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Derby and Derbyshire Multi Agency Dispute Resolution and Escalation Policy

Agency Roles and Responsibilities

An awareness and appreciation of the role of your own and other organisations is essential for effective collaboration and partnership working to keep children safe.
This chapter outlines the main responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children which apply to all statutory organisations and agencies, voluntary, charity, social enterprise (VCSE), faith based organisations, the private sector and professionals and practitioners, who work with children.
It should be read in conjunction with the details set out in Chapter 2 of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.workingtogetheronline.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Working Together to Safeguard Children</a>.

Introduction

All organisations and agencies that work with children share an obligation to safeguard and promote their welfare. For many organisations, this commitment is underpinned by specific statutory duties.
Local authorities with responsibilities for children's social care have a number of specific duties to organise and plan services for children. Where a child is suspected of, or likely to be, suffering significant harm children's social care will work in conjunction with the police and other organisations to undertake an enquiry under Section 47 of the Children Act 1989.
<a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/31/section/11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Section 11 of the Children Act 2004</a>&nbsp;places a duty on:
<ul>
<li>Local authorities and district councils that provide children's and other types of services, including children's and adult social care services, public health, housing, sport, culture and leisure services, licensing authorities and youth services;</li>
<li>NHS organisations and agencies and the independent sector, including NHS England and Integrated Care Boards, NHS Trusts, NHS Foundation Trusts and General Practitioners;</li>
<li>The police, including police and crime commissioners and the chief officer of each police force in England and the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime in London;</li>
<li>The British Transport Police;</li>
<li>The National Probation Service;</li>
<li>Governors/Directors of Prisons and Young Offender Institutions (YOIs);</li>
<li>Directors of Secure Training Centres (STCs);</li>
<li>Principals of Secure Colleges;</li>
<li>Youth Offending Teams/Services (YOTs).</li>
</ul>
to ensure that their functions are discharged with regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. This includes services that they contract out and commission, as well as those that they provide directly.
Local authorities also have duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in relation to its functions under&nbsp;<a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2002/32/section/175" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Section 175 of the Education Act 2002</a>.
Statutory Guidance about these education duties is contained in&nbsp;<a href="http://www.keepingchildrensafeineducation.co.uk/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Keeping Children Safe in Education</a>.
The governing bodies, management committees or proprietors of the following schools have duties in relation to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils:
<ul>
<li>Maintained schools (including maintained nursery schools), further education colleges and sixth form colleges, and pupil referral units; Further Education and Higher Education Act 1992. Section 175, Education Act 2002 &ndash; for management committees of pupil referral units, this is by virtue of regulation 3 and paragraph 19A of Schedule 1 to the Education (Pupil Referral Units) (Application of Enactments) (England) Regulations 2007;</li>
<li>Independent schools (including academy schools, free schools and alternative provision academies) Under the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2014; and</li>
<li>Non-maintained special schools. Under the Education (Non-Maintained Special Schools) (England) Regulations 2011.</li>
</ul>
In addition, boarding schools, residential special schools and FE Institutions that provide accommodation for pupils under 18 must have regard to the relevant&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-minimum-standards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Minimum Standards</a>&nbsp;for their establishment.
The responsibility of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), as set out in the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/41/contents" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Children Act 1989</a>, is to safeguard and promote the welfare of individual children who are the subject of family court proceedings. It achieves this by providing independent social work advice to the court.
Cafcass also has a duty under section 12(1) of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000 to safeguard and promote the welfare of children involved in family proceedings in which their welfare is, or may be, in question.
Local authorities have the statutory responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children of service families in the UK. When service families or civilians working with the armed forces are based overseas the responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of their children is vested in the Ministry of Defence.

