Report a concern about a child

Opening hours

First Contact is open from 8.30am until 5.00pm, Monday to Thursday and from 8.30am until 4.30pm on a Friday.

What to do in an emergency

In an emergency situation, call us on the number above - we have a duty officer working outside of opening hours who will take your call.

If you fax or email us outside of our opening hours, please be aware that these enquiries will be dealt with on the next working day.

What happens when you call us

When you contact us you will speak to a trained officer. We will work with you to decide the level of response needed. Providing early help to children, young people and their families is our priority. We will start an Early Help Assessment to inform what happens next, which may be:

• giving you appropriate advice and guidance
• a referral to preventative services such as One Point, with a 'team around the family' and a named lead professional
• a statutory referral to assessment and interventions teams due to safeguarding concerns, with a 'team around the family' and a named lead professional

​First Contact works to Single Assessment Procedure and Practice Guidance, which can be found on the Durham Safeguarding Children Partnership website.

Concerned about an adult

Call Social Care Direct 24 hours a day on 03000 267 979 - a trained officer will listen carefully to your concerns, give advice, and accept a safeguarding adults report if necessary, even if you want to remain anonymous.

Please note: we don't have a safeguarding adults referral form - it is a telephone reporting system.