to record the concern, and which forms to use.
4. Contacting the appropriate agency – This may be via phone, email or formal referral form. Examples include calling children’s social care, contacting the local safeguarding children partnership, reaching out to CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) or speaking to a school SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator).
5. Providing clear information – The referral should include the child’s details, nature of concern, actions already taken, and how urgent the case may be. Clear and relevant information helps the receiving agency decide what action is needed.
6. Following up – The referring worker checks that the referral arrived and has been accepted. In some cases, agencies will give an outcome or next steps. Workers should document this.
7. Keeping records – All referral details, communications and responses must be stored securely within the organisation’s systems. This helps in case of later review or investigation.

Referral Pathways

Referral pathways vary depending on the concern and the local area. In England, local safeguarding partnerships set clear guidance. Most areas have:

• Safeguarding referrals to children’s social care for protection from significant harm
• Health referrals to doctors, health visitors, school nurses or specialist clinics
• Education referrals to SENCOs, educational psychologists or alternative provision teams
• Housing referrals for families without stable living arrangements
• Youth offending referrals to youth justice services if the child is involved in crime
• Domestic abuse referrals to support organisations or police
• Specialist agency referrals such as speech and language therapists or occupational therapists

Each pathway will have its own referral form or procedure. Workers need to know these in advance to act promptly when needed.

Importance of Multi-Agency Working

No single service can meet every need of a child or young person. Multi-agency working means professionals from different backgrounds join forces. Each brings their own skills to help the child.

Referrals make this possible by passing the case to the right agency. This creates a wider support network that addresses complex and overlapping needs. For example, a child may need mental health support, educational adjustments and social care monitoring at the same time. This can only happen if agencies share information and work together.

Good communication and accurate referrals are the foundation of effective multi-agency work.

Safeguarding Responsibilities

Safeguarding is a priority for anyone working with children and young people. Making a referral is often part of this duty. The Children Act 1989 and later laws make clear that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, not just senior staff.

If a worker believes a child is at risk of harm, they must act without delay. This means contacting the relevant safeguarding agency at once. Waiting for more evidence can place the child in greater danger.

When making a safeguarding referral:

• Facts must be recorded accurately
• Information should be passed on quickly to avoid delay
• Confidentiality should be maintained wherever possible, except where sharing is needed to protect the child
• The process must follow organisational safeguarding policies

Failing to make a referral in time can have serious consequences for the child and for the worker.

Confidentiality in Referrals

Confidentiality means protecting personal information from unauthorised access or sharing. During a referral, some information must be shared with another agency. The law allows this where it is needed to protect the child or provide services.

Workers must share only the information that is necessary. They should explain to the family, where safe and appropriate, why the referral is being made and what will be shared. In some cases, especially where abuse is suspected, telling the family in advance may not be safe.

Evidence-Based Referrals

Referrals should be based on clear evidence. This can include:

• Written records of behaviours or symptoms
• Reports from health checks or assessments
• Photographs of injuries where permitted by policy and with consent or safeguarding need
• Statements from the child, parent or witnesses
• Attendance records in school or nursery
• Professional judgement backed by observed facts

Agencies need good evidence to decide how urgently to act. Poorly evidenced referrals can slow down support or lead to wrong decisions.

Barriers to Effective Referrals

Workers may face obstacles when trying to make referrals. These can include:

• Lack of clear procedures in the organisation
• Confusion over which agency to contact
• Fear of damaging relationships with families
• Reluctance to share information due to misunderstanding of data protection law
• Incomplete or poor quality information
• Lack of time or pressure from workload

Training and guidance help to reduce these barriers. Workers should feel confident that making a referral is the right step when a child needs more help.

Legal and Policy Frameworks

Several laws and policies influence referrals in England. These include:

• Children Act 1989 and 2004 setting out duties to promote welfare and protect from harm
• Working Together to Safeguard Children statutory guidance for inter-agency collaboration
• Data Protection Act 2018 governing the handling and sharing of personal data
• Keeping Children Safe in Education for schools and colleges
• Local safeguarding policies and procedures set by councils and partnerships

Knowing these frameworks helps workers understand why referrals are made and the limits of their role.

Recording and Tracking Referrals

Accurate records protect both the worker and the child. They create a clear account of concerns, actions taken and responses received.

Good recording includes:

• Dates and times of concerns and referrals
• Names of people spoken to during the process
• Copies of referral forms or letters
• Outcomes or feedback from the receiving agency
• Follow-up actions taken by the worker or organisation

Tracking ensures that no referral is lost or ignored. If there is no feedback within the expected timeframe, the worker can chase it up.

Professional Responsibilities

Workers have a duty to act in the best interests of the child. Making a referral is part of this role. They should:

• Recognise the signs that extra help is needed
• Know how to contact other agencies
• Keep up to date with local procedures
• Maintain respect and empathy during the process
• Avoid making promises they cannot keep to families
• Respect the rights and dignity of all involved

Maintaining good practice helps build trust with both families and professionals in other agencies.

Practical Tips for Good Referrals

• Get to know local services before you need them
• Keep referral templates or contact numbers handy
• Record facts immediately, while events are fresh in your mind
• Check if your concern meets the threshold for referral as set by the agency
• Use clear and simple language so information is easy to understand
• Follow up if you have not heard back within agreed times
• Always act with the child’s welfare as your priority

Final Thoughts

Referrals are a key part of supporting children and young people. They pass responsibility to a service with the right skills or authority to help. When done well, referrals create a link between different parts of the support system, improving outcomes for the child.

Every worker has an important role in spotting when a referral is needed, collecting accurate information and passing it on in the right way. This protects the child and allows specialist help to start quickly. Confidence in the referral process comes from training, knowing local procedures, and remembering that acting in the child’s best interests is always the right choice.