Statutory Duties

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 requires specified authorities for a local government area to work together and plan to prevent and reduce serious violence, including identifying the kinds of serious violence that occur in the area, the causes of that violence (so far as it is possible to do so), and to prepare and implement a Strategy for preventing and reducing serious violence in the area. The Duty also requires the specified authorities to consult educational, prison and youth custody authorities for the area in the preparation of their Strategy.
The Strategy must be published, kept under review and revised from time. The strategy should be reviewed at a minimum on an annual basis.
&lsquo;Specified&rsquo; authorities are:
<ul>
<li>Police;</li>
<li>Probation Services;</li>
<li>Youth Offending Teams;</li>
<li>Integrated Care Boards;</li>
<li>Local authorities.</li>
</ul>
A secondary group of &lsquo;relevant&rsquo; authorities are able to co-operate with the specified authorities as necessary. This includes prison authorities, youth custody authorities and educational authorities.
To complement the overarching Serious Violence Duty, amendments to the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 ensure that Community Safety Partnerships have an explicit role in evidence-based strategic action on serious violence. These amendments require CSPs to formulate and implement strategies to prevent people from becoming involved in, and reduce instances of, serious violence in the area.
For more information see Serious Violence Duty - Preventing and Reducing Serious Violence: Statutory Guidance for Responsible Authorities.
To recognise the importance of effective multi-agency information sharing, the Serious Violence Duty legislation includes specific provisions to support partners to share information, intelligence and knowledge to prevent and reduce serious violence. See&nbsp;<a href="/resources/documents-library">DDSCP Information Sharing Guidance for Practitioners</a>.
<h4>2.1.1 Serious Violence Reduction Orders</h4>
Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs) are a civil order made in respect of an offender convicted of an offence involving a bladed article or offensive weapon.
The Order allows the police to detain a person subject to an SVRO, provided they are in a public place, and search them for bladed articles or offensive weapons.
<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/serious-violence-reduction-orders-svros" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Serious Violence Reduction Orders: Statutory Guidance</a>&nbsp;sets out the background on SVROs, police processes, evidential considerations, court procedure and information on using SVROs alongside other orders and interventions.

Serious Violence Duty

Organisations, agencies and individuals covered by Section 11 duties should have in place arrangements that reflect the importance of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children including duties:
<ul>
<li>A clear line of accountability for the commissioning and/or provision of services designed to safeguard and promote the welfare of children;</li>
<li>A senior board level lead with the required knowledge, skills and expertise or sufficiently qualified and experienced to take leadership responsibility for the organisation's safeguarding arrangements;</li>
<li>A culture of listening to children and taking account of their wishes and feelings, both in individual decisions and the development of services;</li>
<li>Clear whistleblowing procedures, which reflect the principles in Sir Robert Francis's Freedom to Speak Up review and are suitably referenced in staff training and codes of conduct, and a culture that enables issues about safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children to be addressed;</li>
<li>Clear escalation policies for staff to follow when their child safeguarding concerns are not being addressed within their organisation or by other agencies;</li>
<li>Arrangements which set out clearly the processes for sharing information, with other professionals and with safeguarding partners;</li>
<li>A designated professional lead (or, for health commissioning and health provider organisations, designated and named professionals) for child safeguarding. Their role is to support other professionals in their agencies to recognise the needs of children, including protection from possible abuse or neglect. Designated professional roles should always be explicitly defined in job descriptions. Professionals should be given sufficient time, funding, supervision and support to fulfil their child welfare and safeguarding responsibilities effectively;</li>
<li>Safe recruitment practices for individuals whom the organisation will permit to work regularly with children, including policies on when to obtain a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check;</li>
<li>Appropriate supervision and support for staff, including undertaking safeguarding training;</li>
<li>Creating a culture of safety, equality and protection within the services they provide.</li>
</ul>
In addition:
<ul>
<li>Employers are responsible for ensuring that their staff are competent to carry out their responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and creating an environment where staff feel able to raise concerns and feel supported in their safeguarding role;</li>
<li>Staff should be given a mandatory induction, which includes familiarisation with child protection responsibilities and procedures to be followed if anyone has any concerns about a child's safety or welfare;</li>
<li>All professionals should have regular reviews of their own practice to ensure they have knowledge, skills and expertise that improve over time.</li>
</ul>

