Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)

The Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) service provides management and oversight of individual cases of allegations of abuse made against those who work with children.

The LADO must be contacted when you have received any allegation or concern about any person who works with children who may have:

  • Behaved in a way that has harmed, or may have harmed a child
  • Possibly committed a criminal offence against, or related to, a child; or
  • Behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates they may pose a risk of harm to children
  • Behaved or may have behaved in a way that indicates they may not be suitable to work with children

These procedures may also be used where concerns arise about:

  • The person's behaviour with regard to his/her own children
  • The behaviour in the private or community life of a partner, member of the family or other household member
  • A person's behaviour in their personal life, which may impact upon the safety of children to whom they owe a duty of care.

Contacting the LADO

To contact the LADO email: lado.admin@lancashire.gov.uk

We cannot process referrals or respond to advice requests submitted via email. You must make these through the online form.

Making a referral

Use the online form to notify the LADO of an allegation:

Complete a referral to LADO

A referral should only be made if the allegation meets the criteria above.

The alleged incident must be sufficiently serious to suggest actual or potential harm to a child, or that the individual may pose a risk.

Factfinding

A senior manager can carry out initial factfinding to decide if the referral threshold is met.

For example, if CCTV evidence or staffing records show the allegation is unfounded, a referral may not be needed.

Consultation requests

If you are unsure whether the criteria are met, complete the online form to request a consultation.

Include relevant details and explain why you believe the concern may meet the LADO threshold. You may use initials or anonymised information.

Factfinding should be included.

Your responsibility

It is your responsibility to assess whether a referral to LADO is appropriate.

Matters that do not meet the threshold should be managed through your own internal policies and procedures. We recommend that you record your decision-making clearly for future reference. The welfare of the child is always paramount and safeguarding actions and referrals to the police or CSC must take priority.

Further information

For more information including the procedure for managing allegations please see the following documents: