CHILD PROTECTION CONFERENCE AND CORE GROUP PACK
Information (Part B)
CHILD PROTECTION CONFERENCE AND CORE GROUP INFORMATION
A conference must consider the question as to whether a child is at continuing risk of significant harm, where the term child(ren) relates to all persons aged 0 – 18 years. The test of whether the child is at continuing risk of significant harm is that:
Ø The child can be shown to have suffered ill-treatment or impairment of health or development as a result of neglect or physical, emotional or sexual abuse, and professional judgement is that further ill-treatment or impairment is likely; or
Ø A professional judgement, substantiated by the findings of enquiries in this individual case or by research evidence, predicts that the child is likely to suffer ill-treatment or the impairment of health and development as a result of neglect and/or physical, emotional or sexual abuse.
Ø Some children and young people will be at risk of future significant harm because of the actions of those outside their families or through their own actions. These children and young people will need to be considered as in need of a Child Protection Plan where inter-agency partnership with families is not able to bring about the changes needed. This will include young people who might be at risk of neglect of health needs through substance misuse or through engagement in dangerous activities or through being missing, for examples.
If a child is at continuing risk of significant harm, then s/he will require inter-agency help and intervention delivered through a formal Child Protection Plan. The professionals must consider all the children in the household, even if concerns are only being expressed about one child.
Categories for Protection Plans
If a decision is taken that the child is at continuing risk of significant harm and hence in need of a Child Protection Plan, the chair should determine which category of abuse or neglect the child has suffered or is at risk of suffering. The category used will indicate to those consulting the child’s social care record the primary presenting concerns at the time the child became the subject of a Child Protection Plan. The need for a Protection Plan should be considered separately in respect of each child in the family or household.
Physical Abuse: May take many forms e.g. hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning or suffocating a child. It may also be caused when a parent or carer feigns the symptoms of, or deliberately causes, ill health to a child. This unusual and potentially dangerous form of abuse is now described as fabricated or induced illness in a child.
Emotional Abuse: The persistent emotional ill treatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent effects on the child’s emotional development and may involve conveying that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person. It may also include imposing developmentally inappropriate expectations, causing children to feel frightened or in danger, impairment suffered from seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another, e.g. witnessing domestic violence, or the exploitation or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is included in all types of ill treatment of a child, though it may occur alone.
Sexual Abuse: Involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening and includes penetrative(i.e. vaginal or anal rape or buggery) and non-penetrative acts. It may also include non-contact activities, such as involving child in looking at, or in the production of pornographic materials, watching sexual activities or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.
Neglect: Involves the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child/ren’s health and development. This may involve failure to provide adequate food, shelter or clothing, failure to protect from physical harm or danger or failure to ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment or neglect of a child’s basic emotional needs.
Pre – Birth Conferences
A pre-birth conference is an initial child protection conference concerning an unborn child. Such a conference has the same status and purpose and must be conducted in a comparable manner to an initial child protection conference. The pre-birth conference should take place as soon as practical and at least ten weeks before the due date of delivery, so as to allow as much time as possible for planning support for the baby and family.
Where a pre-birth conference should be held
· Where a pre-birth assessment gives rise to concerns that an unborn child may be at risk of significant harm.
· A previous child has died or been removed from parent/s as a result of significant harm.
· Where a child is to be born into a family or household that already have children on the child protection register or are subject to Child Protection Plans.
· An adult or child who is a Risk to Children resides in the household or is known to be a regular visitor.
Other risk factors to be considered are
· The impact of parental risk factors such as mental ill health, learning disabilities, substance misuse and domestic violence.
· A mother under sixteen about whom there are concerns regarding her ability to self-care and/or to care for the child
Child Protection Conferences
Prior to the conference, the Chair should be advised of any complaints relating to any child subject to a child protection process, in order that these may be considered by the Conference Chair. The Agency to whom the complaint is regarding should share this information with their Safeguarding Lead.
Prior to the ICPC beginning, the professionals and family will have read any written reports for the Conference. In the case of the family these reports will have been shared with them by their authors at least 48 hours before the ICPC. ALL AGENCIES HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO SHARE THEIR REPORTS WITH THE FAMILY AND CHAIR IN ADVANCE OF THE CONFERENCE. For Review Conferences all reports should be shared with the family and sent into the Chair a minimum of five days prior to the conference taking place. If professionals have not been sent the reports in advance, an opportunity will be made available for them to do so before the meeting begins. Professionals and families should attend 30 minutes prior to the start of the conference in order to share reports in a separate room, as well as give consideration to what they or their services can contribute towards formulating a plan. The family meets with the Chair in the conference room. If a young person is attending, then they should be prepared prior to the conference by the professional who is deemed to have the best relationship, where appropriate.
Chairperson’s Responsibilities
The chair should meet with the family, child and/or young person prior to the conference to ensure they understand the purpose of the conference and how it will be conducted. During the 30 minutes prior to the conference start, the chair will invite the family members to volunteer information about themselves and their family and friends network:
– names, ages, relationships, addresses.
