3.3.8 Child Protection Conference - Initial, Review and Pre-birth |
Content
1. Initial Conferences (ICPC)
1.1 When an IPC must be Convened
Following S47 enquiries when it is believed that a child is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm, and;
When a Child Assessment Order or Emergency Protection Order has been made.
The conference must consider all the children in the household, even if concerns are only being expressed about one child. However it is considered by the Department for Education to be a breach of a child’s human rights to make them subject to a Child Protection Plan without having conducted Section 7 Enquiries to evidence the risk of significant harm. Child Protection Co-ordinators do have the discretion to make the child subject to a plan if the risk is considered to meet this threshold but they should evidence why the child’s human rights have been overridden in the conference record.
2. Timescales
2.1 Timescale for an ICPC
An ICPC must be held within a maximum of 15 days of the Strategy Discussion/ Meeting or the last Strategy Discussion /Meeting where more than one has taken place.
Within 15 working days of acceptance of Notification by another Local Authority that a child who is the subject of a Child Protection Plan has moved into Wandsworth and this is a permanent move (See Children Subject to a Child Protection Plan Moving into and Out of the Borough Procedure).
A pre-birth conference must take place as soon as practical and at least 10 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 there is a known likelihood of a premature birth, the conference must be held earlier.
The urgency of the situation, however, may dictate that the timescale is shorter.
2.2 Timescale for RCPC
The first Review Conference must be held within 3 months of the date of the Initial Child Protection Conference.
Further reviews must be held at intervals of not more than 6 months, for as long as the child remains subject to a Child Protection Plan.
Where an unborn child is made subject to a Child Protection Plan at a pre-birth conference, the first Review Conference must be scheduled to take place within 1 month of the child’s birth. This may be extended by up to 2 months with the written authorisation of a Children’s Services manager and the Conference Chair if information from a post-natal assessment is crucial for a well informed review conference.
3. Decision to Convene a Child Protection Conference
The Children’s Specialist Services Team Manager is responsible for making the decision to convene a Child Protection Conference following consultation and agreement with the Child Protection Co-ordinator and the reasons for calling the conference must be recorded in the Outcome of S47 Enquiries.
4. Purpose of Initial Child Protection Conference
The Initial Child Protection Conference brings together family members, the child (when appropriate), supporters / advocates and those professionals most involved with the child and family to share and assess information following S47 enquiries and to formulate an agreed plan of management and services, with the child’s safety and welfare as its paramount aim.
Within this, the tasks are to:
- Make a decision about whether the child should be the subject of a Child Protection Plan
- Devise an agreed outline inter-agency Child Protection Plan
- Identify the membership of the multi agency Core Group to develop and monitor the Child Protection Plan
- Set the date for the first Core Group meeting to take place within 10 working days of the Conference
- Set the date for the Child Protection Review Conference
- If a Child Protection Plan is not required but the child is considered to be a child in need, recommend, subject to the family’s views and consent, that services are provided to promote the child’s health and development and/or to complete the Child and Family Assessment
5. Purpose of Review Child Protection Conference
The RCPC must decide explicitly if the child is still at continued risk of significant harm and whether the Child Protection Plan needs to be continued. There should be a review the safety, health and development of the child against planned outcomes set out in the Child Protection Plan and Child and Family Assessment. Considerations should be given as to whether the measures put in place to safeguard the child continue to be effective and appropriate. The child’s wishes and feelings should also be taken into account
6. Pre-Birth Conferences
A pre-birth conference is an ICPC concerning an unborn child and has the same status and purpose and must be conducted in a comparable manner.
The decision to convene an ICPC will usually follow from a pre-birth Child and Family Assessment/s47 Enquiries and a conference must be held when a:
- Pre-birth assessment gives rise to concerns that an unborn child may be at risk of significant harm
- Previous child has died or been removed from parent/s as a result of significant harm
- Child is to be born into a family or household which already has children who are the subject of a Child Protection Plan
- Person known to pose 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 16 about whom there are concerns regarding her ability to care for herself and/or to care for the child
- All agencies involved with the expectant mother must consider the need for an early referral to Children’s Services so that assessments are undertaken and family support services provided as early as possible in the pregnancy.