Organisational Arrangements to Safeguard and Promote the Welfare of Children

Organisations and agencies working with children and families should have clear policies for dealing with allegations against people who work with children. Such policies should make a clear distinction between an allegation, a concern about the quality of care or practice or a complaint.
<ul>
<li>An allegation may relate to a person who works with children who has:
<ul>
<li>Behaved in a way that has harmed a child, or may have harmed a child;</li>
<li>Possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child;</li>
<li>Behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates they may pose a risk of harm to children; or</li>
<li>Behaved or may have behaved in a way that indicates they may not be suitable to work with children.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>County level and unitary local authorities should ensure that allegations against people who work with children are not dealt with in isolation. Any action necessary to address corresponding welfare concerns in relation to the child or children involved should be taken without delay and in a coordinated manner. Local authorities should, in addition, have designated a particular officer, or team of officers (either as part of multi-agency arrangements or otherwise), to be involved in the management and oversight of allegations against people that work with children. Any such officer, or team of officers, should be sufficiently qualified and experienced to be able to fulfil this role effectively, for example qualified social workers. Any new appointments to such a role, other than current or former designated officers moving between local authorities, should be qualified social workers. Arrangements should be put in place to ensure that any allegations about those who work with children are passed to the designated officer, or team of officers, without delay;</li>
<li>Local authorities should put in place arrangements to provide advice and guidance on how to deal with allegations against people who work with children to employers and voluntary organisations. Local authorities should also ensure that there are appropriate arrangements in place to effectively liaise with the police and other agencies to monitor the progress of cases and ensure that they are dealt with as quickly as possible, consistent with a thorough and fair process;</li>
<li>Employers, school governors, trustees and voluntary organisations should ensure that they have clear policies in place setting out the process, including timescales, for investigation and what support and advice will be available to individuals against whom allegations have been made. Any allegation against people who work with children should be reported immediately to a senior manager within the organisation.&nbsp;The designated officer, or team of officers, should also be informed within 1 working day of all allegations that come to an employer's attention or that are made directly to the police;</li>
<li>If an organisation removes an individual (paid worker or unpaid volunteer) from work in regulated activity (or would have, had the person not left first) because the person poses a risk of harm to children, the organisation must make a referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service to consider whether to add the individual to the barred list. This applies irrespective of whether a referral has been made to local authority children's social care and/or the designated officer or team of officers. It is an offence to fail to make a referral without good reason.</li>
</ul>
See also&nbsp;<a href="/chapter/allegations-against-staff-carers-and-volunteers">Allegations Against Staff, Carers and Volunteers Procedure</a>.

People in Positions of Trust

In addition to the Section 11 duties, which apply to a number of named organisations and agencies, further safeguarding duties are also placed on individual organisations and agencies through other statutes. The key duties that fall on each individual organisation are set out below.
The following detailed account of the roles and responsibilities of the agencies listed is taken from Chapter 2 of Working Together to Safeguard Children.

Individual Organisational Responsibilities

Local authorities provide services to adults who are themselves responsible for children who may be in need. When staff are providing services to adults they should ask whether there are children in the family and consider whether the children need help or protection from harm. Children may be at greater risk of harm or be in need of additional help in families where the adults have mental health problems, misuse drugs or alcohol, are in a violent relationship or have complex needs or have learning difficulties.
Adults with parental responsibilities for disabled children have a right to a separate carer's needs assessment under section 17ZD Children Act 1989.
Adults who do not have parental responsibility, but who are caring for a disabled child, are entitled to an assessment on their ability to provide, or to continue to provide, care for that disabled child under the Carers (Recognition and Services) Act 1995. That assessment must also consider whether the carer works or wishes to work, or whether they wish to engage in any education, training or recreation activities.
Adult social care services should liaise with children's social care services to ensure that there is a joined-up approach when carrying out such assessments.

Adult Social Care Services

Housing and homelessness services in local authorities and others at the front line such as environmental health organisations are subject to Section 11 duties. Practitioners working in these services may become aware of conditions that could have or are having an adverse impact on children. Under Part 1 of the Housing Act 2004, authorities must take account of the impact of health and safety hazards in housing on vulnerable occupants, including children, when deciding on the action to be taken by landlords to improve conditions. Housing authorities also have an important role to play in safeguarding vulnerable young people, including young people who are pregnant or leaving care or a secure establishment.

