1.2.11 Child Protection Conferences - Conferencing Process

SCOPE OF THIS CHAPTER

This document sets out the guiding principles for social workers preparing for either an Initial Child Protection Conference or Review Child Protection Conference. The aim is to have a co-ordinated approach for practitioners and front line staff which follows Chapter 5, Child Protection Conferences of the Peterborough Safeguarding Children Board's Inter Agency Safeguarding Children Procedures.

RELEVANT LEGISLATION AND GUIDANCE

Section 47, Children Act 1989

Working Together to Safeguard Children, 2010

AMENDMENT

This chapter was last updated in April 2012 when paragraphs 2.3, 2.4, 2.8, 3.5 and 4.2 were amended. In addition Section 7, Children who are the Subject of a Child Protection Plan who Move into Peterborough Either Permanently or Temporarily was re-written and should be read in its entirety.

Child Protection Referrals
Initial Child Protection Conference
Preparation for Initial Child Protection Conference
Review Conferences
Report to Review Conference
Children who are the Subject of a Child Protection Plan who Move out of Peterborough Either Permanently or Temporarily
Children who are the Subject of a Child Protection Plan who Move into Peterborough Either Permanently or Temporarily
Resolution of Issues

1. Child Protection Referrals

1.1	Following the information from any agency that a child who is not known or new to Children's Social Care is suffering or may be suffering Significant Harm, a referral to Children's Social Care is made. On cases that are open to Children's Social Care the concerns are recorded as new information. The team manager is responsible for deciding if the referral should be considered under the Inter Agency Safeguarding Children Procedures, and whether the threshold for a Strategy Discussion is met. The Vulnerability Matrix should be used to inform the decision to proceed under the Inter Agency Safeguarding Children Procedures. The Strategy Discussion takes place with the Police Central Tasking and Referral Unit. The following sections should be read in conjunction with the Strategy Discussions/Meetings Procedure.
1.2	A Strategy Discussion will take place within 24 hours; the team manager within Children's Social Care will convene this. This meeting will outline the process of the Section 47 Enquiry. The team manager will record the decisions made and is responsible for dissemination of the record within 24 hours. If the concerns are of a more complex nature, a Strategy Meeting should be convened within 5 working days. NB it is the responsibility of the team manager to convene a Strategy Discussion/Meeting, record its outcome and circulate the outcome to all participants.
1.3	The record of the Strategy Discussion/Meeting is attached to RAISE; it is also placed in the child protection section of the child's file. NB It is the responsibility of the team manager to ensure this is carried out.
1.4	Second or subsequent Strategy Meetings may be held in complex cases. It is the responsibility of the team manager, in consultation with other agencies, to decide as to the need to convene further meetings.
1.5	The Section 47 Enquiry will result in three possible outcomes: Concerns are not substantiated - however enquiries may reveal a range of needs for which services are required; Concerns are substantiated but the child is not judged to be at continuing risk of Significant Harm; Concerns are substantiated and the child is judged to be at continuing risk of Significant Harm.
1.6	The team manager, in consultation with the social worker, is responsible for deciding if a case will proceed to a child protection conference.
1.7	Section 47 Enquiries are recorded on the Record of the Child Protection Enquiry document on RAISE: When the case does not proceed to a child protection conference, the Record of the Child Protection Enquiry is used as an appendix to the main Core Assessment Record. Used in this way, only the relevant sections of part one, three and four of this record should be completed, which must then be read in conjunction with the Core Assessment Record; When the case proceeds to a child protection conference, the record will be used as the written report to conference. Used in this way, all parts of the record must be completed and must include the date or dates when the child was seen alone by the Lead Social Worker and, if not seen alone, who was present and the reasons for their presence. Due to the conference time-scale, it is recognised that part two, in most cases, will be a summary of a partial Core Assessment; A Chronology is to be attached to the Record of the Child Protection Enquiry when the case proceeds to a child protection conference.
1.8	Another agency may disagree with a Children's Social Care decision not to hold a Child Protection Conference. Following a formal request, endorsed by a manager with child protection responsibilities, this decision should be reconsidered by the Service Manager, Quality Assurance & Safeguarding.