7. Action Allocated by Social Worker
7.1 Prepare the Invitation List for the Safeguarding Children Unit
The conference should consist of the smallest number of people consistent with effective case management and should be limited to those with a need to know or who have a contribution to the task involved, but the following should normally be invited:
- Parents and those with parental responsibility and advocate/support where appropriate
- The child (where age appropriate)
- The child’s Social Worker and first line manager
- CAIT
- Health services staff involved with the child/ren - e.g. Health Visitor, School Nurse, GP
- Education services (schools, Education Welfare Officers etc)
- Designated Nurse and Designated Doctor
- For pre-birth conferences midwifery, relevant neo-natal and Sure Start services must be invited
In addition, consideration should be given to any other person or agency whose contribution relates to their professional expertise or responsibility for relevant services, for example, Probation, Drug and Alcohol Services; Midwifery; Housing services; Mental health (adult or child) services
Review Conference – it is the social worker’s responsibility to update the invitation list prior to the RCPC and send it to the Safeguarding Standards Unit.
7.2 Quorate Conferences
In order that children and families are not subjected to avoidable delay the social worker should confirm attendance of the key agencies prior to the conference to ensure that it is quorate.
The primary principle for determining quoracy is that there should be sufficient agencies present to enable safe decisions to be made in the individual circumstances. Normally, minimum representation is the Social Worker and 2 other agencies which have had direct contact with the child and family.
7.3 Preparation of initial Conference Report
The social worker must provide the conference with a written report that summarises and analyses the information obtained in the course of the Child and Family Assessment undertaken under s47 of the Children Act 1989 (in as far as it has been completed within the available time period) and information in existing records relating to the child and family.
The conference report should include:
- The reason for convening the conference and Outcome of S47 Enquiries;
- A chronology of significant events and agency and professional contact with the child and family;
- Information on the child’s current and past state of developmental needs;
- Information on the capacity of the parents and other family members to ensure the child is safe from harm and to respond to the child’s developmental needs, within their wider family and environmental context;
- The expressed views, wishes and feelings of the child, parents, and other family members;
- An analysis of the implications of the information obtained for the child’s future safety and meeting of their developmental needs.
- Clear reference to which children are the subject of the conference, as previously decided by the social worker and his/her manager.
- Where the child is unborn the senior midwife must notify the Lead Social Worker of the name and correct birth date following the birth who must then ensure that the name and correct birth date is notified to the Safeguarding Unit and entered on FWi.
- The report must make clear the distinction between fact, observation, allegation and opinion. When information is provided from another source (i.e. it is second or third hand), this should be made clear.
All children in the household need to be considered and information must be provided about the needs and circumstances of each of them, even if they are not the subject of the conference.
7.4 Preparation of Review Conference Report
The Lead Social Worker must provide to the conference a written report including a chronology of significant events, which must be endorsed by her/his manager.
Information on all children in the household must be provided and the report must be clear about which children are the subjects of the conference.
The conference will require as part of the written report:
- Co-ordination by the Lead Social Worker of contributions by Core Group members, commissioned pieces of work and parental views.
- An evaluation of the progress made in reducing the risk to the child during the period of the Child Protection Plan.
- A view from the Core Group as to whether or not the Child Protection Plan should continue
The report should be provided to parents and older children (where appropriate) in good time to enable any factual inaccuracies to be identified, amended and areas of disagreement noted prior to receiving the full report 5 days before the RCPC. Comments or suggestions made by the child/parents as a result of seeing the report must be included or conveyed verbally to the conference.
In exceptional circumstances when confidential information cannot be shared with the child or parent/s beforehand, the Lead Social Worker must seek guidance from her/his manager, who may wish to consult the Conference Chair.
7.5 Agreement by Team Manager and Circulation of Report by Social Worker
The report should be provided to the Team manager for their signature/agreement in good time for it to be sent to the Conference chair five days before the conference is held
Parents and older children (where appropriate ) should receive the report at least two working days in advance of the initial conferences and a minimum of five working days before review conferences to enable any factual errors to be corrected and the family to comment on the content.