Housing Services

Integrated Care Boards are one of the three statutory safeguarding partners. NHS organisations and agencies are subject to Section 11 duties. Health professionals are in a strong position to identify welfare needs or safeguarding concerns regarding individual children and, where appropriate, provide support. This includes understanding risk factors, communicating and sharing information effectively with children and families, liaising with other organisations and agencies, assessing needs and capacity, responding to those needs and contributing to multi-agency assessments and reviews.
A wide range of health professionals have a critical role to play in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children including: GPs, primary care practitioners, paediatricians, nurses, health visitors, midwives, school nurses, those working in maternity, child and adolescent mental health, allied health practitioners youth custody establishments, sexual, alcohol and drug services for both adults and children unscheduled and emergency care settings highly specialised services and secondary and tertiary care.
All staff working in healthcare settings - including those who predominantly treat adults - should receive training to ensure they attain the competencies appropriate to their role and follow the relevant professional guidance:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/resources/safeguarding-children-young-people-roles-competencies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Safeguarding Children and Young People: Roles and Competencies for Health Care Staff, RCPCH</a>;</li>
<li><a href="https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/resources/looked-after-children-lac" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Looked after children: Knowledge, skills and competence of health care staff, RCPCH</a>;</li>
<li><a href="https://www.gmc-uk.org/ethical-guidance/ethical-guidance-for-doctors/protecting-children-and-young-people" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Protecting children and young people: the responsibilities of all doctors, GMC</a>;</li>
<li><a href="https://www.rcgp.org.uk/clinical-and-research/resources/toolkits/child-safeguarding-toolkit.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The RCGP Safeguarding Children Toolkit for General Practice</a>;</li>
<li><a href="https://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/safeguarding/policies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Safeguarding Policies in the NHS</a>.</li>
</ul>
Within the NHS:
<ul>
<li>NHS England&nbsp;will be responsible for ensuring that the health commissioning system as a whole is working effectively to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. It will also be accountable for the services it directly commissions including health care services in the under-18 secure estate and in police custody. NHS England also leads and define improvement in safeguarding practice and outcomes and should also ensure that there are effective mechanisms for safeguarding partners and health and wellbeing boards to raise concerns about the engagement and leadership of the local NHS; Each NHS region should have a safeguarding lead to ensure regional collaboration and assurance through convening safeguarding forums;</li>
<li>Integrated Care Boards (ICBs)&nbsp;are one of the statutory safeguarding partners and major commissioners of local health services. They are responsible for the provision of effective clinical, professional and strategic leadership to child safeguarding, including the quality assurance of safeguarding through their contractual arrangements with all provider organisations and agencies, including from independent providers. ICBs should employ, or have in place, a contractual agreement to secure the expertise of designated professionals such as, i.e. designated doctors and nurses for safeguarding children and for looked after children (and designated paediatricians for unexpected deaths in childhood). In some areas there will be more than one ICB per local authority and ICBs may want to consider developing 'lead' or 'hosting' arrangements for their designated professional team, or a clinical network arrangement. Designated professionals, as senior professionals, clinical experts and strategic leaders, are a vital source of safeguarding advice and expertise for all relevant organisations and agencies but particularly the ICB, NHS England and the local authority and for advice and support to other health practitioners across the health economy. The NHS commissioners and providers should ensure that designated professionals are given sufficient time to be fully engaged, involved and included in the new safeguarding arrangements.</li>
<li>All&nbsp;providers of NHS funded health services&nbsp;including NHS Trusts, NHS Foundation Trusts should identify a dedicated named doctor and a named nurse (and a named midwife if the organisation provides maternity services) for safeguarding children. In the case of ambulance trusts and independent providers, this should be a named professional. Named professionals have a key role in promoting good professional practice within their organisation and agency, providing advice and expertise for fellow professionals, and ensuring safeguarding training is in place. They should work closely with their organisation's/agency's safeguarding lead, on the executive board, designated health professionals for the health economy and other statutory safeguarding partners;</li>
<li>Integrated Care Boards should employ a named GP to advise and support GP safeguarding practice leads. GPs should have a lead and deputy lead for safeguarding, who should work closely with the named GP based in the Integrated Care Board;</li>
<li>Other public, voluntary and independent sector organisations, agencies and social enterprises providing NHS services to children and families should ensure that they follow this guidance.</li>
</ul>
Model job descriptions for designated and named professional roles can be found in the intercollegiate document:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/resources/safeguarding-children-young-people-roles-competencies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Safeguarding Children and Young People: Roles and Competencies for Health Care Staff</a>.

Health

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (formerly Public Health England (PHE)) is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care established to co-ordinate a programme across central and local government, the NHS and wider society, drawing on expert advice, analysis and evidence, to drive improvements in the public&rsquo;s health.

Office for Health Improvement and Disparities

The police are one of the three statutory safeguarding partners.
Under section 1(8)(h) of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 the police and crime commissioner must hold the Chief Constable to account for the exercise of the latter's duties in relation to safeguarding children under sections 10 and 11 of the Children Act 2004.
All police officers, and other police employees such as Police Community Support Officers, are well placed to identify early when a child's welfare is at risk and when a child may need protection from harm. Children have the right to the full protection offered by the criminal law. In addition to identifying when a child may be a victim of a crime, police officers should be aware of the effect of other incidents which might pose safeguarding risks to children and where officers should pay particular attention. For example, an officer attending a domestic abuse incident should be aware of the effect of such behaviour on any children in the household. Children who are encountered as offenders, or alleged offenders, are entitled to the same safeguards and protection as any other child and due regard should be given to their welfare at all times. For example, children who are apprehended in possession of Class A drugs may be victims of exploitation through county lines drug dealing.
The police will hold important information about children who may be suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm, as well as those who cause such harm. They should always share this information with other organisations where this is necessary to protect children. Similarly, they can expect other organisations to share information to enable the police to carry out their duties. All police forces should have officers trained in child abuse investigation.
See:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.college.police.uk/app/major-investigation-and-public-protection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">College of Policing, Authorised Professional Practice Website</a>.
The police have a power to remove a child to suitable accommodation under Section 46 of the Children Act 1989, if they have reasonable cause to believe that the child would otherwise be likely to suffer significant harm. Statutory powers to enter premises can be used with this section 46 power, and in circumstances to ensure the child's immediate protection.
The police have emergency powers under&nbsp;<a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/41/section/46" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Section 46 of the Children Act 1989</a>&nbsp;to enter premises and remove a child to ensure their immediate protection. This power can be used if the police have reasonable cause to believe a child is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm. Police emergency powers can help in emergency situations but should be used only when necessary. Wherever possible, the decision to remove a child from a parent or carer should be made by a court.