2. Initial Child Protection Conference

2.1	If the decision is made that the case will proceed to an Initial Child Protection Conference, it is the responsibility of the case responsible social worker to make contact with the duty Child Protection Coordinator immediately following the Strategy Discussion/Meeting.
2.2	If there are any disputes regarding the threshold for an Initial Child Protection Conference, a discussion will take place between the person disputing the decision and the team manager. If there is still a dispute after any such discussion, the relevant Service Managers will also be consulted.
2.3	The Initial Child Protection Conference must be held within 15 working days following the decision of the Strategy Discussion/Meeting to proceed to conference. Pre-birth conferences should be held no less that 6 weeks before the estimated delivery date of the baby.
2.4	To arrange for an Initial Child Protection Conference to be held, it is the responsibility of the social worker to contact the Safeguarding Team and make a referral to the duty Child Protection Coordinator. The referral information should contain a summary of the concerns, the enquiries to date and relevant family history, including any previous child protection conferences. It should also contain comprehensive details of all children and adults in the household, including dates of birth, names of schools, nursery, ethnicity, any disabilities. Details of any other names by which children or adults are known should also be given. Full details of any children or parents who do not live in the family home should also be provided, even if they are not to be invited to the conference, so that police checks can be undertaken. It is also the responsibility of the social worker to complete the invite list, including details of the people/agencies who need to be invited to the Conference with addresses/telephone numbers and their availability for conference within timescales.
2.5	The social worker will discuss with the Coordinator whether any parent/carer should not be invited or excluded (this is a rare occurrence - see Chapter 5, Child Protection Conferences of the Peterborough Safeguarding Children Board Procedures). All decisions regarding any such exclusion must be recorded with current evidence as to why this decision is made, and how the parent/carer is to be supported to participate. This will be agreed by the allocated Child Protection Coordinator and the team manager. In circumstances where there is a known risk to any conference members this must be recorded on the child's file and the file held by the Safeguarding Team. NB It is the responsibility of the Child Protection Coordinator and the team manager to agree whether a parent should be excluded from a child protection conference
2.6	It is the responsibility of the social worker to decide, in consultation with the family, team manager and Child Protection Coordinator, whether an interpreter will be needed and if so, what language/dialect is used.
2.7	The Safeguarding Team will organise the interpreter for the Initial Conference. This is the responsibility of the Child Protection Conference convenor.
2.8	The social worker will provide details of any children aged 12 and over who are to be invited. Referring for advocacy for a child should always be considered by the social worker for all children 5 years and over to enable the child's views to be represented at conference. The social worker will also record why a child who is eligible to attend is not to be invited to the conference. The social worker will ensure that all children over the age of 4 years are able to have their views about the recommendations or their situation presented to the conference. If appropriate the social worker will encourage and support a referral to the advocacy service - see Advocacy and Interpreting Services Procedure.
2.9	The invitations will be sent out by email or second class post. This is the responsibility of the Child Protection Conference convenor.
2.10	The Safeguarding Team will arrange for a dedicated person to take notes and produce minutes of the conference. If the child is made the subject of a Child Protection Plan, this will be distributed within 24 hours to the parents and Core Group members. Full minutes will be distributed within 15 working days. This is the responsibility of the Child Protection Conference secretary.