In exceptional circumstances when confidential information cannot be shared with the child or parent/s beforehand, the Social Worker must seek guidance from her/his manager, who may wish to consult the Conference Chair. When necessary, the reports must be translated into the relevant language or medium, taking account of the language and any sensory or learning difficulties of the child / parents.
Conference Chairs should receive the report at least one working day prior to the initial conference and five working days in advance of the review conference.
7.6 Preparing Outline Child’s Plan
The social worker should prepare an Outline plan to meet the child’s needs, whether they are or are not made subject of a Child Protection Plan. The Outline Child’s Plan should:
- Describe the identified developmental and welfare needs of each child
- Describe specific, achievable, child-focused outcomes intended to safeguard each child
- Describe the types of services required by each child (including family support) to promote his/her welfare
- Set a timescale for the completion of a Child and Family Assessment, if appropriate
- Identify any specialist assessments of each child and the family that may be required to ensure that sound judgements are being/can be made on how best to safeguard each child and promote her/his welfare
- Clearly identify roles and responsibilities of professionals and family members, including the nature and frequency of contact by professionals with children and family members;
- Identify timescales for review of progress, the means by which progress will be judged and who will monitor this
- Develop a robust contingency plan to respond if the family is unable to make the required changes and the child continues to be at risk of significant harm e.g. legal action and the circumstances which would trigger this
- Set out clearly the roles and responsibilities of those professionals with routine contact with the child, for example, health visitors, GP's and teachers, as well as those professionals providing specialist or targeted support to the child and family
The outline Plan should include an indication of what the conference believes needs to change before the possibility that a Child Protection Plan is no longer needed can be considered.
8. Enabling Parental Participation – Including Timescale for Reports to Parents
The Social Worker must help parents to make a meaningful contribution by ensuring in advance of the conference that they are given sufficient information and practical support. Reports should be provided to parents and children (where age appropriate) in accordance with London Child Protection Procedure standards which are 48 hours before an ICPC and 5 days before a RCPC.
Invitations for the parent/s to attend the conference must be conveyed verbally by the Social Worker and confirmed in writing by the Safeguarding Standards Unit.
The Social Worker must explain to parents / carers the purpose of the meeting, who will attend, including that the police have been invited and why, the way in which it will operate, the purpose and meaning of a decision that a child requires a Child Protection Plan and the complaints process. Written information must be left with the parents regarding conferences, the right to bring a friend, supporter (including an advocate) or solicitor (in the role of supporter) and details of any local advice and advocacy services.
The social worker must inform the Safeguarding Standards Unit if provision must be made to ensure that visually or hearing impaired or otherwise disabled parents / carers; and those for whom English is not a first language are enabled to participate. Where a parent may need assistance with transport or childcare to enable their attendance this should be discussed with the team manager.
If parents do not wish to attend the conference they must be provided with full opportunities to contribute their views. The Social Worker must assist this by:
- The use of an advocate or supporter to attend on behalf of the parent
- Enabling the parent to write, or tape, or use drawings to represent their views
- Meeting the Conference Chair prior to Conference
- Agreeing that the Social Worker, or any other professional, expresses their views
9. Criteria for Excluding Parents or Restricting Their Participation
In circumstances where it may be necessary to exclude 1 or more family members from part or all of a conference the request to exclude or restrict a parent’s participation, in accordance with agreed criteria in as outlined in the London Child Protection Procedures must be discussed with the Conference Chair and confirmed in writing if possible at least 3 days in advance. The social worker must indicate which of the grounds is met in their view and the information or evidence the request is based upon. The Conference Chair must consider the representation carefully and may need legal advice.
Those excluded must be provided with a copy of the Social Worker’s report to the conference and be provided with the opportunity to have their views recorded and presented to the conference unless it would be considered to place the child or another adult at risk of significant harm.
It may also become clear in the course of a conference, that its effectiveness will be seriously impaired by the presence of the parent/s. In these circumstances, the Conference Chair may ask them to leave.