The Police

The British Transport Police (BTP) can play an important role in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, especially in identifying and supporting children who have run away or who are truanting from school or who are being exploited by criminal gangs to move drugs and money.
The BTP should carry out its duties in accordance with its legislative powers. This includes removing a child to a suitable place using their police protection powers under the Children Act 1989 and the protection of children who are truanting from school using powers under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. This involves, for example, the appointment of a designated independent officer in the instance of a child taken into police protection.

British Transport Police

Probation&nbsp;services are provided by the National&nbsp;Probation&nbsp;Service (NPS). The NPS is subject to the Section 11 duties. They are primarily responsible for working with adult offenders both in the community and in the transition from custody to community to reduce reoffending and improve rehabilitation.
During the course of their duties, probation staff come into contact with offenders who:
<ul>
<li>Have offended against a child;</li>
<li>Pose a risk of harm to children even though they have not been convicted of an offence against a child;</li>
<li>Are parents and/or carers of children;</li>
<li>Have regular contact with a child for whom they do not have caring responsibility.</li>
</ul>
They are, therefore, well placed to identify offenders who pose a risk of harm to children as well as children who may be at heightened risk of involvement in (or exposure to) criminal or anti-social behaviour and of other poor outcomes due the offending behaviour of their parent/carer(s).
They should ask an offender at the earliest opportunity whether they live with, have caring responsibilities for, are in regular contact with, or are seeking contact with children. Where this applies, a check should be made with the local authority children's services at the earliest opportunity on whether the child/children is/are known to them and, if they are, the nature of their involvement.
Where an adult offender is assessed as presenting a risk of serious harm to children, the offender manager should develop a risk management plan and supervision plan that contains a specific objective to manage and reduce the risk of harm to children. The risk management plan should be shared with other organisations and agencies involved in the risk management.
In preparing a sentence plan, offender managers should consider how planned interventions might bear on parental responsibilities and whether the planned interventions could contribute to improved outcomes for children known to be in an existing relationship with the offender.
See also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmpps-child-safeguarding-policy-framework" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HMPP Child Safeguarding Policy</a>.

Probation Service

The Prison Service has a responsibility to identify prisoners who are potential or confirmed 'persons posing a risk to children' (PPRC) and, through assessment, establish whether the PPRC presents a continuing risk to children whilst in prison custody (see the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-protection-manual-psi-182016-pi-172016" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HMP Public Protection Manual</a>). Where an individual has been identified as presenting a risk of harm to children, the relevant prison establishment:
<ul>
<li>Should inform the local authority children's social care services of the offender's reception to prison subsequent transfers, release on temporary licence (ROTL) and of the release address of the offender;</li>
<li>Should notify the National Probation Service of PPRC status. The police should also be notified of the release date and address;</li>
<li>May prevent or restrict a prisoner's contact with children. Decisions on the level of contact, if any, should be based on a multi-agency risk assessment. The assessment should draw on relevant risk information held by police,&nbsp;National Probation Service and prison service. The relevant local authority children's social care should contribute to the multi-agency risk assessment by providing a report on the child's best interests. The best interests of the child will be paramount in the decision-making process;</li>
<li>A prison is also able to monitor an individual's communication (including letters and telephone calls) to protect children where proportionate and necessary to the risk presented.</li>
</ul>
Governors/Directors of women's establishments which have Mother and Baby Units (MBUs) should ensure that:
<ul>
<li>There is at all times a member of staff allocated to the MBU, who as a minimum, is trained in first aid, whilst within the prison there is always a member of staff on duty who is trained in paediatric first aid (including child/adult resuscitation) who can be called to the MBU if required;</li>
<li>There is a contingency plan/policy in place for child protection, first aid including paediatric first aid and resuscitation, which should include advice for managing such events, and which provides mothers with detailed guidance as to what to do in an emergency;</li>
<li>Each baby has a child care plan setting out how the best interests of the child will be maintained and promoted during the child's residence in the unit.</li>
</ul>
See also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmpps-child-safeguarding-policy-framework" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HMPP Child Safeguarding Policy</a>.

