Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)
What is the LADO
Every local authority has a statutory responsibility to have a Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) who is responsible for managing allegations against adults who work with children. This involves working with police, children’s social care. employers and other involved professionals. The LADO does not conduct investigations directly, but oversees and directs them to ensure thoroughness, timeliness, and fairness.Ordinarily, to ensure impartiality, the LADO will not have direct contact with the adult against who the allegation has been made, or the family of the child/children involved but will, as part of their role ensure that these people have information regarding outcomes.
The LADO is responsible for raising awareness and understanding of safe working practices and safer recruitment, share learning based on experiences, to ensure that practice and services are constantly improved, help establish and aid an understanding of baselines from which we can measure the impact of services on children or young people. The LADO is also responsible for identifying gaps in service and service standards and reporting these to the Safeguarding Children Partnership.
How to contact the LADO
The responsible officer should complete the LADO Referral / Consultation Form and email it to ladoenquiries@brighton-hove.gov.uk
For urgent LADO matters outside of office hours, at weekends and on public holidays contact 01273 335905.
The Sussex Child Protection & Safeguarding Procedures (Pan Sussex Child Protection and Safeguarding Procedures Manual ) include important guidance about steps to consider before a notification to the LADO is made.
Please find further information and guidance below:
LADO Guide for Employees and Volunteers
LADO Guide for Organisations and Professionals
LADO Guide for Parents and Carers
LADO Guide for Children and Young People
LADO Contact Info & Threshold Guidance
LADO Referral Consultation Form