Unidentified Adults

Adult silhouetted against the sunset

The term ‘Unidentified Adults’ refers to an adult who agencies are not aware of, or not engaging with. They may be living within or staying in a household where children live or with someone who has regular contact with children. This can be in any capacity (such as parent, partner, grandparents, non-family member etc.)

There is a plethora of information both locally and nationally which highlights the need to understand who is living within the household with a child. Many reviews highlight the issue of professionals not identifying and/or assessing key adults, such as fathers, mothers/fathers’ partners, extended family and friends involved in the care of children who died or suffered harm. This piece of work has been undertaken in response to learning from a serious case review.

Please view the workbook below for further information and resources such as:

Good practice guide
How do I notice an unidentified adult?
Top tips for identifying and engaging
Tools for practitioners to help inform their conversations