3. Preparation for Initial Child Protection Conference

3.1	It is the responsibility of the child's social worker to complete the Record of the Child Protection Enquiry document on RAISE, which formulates the report to the conference. This must include the date or dates when the child was seen alone by the Lead Social Worker and, if not seen alone, who was present and the reasons for their presence. All sections in Part 1 of this document should be completed. Due to conference timescales it is recognised that Part 2, in most cases, will be a summary of a partially completed Core Assessment. Part 3 of the report should contain the social worker's analysis of the information gathered and a clear plan to be discussed in the conference. The Record of the Child Protection Enquiry report should be signed by the social worker and the team manager.
3.2	The Record of the Child Protection Enquiry report must be shared with family, including children, at least 24 hours before the Initial Child Protection Conference. This is the responsibility of the child's social worker. An interpreter must be used if the family needs this support. Advocates should be present to assist the child in preparing their views for the conference, if an advocate is to be used - see Advocacy and Interpreting Services Procedure. The child/ren should be provided with a copy of the report which relates to them and not the rest of the children who are the subject of the conference. Each parent should be provided with a copy of a report which relates to their children only. The report should also be sent to the Child Protection Coordinator at least 24 hours before the Initial Conference. These actions are the responsibilities of the child's social worker.
3.3	The family should be given every opportunity to attend and take part fully in the conference. There needs to be discussion and support relating to transport, childcare, what will happen to the children attending the Conference when they have finished. There should be discussion as to whether the family need a supporter to attend or if they want their solicitor to be present. These actions are also the responsibilities of the child's social worker.
3.4	The family should be provided with the child protection conference leaflet for parents or children and the Comments and Complaints leaflet. These actions are the responsibilities of the child's social worker and the Child Protection Coordinator.
3.5	It is the role of the conference to: Decide whether the child is at risk of continuing Significant Harm and therefore requires inter-agency help and intervention delivered through a formal Child Protection Plan; Formulate an outline plan; Ensure that, where a child is not judged as being at continuing risk of Significant Harm, consideration is given to whether the child may need services to promote his or her development. The Child Protection Coordinator will send out the outline Child Protection Plan within 24 hours of the conference decision.

4. Review Conferences

4.1	The first Review Conference will take place within three months of the Initial Conference and 6 monthly thereafter.
4.2	A child who is the subject of a Child Protection Plan should be seen at least once a month by the Lead Social Worker to monitor their wellbeing and be aware of their wishes and feelings. The Child Protection Plan will determine the level of visits, these can only be amended with agreement of Core Group members but will never be less than once per month.
4.3	Monthly Core Group meetings are expected to be held between conferences to review and amend the progress of the Child Protection Plan. This meeting can be chaired by any Core Group member but is generally chaired by the Lead Social Worker or team manager. A written record of the Core Group should be distributed to all Core Group members, placed on the child's file and attached to RAISE.
4.4	Approximately 5 weeks before the Review Conference the Lead Social Worker will be contacted by the Child Protection Coordinator in order to discuss the progress of the Child Protection Plan and the invitees to the Review Conference, including family members and advocates.
4.5	The Safeguarding Team will send out the invitation by email or second class post. This is the responsibility of the Child Protection Conference convenor.
4.6	The social worker will arrange for an interpreter to be invited, if necessary.

5. Report to Review Conference

5.1	The social worker's report to the first Review Conference and the second and subsequent Review Conference report should be a composite Core Group report. The report is prepared by the Lead Social Worker with Core Group members sending a summary report to the Lead Social Worker to be incorporated into this report. The Lead Social Worker Report to Conference on RAISE is used for this purpose. The Core Group is responsible for the analysis of risk and need and for providing a recommendation as to whether the Child Protection Plan continues or is removed, and a plan for future work. The Core Assessment should be presented to the first Review Conference if it was not presented to the Initial Conference.
5.2	The Lead Social Worker should share his or her report with each of the parents and any children that are eligible to attend the conference at least 3 days before the Review Conference. A copy should also be sent to the Child Protection Coordinator at least 3 days before the Review Conference.
5.3	Each agency is responsible for the sharing of its own report with the family.
5.4	An interpreter should be used for the sharing of reports where necessary. This should not be left until the conference pre-meeting.
5.5	As with the Initial Conference, the family/appropriate children should be supported in any way necessary to attend the Review Conference. This is the responsibility of the Lead Social Worker and all Core Group members.
5.6	The Safeguarding Team will arrange for a dedicated person to take notes and produce minutes of the conference. It is the responsibility of the Child Protection Conference secretary to distribute full minutes of the conference within 15 working days.
5.7	A child should no longer be the subject of a Child Protection Plan if: It is judged that the child is no longer at continuing risk of Significant Harm; The child and family have moved permanently to another local authority and that authority has held a child protection conference; The child has reached the age of 18 years, has died or permanently left the UK.
5.8	The Review Conference should discuss with the child (if attending) and the family what services continue to be required in order to meet the child's developmental needs. Recommendations should be made concerning whether a child continues to be a Child in Need, and the content of any Child in Need Plan.
5.9	The social worker and other professionals should meet with the child and family within 10 working days of the discontinuation of the Child Protection Plan in order to confirm the content of any Child in Need Plan and the process for implementation and review.

