147Report may be made to Children’s Guardian

147 Report may be made to Children’s Guardian

147 Report may be made to Children’s Guardian

(1) An Official Community Visitor may make a report to the Children’s Guardian about a child in care if the Official Community Visitor reasonably suspects the child’s safety, welfare or wellbeing is at risk.

(2) The report does not need to be in writing.

(3) The Children’s Guardian may make preliminary inquiries for the purposes of deciding how to deal with a report and may request further information from the Official Community Visitor making the report.

(4) The Children’s Guardian may, in respect of a report—

(a) conduct an investigation, or

(b) make a referral to an entity, or

(c) decline to take action on the report.

(5) If an Official Community Visitor, acting in good faith, makes a report to the Children’s Guardian under this section, the person is not liable to civil or criminal action, or disciplinary action, for making the report.

(6) The Children’s Guardian may, at the Children’s Guardian’s own initiative, decide to deal with a matter as a report under this section if the matter relates to a child in care that the Children’s Guardian reasonably suspects is not safe, or if the Children’s Guardian has concerns for the welfare or wellbeing of the child.