Prison Service

Governors, managers directors and principals of the following secure establishments are subject to the Section 11 duties set out in Chapter 2 of Working Together to Safeguard Children:
<ul>
<li>A secure training centre;</li>
<li>A young offender institution;</li>
<li>A secure college.</li>
</ul>
Each centre holding those aged under 18 should have in place an annually reviewed safeguarding children policy. The policy is designed to promote and safeguard the welfare of children and should cover all relevant operational areas as well as key supporting processes, which would include issues such as child protection, risk of harm, restraint, separation, staff recruitment and information sharing. A manager should be appointed and will be responsible for implementation of this policy.
Each centre should work with their local safeguarding partners to agree how they will work together, and with the relevant YOT and placing authority (the Youth Custody Service), to make sure that the needs of individual children are met.
Detailed guidance on the safeguarding children policy, the roles of the safeguarding children manager and the safeguarding children committee, and the role of the establishment in relation to the local multi agency safeguarding arrangements can be found in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/prison-probation-policy-frameworks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) Policy Frameworks</a>.

The Secure Estate for Children

Youth Offending Teams (YOT's) are multi-agency teams responsible for the supervision of children subject to pre-court interventions and statutory court disposals (The statutory membership of YOTs is set out in section 39 (5) of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998).
They are therefore well placed to identify children known to relevant organisations and agencies as being most at risk of offending and to undertake work to prevent them offending or protect them from harm. YOTs should have a lead officer responsible for ensuring safeguarding is embedded in their practice.
Under section 38 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, local authorities must, within the delivery of youth justice services, ensure the 'provision of persons to act as appropriate adults to safeguard the interests of children and young persons detained or questioned by police officers'.

Youth Offending Teams

Section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009 places upon the Secretary of State a duty to take account of the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in discharging its functions relating to immigration, asylum, nationality and customs. These functions are discharged on behalf of the Secretary of State by UK Visas and Immigration, Immigration Enforcement and the Border Force, which are part of the Home Office. See&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/every-child-matters-statutory-guidance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UK Visas and Immigration's arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children</a>.

UK Visas and Immigration Enforcement and the Border Force

The guidance in Working Together to Safeguard Children applies in its entirety to all schools. The following have duties in relation to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children:
<ul>
<li>Governing bodies of maintained schools (including maintained nursery schools), further education colleges and sixth-form colleges;</li>
<li>Proprietors of academy schools, free schools, alternative provision academies and non-maintained special schools. In the case of academies and free school trusts, the proprietor will be the trust itself;</li>
<li>Proprietors of independent schools;</li>
<li>Management committees of pupil referral units.</li>
</ul>
Section 175 of the Education Act 2002 places a duty on local authorities (in relation to their education functions and governing bodies of maintained schools and further education institutions, which include sixth-form colleges) to exercise their functions with a view to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children who are pupils at a school, or who are students under 18 years of age attending further education institutions. The same duty applies to independent schools (which include Academies and free schools) by virtue of regulations made under&nbsp;<a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2002/32/section/157" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Section 157</a>&nbsp;of the same Act.
In order to fulfil their duty under&nbsp;<a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2002/32/section/157" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sections 157</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2002/32/section/175" target="_blank" rel="noopener">175</a>&nbsp;of the Education Act 2002, all educational settings to whom the duty applies should have in place the arrangements set out in&nbsp;<a href="#people-in-positions-of-trust">Section 4, People in Positions of Trust</a>. In addition schools should have regard to specific guidance given by the Secretary of State under sections 157 and 175 of the Education Act 2002 namely,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.keepingchildrensafeineducation.co.uk/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Keeping Children Safe in Education</a>.

Schools, Colleges and other Educational Providers

Early years providers have a duty under&nbsp;<a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/21/section/40" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Section 40 of the Childcare Act 2006</a>&nbsp;to comply with the welfare requirements of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Early Years Foundation Stage Framework (EYFS), Section 3, The Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements</a>.
Early years providers must ensure that:
<ul>
<li>They are alert to any issues of concern in the child's life;</li>
<li>They have and implement a policy and procedures to safeguard children. This must include an explanation of the action to be taken when there are safeguarding concerns about a child and in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff. The policy must also cover the use of mobile phones and cameras in the setting, that staff complete safeguarding training that enables them to understand their safeguarding policy and procedures, have up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding issues, and recognise signs of potential abuse and neglect;</li>
<li>They have a practitioner who is designated to take lead responsibility for safeguarding children within each early years setting and who must liaise with local statutory children's services as appropriate. This lead must also complete child protection training.</li>
</ul>
This includes:
<ul>
<li>During term time, or when the setting is in operation, the designated safeguarding lead or an appropriately trained deputy should be available during opening hours for staff to discuss safeguarding concerns.</li>
</ul>

