Child Protection

Child Protection Process

Initial Child Protection Case Conference

An initial Child Protection Case Conference is a meeting to which a range of people will be invited. All those attending this meeting will have knowledge of your child and family. This may include:

• Nursery staff
• Teacher
• Health Visitor
• Social Worker
• General Practitioner
• Police
• Housing
• Youth Worker
• Worker from voluntary organization

You (and in some circumstances your child), will be invited to attend

You can bring someone to support you at this meeting, such as a family member or friend, or a legal representative.

Those invited to attend usually provide a written report of their knowledge and involvement with you and your family.

At the meeting there will also be a full discussion about why there was a child protection investigation. Everyone will have the opportunity to contribute to the discussion and to ask any questions.

Your contribution is very important and your views will be listened to.

If you prefer your views can be written down and presented to the meeting. If you need help to prepare this report speak to someone such as a worker, family member or friend or your legal representative.

When everyone has had an opportunity to speak decisions will be made about what should happen next.

Your child's welfare will always be at the center of any decisions made.

The main priority is to make sure your child is safe and will be properly cared for. It is also important that if you need help to do this, that appropriate support is made available.

At the Initial Child Protection Case Conference, a decision will also be made whether or not your child's name should be placed on the Child Protection Register.

Please note you have the right to disagree or appeal against any decision made at the Initial Child Protection Case Conference regarding your child.

Child Protection Register

Where there are concerns of possible future harm to your child, your child's name may be placed on the Child Protection Register.

The Child Protection Register is held by social work and is part of the social work computerized system. The Child Protection Register has no legal status, and is merely a way of identifying children for whom there are serious concerns.

Access to the Child Protection Register is strictly controlled. However, where necessary to protect your child, information about your child's situation may be shared amongst agencies

Your child's name may be placed on the Register under one of the following categories

• Physical injury
• Physical neglect
• Sexual abuse
• Emotional abuse
• Non-organic failure to thrive

The category chosen does not necessarily mean your child has been abused in this way, but may indicate a concern that your child is at risk of this type of abuse in the future

If your child's name is placed on the Child Protection Register then a Child Protection Plan will be agreed. The Child Protection Plan sets out what needs to be done to reduce the risk of future harm and offer support to you and your child. A copy of the plan will be given to you.

If your child's name is not placed on the Child Protection Register, help can still be made available to support you in the care of your child if this is required.

Core Groups

If your child's name is placed on the Child Protection Register, a Child Protection Plan is agreed and a Core Group will also be identified.

The Core Group is made up of a small group of people, including you (and where appropriate your child) who meet on a regular basis, (usually every 4 –6 weeks,) to look at the Child Protection Plan and consider the progress being made. Any difficulties will be identified and any changes made to the Child Protection Plan will be considered to deal with these. Your contribution is important and necessary if progress is to be made.

The progress of the Child Protection Plan will be reported to the Review Child Protection Case Conference.

If you have any concerns about the progress of the Child Protection Plan these should be raised with the Chair of the Core Group meeting.

The Review Child Protection Case Conference

A Review Child Protection Case Conference will be held no later than 3 months following the Initial Child Protection Case Conference.

At the Review Child Protection Case Conference the people who attended the Initial Child Protection Case Conference will again be invited. The Review will be similar to the Initial Child Protection Conference in that everyone will have the opportunity to express their view.

The purpose of this meeting is to review the progress of the Child Protection Plan and decide if your child's name should remain or be removed from the Child Protection Register.

A report on the progress of the Child Protection Plan will be provided along with any other up to date reports from other agencies.

It is important that you and your child's view on how things have been going is heard, and whether or not supports offered have been helpful. Once again, if you prefer these views can be written down and presented to this meeting.

Once a full and frank discussion has taken place about the progress of the Child Protection Plan, then decisions will be taken about what should happen next.

If there are still concerns about your child, or little progress has been made, then your child's name will remain on the Child Protection Register for a further period of time and, where necessary, adjustments made to the Child Protection Plan.

Where progress has been made and the risks to your child have been reduced, consideration will be given to removing your child's name from the Child Protection Register. Support to you and your child will still continue if required

Everyone who attends these meetings will be provided with a minute, which is a record of the discussion, and the decisions taken. All meetings concerning your child are confidential and information shared between agencies will be restricted to those who need to know to secure the protection and welfare of your child.

Please note you have the right to disagree or appeal against any decision made at the Review Child Protection Case Conference regarding your child