When a parent/carer attends only part of a conference as a result of exclusion, s/he must receive the record of the conference. They should also be advised as soon as possible after the conference what the outcome / decisions were by the allocated social worker. The Conference Chair must decide if the entire record is provided or only that part attended by the excluded parent/carer.
On rare occasions, such as in cases of Fabricated and Induced Illnesses, it may be appropriate to convene a conference without informing parents.
10. Use of Confidential Section within Conferences
In exceptional circumstances, the social worker can ask to share information without members of the family being present. Requests for a confidential section, the information and reasons for the request must be made to the Conference Chair advance of the conference.
In most cases the social worker should inform the parents and the child that they intend to do this and inform them of the reasons. Any decision not to share such information must be agreed with the Conference Chair prior to the conference.
The Social Worker must ensure that parents waiting during the confidential section are comfortably seated, and that refreshments are provided.
11. Enabling Children’s Participation
11. Involving the Child
The social worker must keep the child informed and involved throughout S47 enquiries and, if their level of understanding is sufficient, must be invited to contribute to the conference; which can include attendance. In practice, the appropriateness of enabling an individual child to attend must be assessed in advance and relevant arrangements made to facilitate attendance at all or part of the conference. For guidance see Section 8.5.17, Criteria for presence of child at conference, including direct involvement of the London Child Protection Procedures.
If it is decided that the child should not attend, it is essential that the wishes and feelings of the child are fully represented. Indirect contributions from a child could include a pre-meeting with the Conference Chair or representation by another professional
If the decision is that the child is to attend the conference, then the Social Worker must:
- Ensure that the child has an opportunity to discuss any concerns that s/he may have about attendance
- Decide with the child how her/his wishes and views will be presented
- Provide an appropriate social work report to the child - this may not be the same report provided to parents and professionals
- Plan the child’s transport arrangements to and from the Conference
The Social Worker must meet with the child as soon as possible after the conference to:
- Feedback and discuss the outcomes of the Conference and to allow the child to ask any questions about the decisions made
- Identify what support they want informally through family, friends and the professional network
- Identify what actions and outcomes the child believes should be included in any plan of intervention - this would include the Child Protection Plan or, when the child does not require a Child Protection Plan but identified needs have still to be met, the Child in Need Plan
- Discuss how s/he wishes to be involved in the next Conference
12. Child Subject to Child Protection Plan - the Role of the Allocated/Lead Social Worker
12.1 Key Areas of Responsibility
To take lead responsibility for monitoring the progress of the Child Protection Plan and alert her/his manager and the Child Safeguarding Unit where the Plan cannot be progressed and it is necessary to consider alternative action
12.2 Visiting the Child, including Pre-birth
Face to face contact must be made with the child at least every 21 working days in order to ensure ongoing assessment of risk factors and her/his well-being and be aware of her/his wishes and feelings. This must include seeing the child alone (with the parent’s agreement) or a baby when awake at least every 6 weeks and seeing the child’s bedroom at least once between each Child Protection Conference.
If the child, who is the subject of a CP Plan, is not seen during a visit to the home then this does not constitute a CP visit and another visit must be arranged to ensure the child/young person is seen in their home no less than once every four weeks.
Where a child is unborn the mother should be seen every 6 weeks as a minimum however this can be in a variety of settings i.e. ante-natal clinic. The mother should be seen in the home a minimum of every 3 months and preferably every 6 weeks.
12.3 Visits to Child - Exceptional Circumstances
Subject to written approval on a case note by a Service Manager or Head of Service in consultation with the CP Co-ordinator and Core Group, the following groups of children may be seen away from the home. The Team Manager/social worker must ensure that a Senior Manager or Head of Service has authorised this in a casenote.
- Children who are out of the country (missing – in which case the procedures for children missing subject to a CPP apply).
- Children who are out of the country or not returned from extended holiday (where this may be anticipated, a visit to the home must be arranged immediately before the family are due to leave).
- Parents who refuse contact in the home (LCPP's page 345 and 347 apply). Our standard must be that a LPM must be considered to assess whether threshold is met to intervene through proceedings.