Early Years and Childcare

The responsibility of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), as set out in the Children Act 1989, is to safeguard and promote the welfare of individual children who are the subject of family court proceedings. It achieves this by providing independent social work advice to the court.
A Cafcass officer has a statutory right in public law cases to access local authority records relating to the child concerned and any application under the Children Act 1989. That power also extends to other records that relate to the child and the wider functions of the local authority, or records held by an authorised body that relate to that child.
Where a Cafcass officer has been appointed by the court as a child's guardian and the matter before the court relates to specified proceedings, they should be invited to all formal planning meetings convened by the local authority in respect of the child. This includes statutory reviews of children who are accommodated or looked after, child protection conferences and relevant Adoption Panel meetings.

Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS)

Local authorities have the statutory responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children of service families in the UK.
In discharging these responsibilities:
<ul>
<li>Local authorities should ensure that the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Families Association Forces Help, the British Forces Social Work Service or the Naval Personal and Family Service is made aware of any service child who is the subject of a child protection plan and whose family is about to move overseas;</li>
<li>Each local authority with a United States base in its area should establish liaison arrangements with the base commander and relevant staff. The requirements of English child welfare legislation should be explained clearly to the US authorities, so that the local authority can fulfil its statutory duties.</li>
</ul>

The Armed Services

Voluntary, Charity, Social Enterprise (VCSE) and private sector organisations and agencies play an important role in safeguarding children through the services they deliver. Some of these will work with particular communities, with different races and faith communities and delivering in health, adult social care, housing, prisons and&nbsp;the National probation&nbsp;Service. They may as part of their work provide a wide range of activities for children and have an important role in safeguarding children and supporting families and communities.
Like other organisations and agencies who work with children, they should have appropriate arrangements in place to safeguard and protect children from harm. Many of these organisations and agencies as well as many schools, children's centres, early years and childcare organisations, will be subject to charity law and regulated either by the Charity Commission or other "principal" regulators. Charity trustees are responsible for ensuring that those benefiting from, or working with, their charity, are not harmed in any way through contact with it. The Charity Commission for England and Wales provides guidance on charity compliance which should be followed. Further information on the Charity Commission's role in safeguarding can be found on: the Charity Commission's page on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/safeguarding-duties-for-charity-trustees" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GOV.UK website</a>.
Some of these organisations and agencies are large national charities whilst others will have a much smaller local reach. Some will be delivering statutory services and may be run by volunteers, such as library services. This important group of organisations includes youth services not delivered by local authorities or district councils.
All practitioners working in these organisations and agencies who are working with children and their families are subject to the same safeguarding responsibilities, whether paid or a volunteer.
Every VCSE, faith-based organisation and private sector organisation or agency should have policies in place to safeguard and protect children from harm. These should be followed and systems should be in place to ensure compliance in this. Individual practitioners, whether paid or volunteer, should be aware of their responsibilities for safeguarding and protecting children from harm, how they should respond to child protection concerns and how to make a referral to local authority children's social care or the police if necessary.
Every VCSE, faith-based organisation and private sector organisation or agency should have in place the arrangements described in this chapter. They should be aware of how they need to work with the safeguarding partners in a local area. Charities (within the meaning of section 1 Charities Act 2011), religious organisations (regulation 34 and schedule 3 to School Admissions) and any person involved in the provision, supervision or oversight of sport or leisure are included within the relevant agency regulations. This means if the safeguarding partners name them as a relevant partner they must cooperate. Other VCSE, faith-based and private sector organisations not on the list of relevant agencies can also be asked to cooperate as part of the local arrangements and should do so.
The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 has extended the definition of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/42/section/22A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Position of Trust within the Sexual Offences Act 2003 section 22A</a>&nbsp;to include anyone who coaches, teaches, trains, supervises or instructs a child under 18, on a regular basis, in a sport or a religion. It's against the law for someone in a position of trust to engage in sexual activity with a child in their care, even if that child is over the age of consent (16 or over).
See also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-reporting-safeguarding-concerns-in-a-charity/guidance-on-reporting-safeguarding-concerns-in-a-charity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Guidance on Reporting Safeguarding Concerns in a Charity</a>.

