Section 47 Investigation
An investigation by the local authority under s.47 Children Act 1989 where there is reasonable cause to suspect a child is suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm.
Independent editorial summary — not the official statute text. Read the official version on legislation.gov.uk.
Section 47 of the Children Act 1989 places a duty on a local authority to investigate where it is informed that a child in its area is the subject of an emergency protection order or is in police protection, or where it has reasonable cause to suspect that a child who lives, or is found, in its area is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm.
Where the duty applies, the authority must make, or cause to be made, such enquiries as it considers necessary to enable it to decide whether it should take any action to safeguard or promote the child's welfare. Where the authority has obtained an emergency protection order, it must similarly make enquiries to decide what action it should take.
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Official sources
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