Advice for Professionals and Volunteers

The SBNI is dedicated to the effective sharing of relevant information. This will include information regarding multi-agency training, lessons learned from Case Management Reviews, the dissemination of Safeguarding policies and procedures and additional useful resources.

Safeguarding Information for Professionals

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and in particular protecting them from significant harm, depends on effective joint working between agencies and professionals that have different roles and expertise. Individual children, especially some of the most vulnerable and those at greatest risk of social exclusion, will need coordinated help from health, education, children’s social care, the voluntary sector and other agencies, including youth justice services.

Emergency contacts

If you think a child or young person under the age of 18 years is being abused or neglected, please contact the Gateway team in your local Health and Social Care Trust (contact numbers below). Do this as soon as you can and before the situation gets any worse.

If you believe that a child or young person is at immediate risk, this should be reported without delay to the police service as a 999 emergency and contact should also be made to your local Health and Social Care (HSC) Trust:

Gateway Teams

  • Belfast HSC Trust - 028 9050 7000
  • Northern HSC Trust - 0300 1234 333
  • South Eastern HSC Trust - 0300 1000 300
  • Southern HSC Trust - 0800 7837 745
  • Western HSC Trust - 028 7131 4090

You can talk with an NSPCC counsellor for free, 24 hours a day. Call 0808 800 5000.

Useful Websites

Health and Social Care Trusts

Voluntary Organisation