– The Chair assembles the information into a genogram or family tree, drawing it on the whiteboard or on an adjacent flipchart.
– Other information about key individuals, organizations, services, community supports etc can be added where appropriate, to form an overall ecomap.
– The Family Tree/ecomap will clarify who is in the extended ‘family’ system (and this should include important / supportive friends and non-blood ties) and will establish who lives where and with whom.
At the start of the conference the chair should set out the purpose of the conference, that the framework is utilising Strengthening Families and use of the whiteboard to assist in recording information, thinking and planning. The Chair also emphasises the need for confidentiality, address equal opportunities issues, and clarify the contributions of those present, including supporters/ advocates of the family.
Utilising the SF Framework of Risks, Strengths, Safety, grey/complicated factors, the Chairperson will ensure –
· That the conference remains focused on the concerns, risks, safety and strengths related to each child
· All participants are reminded of their responsibilities to share information as set out in Working Together 2010 and London Procedures (Section 3) and are able to make a full contribution to the conference discussion
· The wishes and feelings of each child are considered,
· That the conference reaches decisions in an informed, systematic and explicit way
· All concerned are advised/reminded of the complaints procedure
· That where appropriate the outline Child Protection Plan (CPP) is formulated, outcome-focused and set out in straightforward, plain language
· The plan should include any immediate steps of protection to take prior to the first core group
· The Chair should also make clear to the family and professionals the Contingency Plan (Safety Bottom Lines), and the steps the LA may take if, for example, the family refuse to co-operate with the CPP. This Plan should also be stipulated as contained as part of the CPP
· The core group members are identified who will develop the Outcome-Focused CPP; the date of 1st meeting agreed
· Agrees completion of Core Assessment (CA) (if not already done)
· Identifies immediate service areas that could be involved in the detailed CPP
· The Chair should always consider how the extended family members/wider community network can contribute to the assessment and protection of children
· States clearly what professionals want families to do differently to ensure safety of child and is clear on what professionals are wanting to see (evidence of change/impact – links to overarching safety statement)
· How is the plan going to be measured (change/impact)
Outline plan should be given to families/professionals within 48 hours. The outline plan is clearly understood by all concerned including the parents and, where appropriate the child. If the conference determines that a child does not need the specific assistance of a Child Protection Plan, but does need help to promote her/his welfare, that the conference draws up an outline Child in Need plan. The Chair will record information in bullet point form in the relevant section of the SFF on the whiteboard.
The Chairperson must make a final decision about Protection Planning based on the views of all agencies represented at the conference and also take into account any written contributions that have been made.
CRITERIA FOR DISCONTINUING A CHILD PROTECTION PLAN
The Review Conference should use the same SFF decision-making process to reach a judgement for when a Child Protection Plan is no longer needed. The risks identified in the ICPC must be effectively reviewed and clear action is agreed/taken where the risks have not been reduced. This includes situations where other inter-agency planning might need to replace a Child Protection Plan.
A child may no longer need a Child Protection Plan if;
· A review conference judges that the child is no longer at risk of significant harm and no longer requires safeguarding by means of a Child Protection Plan.
· The child has moved permanently to another local authority when a Child Protection Plan can only cease after the receiving authority has convened a transfer child protection conference (see London Procedures 11.6) and confirmed in writing responsibility for case management.
· The child has reached eighteen years of age, has married, has died or has permanently left the UK; where their name can than be removed.
It can also include, but is not limited to –
o A child who has remained at home but abuse or risk of abuse has been reduced by work with the family and through the child protection plan
o A child has been placed away from home and there is no longer access to the abusing adult or the access is no longer considered to present a risk to the child
o The abusing adult is no longer a member of the same household as the child and there is no contact or such contact occurs is no long considered to be a risk to the child
o The child was subject to a temporary local Child Protection Plan because it had been subject to a Child Protection Plan in another Local Authority area and the child’s Protection Plan has been discontinued from the originating Local Authority. This applies only where a transfer conference has not been held in the local area and a formal LBBD Protection Plan put in place.
DISSENT AT A CHILD PROTECTION CONFERENCE
If an agency does not agree with a decision or recommendation made at a conference then their dissent will be recorded in the minutes. The LA children’s social worker must involve that agency in future decision-making.
If a professional concludes that a conference decision places a child at risk, he/she must seek advice from her/his named or designated or lead professional or manager. The professional and their manager are responsible for ensuring that the issue is resolved before the child is exposed to further risk of significant harm. They should do this by making verbal and written representation to the conference chair and/or the Child Protection and Reviewing Service Team Manager as appropriate.
If parents/carers disagree with the conference decisions, the chair must further discuss their concerns and explain the complaints process.
Claire Brown Avraamis Avraam
Team Manager Interim Group Manager
Child Protection and Reviewing Service Safeguarding, Quality and Reviews
020 8227 2444 020 8227 2318
General Inquires
Josey Ghopy
Room 119, Barking Town Hall
Barking, Essex IG11 7LU – 0208 227 3219
September 2012