Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust is supporting a national campaign to overcome some of the barriers to reporting concerns about a child.

In a recent survey* almost half of the people questioned in the West Midlands said they would be put off reporting any suspicions of child abuse because they would be worried about the consequences of being wrong. Whereas in reality information is usually gathered from many sources so this information would simply form part of a bigger picture.

This nationwide “Together, we can tackle child abuse” campaign has been launched to tackle some of the myths and misconceptions about reporting abuse by the Department of Education with the support of local authorities and other partners.

Head of safeguarding at Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, Maria Kilcoyne said: “Most people will find the decision to report concerns about a child a difficult one in case they are wrong or over-reacting, they might question if they have strong enough evidence, or if they have misunderstood a situation.  But if you’ve seen or heard something and have a feeling that something’s not right, you don’t have to be certain and can talk to your local children’s social care team.

“Sometimes there is the worry that someone will find out they have made a report but in some instances it may be possible to make the call anonymously.  People might not report suspected abuse if they think it might be a one-off, even if that is the case; every child deserves to be protected. Children and families can be helped at an earlier stage with preventative support if more people share their concerns.”

If you’re worried about a child, visit: gov.uk/reportchildabuse to get the number for your local authority.