Children's social care

We offer activities and services to help rebuild and strengthen children and young people's resilience.

Parents have primary responsibility for and are the main influence on their children. Our role is to strengthen parenting capacity, while remaining clear about our duty to safeguard vulnerable children and young people.

Duty and Advice Service

If you have concerns for the health and wellbeing of a child, contact the Duty and Advice Service on 0116 454 1004. 

A social worker will talk to you about your concerns and will advice of any action required.  The service is open 24 hours, 7 days a week, all year.  The service is the first point of contact for all new referrals to children's services and will deal with anything that relates to city children.

Please do not email your concerns to any email address provided on this information page.

How to make a referral

Notice - 27 September 2019:  There is a reported issue with the MARF referral form which is being investigated. If you encounter an issue completing the MARF form please contact Early Help Queries team on 0116 454 1694.

In the first instance contact 0116 454 1004 to discuss your concerns.  You will be advised at this point if you need to complete a Multi Agency Referral Form (MARF).

You may be asked for more information if there is insufficient to make an assessment.  If this is the case it will be because you already have a relationship with the child, or deemed to be best placed to get the information.

If a referral is made on behalf of a parent or carer, permission to share their information is required unless doing so would place the child at risk of harm.

The thresholds for access to services for children and families in Leicester are available at Leicester Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB). The threshold documents will support you in making the referral. 

If you are a professional working with a child and their family, you will be required to provide details of the assessment work you have already undertaken. 

Further support

If you are unable to complete the MARF online, please request a copy of the MARF in an alternative format by contacting the Early Help Queries team on 0116 454 1694 or email early-help-queries@leicester.gov.uk.  Please note, alternative formats of the MARF will need to be sent securely to das-team@leicester.gov.uk.

Contact us

0116 454 1004
Email: das-team@leicester.gov.uk
Visit us at Granby Street Customer Service Centre, 91 Granby Street, LE1 6FB