People in Shipley trying to report possible child abuse should find it easier from Monday.

Bradford Social Services is introducing a new centralised customer advice system and a new hotline number - 01274 757500.

Anyone who is concerned about a child can now ring this number. Before, people were referred to one of eight offices covering the district's five constituencies. Now, the central customer advice and initial assessment team will cover the whole district.

Specially trained advisers will be able to give information about children's services and carry out assessments of need.

The hotline will be the first port of call for members of the public and various agencies wanting to contact services for children and young people, and their families or carers.

"Following wide consultation, we feel this simplified centralised system for the whole district will give people a quicker and more consistent response and make better use of resources," said Councillor John Godward, Executive Member for Health and Social Care.

"A pilot scheme in Bradford North run for the past two years has proved very successful. This will now allow social workers to concentrate their efforts on doing what they are trained to do," he added.

He said the changes had led to disruption of some people's jobs, "but staff have accepted it in the interests of the service - and we are very grateful for that".

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.