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Integrated Contact and Referral Team (iCART)

Concerns for Child Safety

​​If you think a child or young person is at risk, please call:

  • Telephone: 0151 907 8305, Monday – Thursday 9am-5pm, Friday 9am-4:30pm.
  • Outside of these times contact the Emergency Duty Team on 0345 050 0148.
  • If a child is in immediate danger call 999.

Integrated Contact and Referral Team (iCART) is the integrated front door to children and families’ services.  The team is comprised of multi-agency staff, including social care, early intervention, education, health and Police, therefore there is access to a wide range of information.  The team accept safeguarding referrals & complex early intervention requests.

Which children and families should be referred to iCART?

Children and families where there is an immediate risk of harm.

These referrals should clearly indicate they are for safeguarding and they will be passed to the children’s social care element of iCART for immediate attention and further screening.

Children and families with multiple and complex vulnerabilities that are negatively impacting on the child and / or family, which sit at level 2 on Halton Continuum of Need Framework.

There will be multiple and complex issues across the family such as anti-social behaviour, attendance & behaviour, possible neglect, worklessness / financial exclusion, domestic violence and abuse.  These referrals should indicate that they are for early intervention and they will be passed to the early intervention element of iCART for further screening. Referrers should consider an early help assessment and / or calling-in support from appropriate multi-agency partners prior to submitting an iCART early intervention referral. If needs sit at level 1 on Halton Continuum of Need, consider what else your agency can bring and calling-in relevant support from other partners.

Discuss your referral with your line manager or safeguarding lead.

You will need to complete an online iCART referral form. If you identify safeguarding concerns which, may sit at level 4 on Halton Continuum of Need (Section 47) telephone iCART in the first instance and then submit the written referral form.

As much up to date family information as you have. This needs to include details such as the full name of family members including other names they might be known by, the current nursery/school a child attends, up to date contact telephone numbers.

For you to check details carefully before you refer as incorrect information delays the process.

When making a referral, there are some areas where additional information tools can assist in the assessment process. These are detailed below. Please submit an appropriate assessment tool if your referral is concerning any of the following issues:

  1. Neglect / home conditions
  2. Concerns for an unborn child
  3. Parental substance misuse
  4. Domestic abuse
  5. Parental mental health
  6. A short break request for a child with disabilities
  7. Child Exploitation

Voice of the child must be provided and should demonstrate the impact of needs upon them. This can be gathered by a method that is appropriate for the child. If this child is non-verbal, use other methods such as observations.

The family need to know that they are being referred and are in agreement for this to happen (explicit informed consent). The family need to understand that there will be contact made by a member of iCART.

For you to continue with your support whilst we undertake our work.

We will make a decision as to the most appropriate response based on the information you send us and background checks. All referrals will have initial oversight of a social work manager or practitioner to ensure that they are screened further at the appropriate level.

We may ask you for further information, if this is required.

We will explore consent with you, if you submit a referral without consent. If the level to dispense with consent is not reached, your referral will be returned without screening.

We might come back to you with a recommendation that you start a MAP (if there isn’t an equivalent plan in place already). If more concerns emerge as you work with them you can re-refer to us.

We might pass onto social care for further screening / assessment.

We might provide advice and guidance to the family and / or you.

The team can be contacted during the hours of 9am to 5pm from Monday to Thursday and 9am to 4.30pm on Friday, call 0151 907 8305.

If you have an urgent (safeguarding) concern outside these hours, please call the Emergency Duty Team (EDT) on 0345 0500148.

If you wish to make a referral for safeguarding or to request complex early intervention support, you need to complete the multi-agency online referral form.  You will need to follow your safeguarding procedures and gain consent, where appropriate and possible.

For safeguarding concerns or immediate safeguarding risks to a child, information is recorded and a same working day response provided by a social worker. For other safeguarding contacts, iCART completes enquiries within 24 hours (1 working day).  Each contact with iCART to ask for support or advice is recorded.  Early Intervention contacts are completed within 3 working days.

All information is considered by iCART alongside the Halton Levels of Need Framework and guidance is offered in line with the level of the Framework that the case meets.