An emergency protection order is made when you are in immediate danger and may have to be taken away from home quickly.

This might be because someone has called the police if they are worried that you are being hurt, it could be because you have told someone like a teacher that you are being hurt, or you might already be in a safe place, like a hospital.

Social Services or anyone like the police or a neighbour can go to a magistrate and apply for an Emergency Protection Order.

Emergency Protection Orders are granted for:

• Individual applicants, where the child will suffer significant harm if not removed
• Local authorities, where enquiries are being made for other orders, and where these enquiries are being frustrated or unreasonably refused
• Authorised persons, where there is reasonable cause to suspect, or likelihood of, significant harm

The emergency protection order lasts for 8 days and any person can apply to a court for an order.

Parental access is not precluded.

The emergency protection order replaces the place of safety order.