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Short Breaks offer activities for disabled children and young people to make sure they have the same opportunities as other children to have fun, spend time away from home with their friends, and develop skills and independence. Short Breaks also give families a chance to take a break from their caring responsibilities.

Assessment and Intervention in Barnet includes our Duty & Assessment, Intervention & Planning, and REACH teams. Sections 17 and 47 of the Children Act 1989 sets out the duty of these teams to protect children and young people, including children with disabilities, in need or at risk of harm.

Barnet Children’s Out of Hours Social Work Service provides safeguarding services for children, young people and families living in the borough after 5pm and at weekends/Bank Holiday’s.

Barnet Council employs a Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) who has a statutory responsibility for the management and oversight of cases where there are safeguarding concerns/allegations made against people who work, volunteer, or are in a position of trust with children in any setting across Barnet.

The Barnet Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) acts a single ‘front door’ for children in need of additional support and/or protection. Co-located within the MASH is a partnership of professionals from a range of agencies including the police, health, education, children’s social care, early help, substance misuse, housing, probation and domestic violence services who work together to ensure the safeguarding and welfare of children and young people in Barnet. Make a MASH referral

The Children in Care team is responsible for children who are placed in the care of the council because their families can no longer look after them.  The ways children can come into our care:

The Vulnerable Adolescents team provides support to Barnet social work teams and key partners of the council to help them tackle issues of exploitation of young people in Barnet.  It helps deliver support to young people and adolescents who may be at risk or experiencing criminal or sexual exploitation.

A Child Protection Case Conference (CPCC) is a meeting held about a child or children. The government says that a conference must be called when the council is worried that a child may be at risk of significant harm because of abuse or neglect. Where this is the case, we must, by law, intervene to work with families to ensure the child is protected.

The Adoption and Post Permanence Team are responsible for the recruitment, training and assessment of prospective adopters, and following approval, identifying an appropriate match with a child or children. This may involve placing the adopter’s profile on a family finding website which is accessible to local authorities nationwide.

The Onwards & Upwards Care Leavers Service supports young people in care and those who have left care from the age of 16 to 25. Young people can access this support whether they live in Barnet, other London boroughs or outside of London. The team provides varied support to looked after children including a telephone advice service.