- Parents whose extreme hostility make it dangerous to visit the home (in all such cases, as well as following the LCPP's, our standard must be that a LPM must be convened to assess whether the threshold is met to intervene through proceedings.
- Teens who are difficult to reach in the home and are regularly seen by the Lead Social Worker, through agreement with the core group, outside the home where the home conditions, including who lives in the home, are thoroughly assessed and present no concern.
If contact with the child is refused or avoided and the child remains unseen by the Lead Social Worker, this must be viewed as a serious breach of the Child Protection Plan. Immediate discussion by the Lead Social Worker with her/his Team Manager may deem it appropriate to seek legal advice about statutory protective action. There must also be discussion with the Core Group members and with the Conference Chair about the need for an urgent Child Protection Review Conference.
In these exceptional circumstances, formal agreement may be reached that a member of another agency carry out face-to-face contact with the child and/or that a Review Conference is necessary. Such a decision must be recorded and authorised by the managers of the agencies concerned.
12.4 Recording
Contact with the child must be recorded on the child’s file and the record must include:
- The time and date of every home visit, whether planned or unplanned, stating who was present, confirmation that the Lead Social Worker spoke with the child (including if alone), or providing a clear reason why not
- Any information gained or observations made during the visit relevant to the identified risks to the child
- Circumstances of all family members
- Specific information about key subjects such as meals and sleeping arrangements
- Factual reports of the child’s presentation and behaviour (these must be specific and avoid non-specific labels such as ‘disturbed’)
- Any new incidents or injuries, which should be considered under S47
- A Chronology including critical incidents and other significant events in the child’s life
- The date, time and content of any communication which relates to the child and family
12.5 Core Group/Team Around the Child
- Co-ordinating the Core group in developing the outline Plan into a detailed inter agency plan
- Ensuring the safety of the child is monitored
- Ensuring the child’s wishes and feelings are ascertained
- Ensuring the child is regularly kept up to date with the Child Protection Plan and any changes or developments (where appropriate)
- Ensuring any risks are kept under review
- Updating the Plan at subsequent Core Group/TAC meetings, circulating to Core Group members within 3 weeks, including the parents; and completing the recording on FWi
- Completing the Child and Family Assessment, where necessary, with contributions by Core Group members/ any other agencies with relevant information
- Coordinating the contributions of family members and other agencies to planning action, putting the Child Protection Plan into effect and reviewing the objectives stated in the Plan
- Co-ordinating any external agency/professional contribution to the required assessment on behalf of the Core Group
- Ensure Core Group meetings are held at least every 6 weeks
- To prepare the Review Conference Report and updated Child’s Plan on behalf of the Core Group for the RCPC
If the Lead Social Worker becomes unavailable for more than four weeks, it becomes the responsibility of the Children’s Specialist Services Team manager to ensure that the Lead Social Worker‘s role and functions are met, or to notify their own manager that they cannot be met.
Parents and children must be informed of the planned absences of the Lead Social Worker, who will be covering the role and what contacts will be made.
13. The Role of the Lead Social Worker’s Manager
The first line manager (Team Manager/ PSW) has a vital role in managing the progress of the case and supporting the Lead Social Worker.
The manager must:
- Chair the first Core Group Meeting and subsequent meetings as and when required
- Discuss the progress of the Child Protection Plan and any concerns in supervision, including the need for any further risk assessment, using the supervision episode on FWi to record agreed actions or decisions
- Confirm the visiting frequency of the Lead Social Worker and the frequency of Core Group meetings
- Monitor the visits to the child to ensure they take place within agreed timescales and to discuss potential exemptions with the Service Manager
- Read and countersign Conferences Reports and the Child Protection Plan
- Review the Child Protection Plan with the Lead Social Worker when unexpected developments or crises occur, and together make a decision whether to recommend that a Child Protection Review Conference date be brought forward
- Attend all Initial Child Protection Conferences and as many Child Protection Review Conferences as possible
- Arrange cover for the Lead Social Worker in case of sickness and ensure arrangements are in place when the Lead Social Worker is on annual leave and training
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