Who do I contact about a child protection concern in Wales?

Contact your local authority's social services — there is an out-of-hours Emergency Duty Team for evenings and weekends — or the police on 101 (999 in an emergency). Adults worried about a child can also call the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000.

Does Keeping Children Safe in Education apply in Wales?

No. KCSIE applies to schools in England. Schools in Wales follow Keeping Learners Safe, the Welsh Government's statutory safeguarding guidance, alongside the all-Wales Safeguarding Procedures.

Meic is the free, confidential, bilingual national helpline service for children and young people up to age 25 in Wales, offering information, advice, and advocacy. Young people can reach it on 080880 23456, by text, or by online chat.

Child Protection in Wales: How the System Works

Wales has its own safeguarding framework under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act. Here is how Keeping Learners Safe, the Wales Safeguarding Procedures, and Regional Safeguarding Boards work — and who to contact.

ภาพรวม

Wales operates its own safeguarding framework, underpinned by the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 and the statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard People. Practitioners across Wales follow the shared Wales Safeguarding Procedures, and each area has a Regional Safeguarding Board that coordinates agencies.

For schools, the statutory guidance is Keeping Learners Safe — the Welsh equivalent of England's KCSIE — issued by the Welsh Government. Concerns about a child are reported to the local authority's social services, with an out-of-hours Emergency Duty Team for evenings and weekends, or to the police. Children and young people in Wales can also contact Meic, the national advice and advocacy helpline.

อธิบายอย่างง่าย

สรุปสั้น

If you live in Wales, your schools follow Keeping Learners Safe, not KCSIE, and practitioners use the Wales Safeguarding Procedures. Concerns go to your local authority's social services or to the police — the underlying principles are shared with the rest of the UK, but the guidance and structures are Welsh.

ผู้เกี่ยวข้อง

•Local authority social services — the main route for reporting a concern about a child, with an out-of-hours Emergency Duty Team.
•Regional Safeguarding Boards — coordinate safeguarding across councils, health, police, and partners in each region of Wales.
•The four Welsh police forces — North Wales, South Wales, Gwent, and Dyfed-Powys (101 non-emergency, 999 emergency).
•Schools — following the Welsh Government's Keeping Learners Safe statutory guidance.
•Meic — the free, confidential national helpline for children and young people in Wales.

สิ่งที่ควรคาดหวัง

1
Concerns are assessed by social services under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014.
2
Agencies work together following the all-Wales Safeguarding Procedures, coordinated where needed by the Regional Safeguarding Board.
3
Most concerns are met with voluntary support for the family; only some proceed to formal child protection processes.
4
The child's views and wellbeing are central throughout.

สิ่งที่คุณทำได้

✓Contact your local authority's social services to report a concern — use the out-of-hours Emergency Duty Team in the evening or at weekends.
✓Call the police on 101 (999 in an emergency) if a child is at immediate risk.
✓Tell a child or young person in Wales they can contact Meic free on 080880 23456 for advice, information, and advocacy.
✓Call the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 if you are an adult worried about a child.

ความเข้าใจผิดที่พบบ่อย

ความเชื่อ: Welsh schools follow Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE).

ความจริง: They do not. Schools in Wales follow Keeping Learners Safe, the Welsh Government's own statutory safeguarding guidance, and practitioners use the Wales Safeguarding Procedures.

ความเชื่อ: Wales uses the same MASH model as England.

ความจริง: Wales operates under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, the Wales Safeguarding Procedures, and Regional Safeguarding Boards. Reporting is to local authority social services rather than an England-style MASH.

แหล่งข้อมูล

Keeping Learners Safe — Welsh Government
Wales Safeguarding Procedures — Wales Safeguarding Procedures
Meic — helpline for children and young people in Wales — Meic Cymru

Frequently Asked Questions

Last reviewed: 2026-07-29Next review: 2027-01-29

This is practical educational content to support families. For case-specific concerns about a child's safety, contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or your local safeguarding team.

เนื้อหาต้นฉบับภาษาอังกฤษ: /safeguarding-system/safeguarding-in-wales