6. Children who are the Subject of a Child Protection Plan who Move out of Peterborough Either Permanently or Temporarily

6.1	As soon as the Lead Social Worker becomes aware of any children subject to a Child Protection Plan moving to another local authority, he/she must inform all the other key agencies, including the Child Protection Coordinator, of the family's intentions.
6.2	The Lead Social Worker is responsible for passing on all relevant information to the local authority to which the child is moving to as well as all the relevant agencies.
6.3	The Lead Social Worker needs to contact the Safeguarding Team of the local authority to which the child is moving and request that the child is made subject to a Child Protection Plan in their area on a temporary basis and make a referral for a transfer conference. Case responsibility remains with the Lead Social Worker until the outcome of the transfer conference. A decision may be reached for both local authorities to carry out joint work for a time limited period.
6.4	Only when the transfer conference has been held can the child be recorded as no longer the subject of a Child Protection Plan by the originating authority.
6.5	If a child who is subject to a Child Protection Plan lives in another local authority temporarily for any period of time, the Lead Social Worker should inform that authority to ensure that the child is listed as living in that area. The Lead Social Worker should also inform the other local authority when the child has returned to Peterborough.

7. Children who are the Subject of a Child Protection Plan who Move into Peterborough Either Permanently or Temporarily

Click here to view flowchart

7.1	On occasions another Local Authority will place a child/ren who have a Child Protection Plan in Peterborough temporarily. Under these circumstances the home authority retains responsibility for the child and for the progress of the Child Protection Plan. The Child Protection Coordinators will ensure that the child's details are entered on to the ICS system and that relevant agencies are informed that a child/ren with a Child Protection Plan is/are placed in Peterborough temporarily.
7.2	When a family who has children who are subject to a Child Protection Plan move to Peterborough permanently, the home authority will request a transfer conference. This request is considered as a new referral to Peterborough Children's Social Care and should be made through the Contact Centre on 01733 747474. The home authority retains responsibility for the child and the progress of the Child Protection Plan until the transfer conference has been held.
7.3	The Contact Centre will take the details of the family as with any other referral. The referral will be passed to the Referral and Assessment Team and allocated to a suitably qualified social worker. The social worker in the Referral and Assessment Service will liaise with the Lead Social Worker to identify who should be invited to the transfer in conference. The social worker from the Referral and Assessment Service will request that the Lead Social Worker sends the latest Core Assessment, previous Child Protection Conference reports and minutes. If the Lead Social Worker has a Core Group meeting arranged for before the transfer in conference the Referral and Assessment social worker should attend. This involvement will enable the Referral and Assessment social worker to form an opinion regarding whether it is appropriate to continue the Child Protection Plan.
7.4	The social worker in the Referral and Assessment Team is responsible for requesting the transfer conference, which should be held within 15 working days of the request for a transfer conference being made.
7.5	The Lead Social Worker in the home authority will be required to attend the transfer conference and present the history of the case to conference. This is an initial conference and therefore if the child/ren remain the subject of a Child Protection Plan a Review Child Protection Conference should be held within 3 months.
7.6	Only when the transfer conference has been held can the child be recorded as no longer the subject of a Child Protection Plan by the originating authority.

8. Resolution of Issues

8.1	On occasions the Child Protection Coordinator may identify issues relating to practice or the quality of the reports.
8.2	In the first instance the Child Protection Coordinator will discuss these issues with the Lead Social Worker or other professional to try to reach a satisfactory resolution. This should be recorded on the file held in the Safeguarding Team with a copy sent to the Lead Social Worker.
8.3	If a satisfactory resolution cannot be reached the Child Protection Coordinator will take the issue to the relevant team manager.

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