Report child abuse

Children experiencing abuse might be afraid to talk about what is happening. They may not know that what is happening is not okay.

It can be difficult to know what to do if you are worried about the safety and welfare of a child. You might be concerned that a child is being abused by someone:

• in the child’s own family
• outside the child’s family, like a teacher, sports coach or babysitter
• on the internet, such as being groomed or bullied on social media websites.

Learn more on our page about signs and symptoms of child abuse.

Call 999 for the emergency services if you think someone is in immediate danger.

For concerns about adults, find out how to report adult abuse. Or read our page on domestic abuse support.

Contact us if you suspect child abuse

Contact us if you are concerned about a child being abused. We can help.

• Call: 03000 41 11 11
• Email: social.services@kent.gov.uk
• Text relay: 18001 03000 41 11 11

Visit the Ofcom website for information about text relay.

Emergency and out of hours calls

Call 03000 41 91 91 if you need to contact us outside of normal office hours, for example during the night or at the weekend.

Tell us as much as you can

The more information you can give us about what’s happening and where it’s happening, the better. Reporting your concerns means trained professionals will review the situation and put protective actions in place.

As a member of the public, we encourage you to give your name. Sometimes the situation or safety of the child means we need to share the details you give us. But we do our best to not tell anyone your name unless you say we can.

Don't assume that someone else will take responsibility. If you are worried, report it.

Other ways to report child abuse

Call the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000. This is available on Monday to Friday 10am to 8pm. Visit the NSPCC website for more information about the NSPCC Helpline.

You can also email the NSPCC at help@nspcc.org.uk or use the NSPCC online form to report child abuse.

Report child abuse as a professional

Making a referral online is easy. It is your duty to report suspected child abuse if you are a professional and you will need to share your name.

You can report this on the Kent Integrated Children’s Portal. Or for more information visit the Kent Safeguarding Children Multi-Agency Partnership website.