The Voluntary and Private Sectors

There are many sports clubs and organisations including voluntary and private sector providers that deliver a wide range of sporting activities to children. Some of these will be community amateur sports clubs, some will be charities. All should have the arrangements described in this chapter in place and should collaborate to work effectively with the safeguarding partners as required by any local safeguarding arrangements. Paid and volunteer staff need to be aware of their responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, how they should respond to child protection concerns and how to make a referral to local authority children's social care or the police if necessary.
All National Governing Bodies of Sport, that receive funding from either Sport England or UK Sport, must aim to meet the&nbsp;<a href="https://thecpsu.org.uk/resource-library/tools/standards-for-safeguarding-and-protecting-children-in-sport/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Standards for Safeguarding and Protecting Children in Sport</a>.
The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 has extended the definition of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/42/section/22A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Position of Trust within the Sexual Offences Act 2003 section 22A</a>&nbsp;to include anyone who coaches, teaches, trains, supervises or instructs a child under 18, on a regular basis, in a sport or a religion. It's against the law for someone in a position of trust to engage in sexual activity with a child in their care, even if that child is over the age of consent (16 or over).

Sports Clubs / Organisations

The registered person of a children's home must have regard to the Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://qualitystandards.trixonline.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Quality Standards (April 2015)</a>, in interpreting and meeting the Regulations. The Guide covers the quality standards for children's homes, which set out the aspirational and positive outcomes that we expect homes to achieve, including the standard for the protection of children. The registered person is responsible for ensuring that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day to day basis.
In addition to the requirements of this standard, the registered person has specific responsibilities under regulation 34 to prepare and implement policies setting out: arrangements for the safeguarding of children from abuse or neglect; clear procedures for referring child protection concerns to the placing authority or local authority where the home is situated if appropriate; and specific procedures to prevent children going missing and take action if they do.
Each home should work with their local safeguarding partners to agree how they will work together, and with the placing authority, to make sure that the needs of the individual children are met.

Children's Homes

Many of the agencies subject to the Section 11 duty are members of the&nbsp;Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA), including the police, prison and&nbsp;National Probation Service. MAPPA should work together with duty to co-operate (DTC) agencies to manage the risks posed by violent and sexual offenders living in the community in order to protect the public and should work closely with the safeguarding partners over services to commission locally.

Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements

All organisations, which do not have statutory duties under Section 11 of the Children Act 2004 but which have involvement with children and young people, directly or indirectly, should have in place the arrangements described in this chapter. They should be aware of how they need to work with the safeguarding partners in a local area. They have a responsibility to ensure that their employees, volunteers and service users are aware of these procedures and know how to access them.
Everybody who works with children, parents and other adults in connection with children should be able to recognise indicators of concern about a child's welfare or safety. A staff member or volunteer who may encounter concerns about the safety and well-being of a child should know:
<ul>
<li>How to respond to child protection concerns;</li>
<li>Who in their organisation can offer support and guidance;</li>
<li>When and how to make a referral to children's social care under the&nbsp;<a href="/chapter/making-a-referral-to-social-care">Making a Referral to Social Care Procedure</a>&nbsp;or the police if necessary;</li>
<li>What other services are available locally and how to gain access to them;</li>
<li>How to access and receive appropriate training.</li>
</ul>

Organisations without Statutory Duties

Working Together to Safeguard Children

Keeping Children Safe in Education

Information sharing: Advice for Safeguarding Practitioners

Child Protection Section 47 Enquiries

When a local authority:
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<li>Is informed that a child who lives, or is found, in their area (i) is the subject of an&nbsp;Emergency Protection Order, or (ii) is in police protection; or</li>
<li>Has reasonable cause to suspect that a child who lives, or is found, in their area is&nbsp;suffering, or likely to suffer,&nbsp;Significant Harm.</li>
</ol>
The local authority shall make, or cause to be made, such enquiries as they consider necessary to enable them to decide whether they should take any action to safeguard and promote the child's welfare.
Responsibility for undertaking&nbsp;Section 47 Enquiries&nbsp;lies with the local authority Children's Social Care in whose area the child lives or is found. 'Found' means the physical location where the child suffers the incident of harm or neglect (or is identified to be suffering or likely to suffer harm or neglect), For the purposes of these procedures the local authority Children's Social Care in which the child lives, is called the 'home authority' and the local authority Children's Social Care in which the child is found is the child's 'host authority'.
Whenever a child is harmed or concerns are raised that a child may be suffering or likely to suffer harm or neglect, the host authority is responsible for informing the home authority immediately. The home authority should be invited to participate in the&nbsp;Strategy Meeting&nbsp;/ discussion to plan action to protect the child. Only once agreement is reached about who will take responsibility is the host authority relieved of the responsibility to take emergency and on-going action. Such acceptance should occur as soon as possible and should be confirmed in writing.
Any agreed Safety Plan should be shared with all key parties involved.

Duty to Conduct Section 47 Enquiries

Each agency has a duty to assist and provide information in support of child protection enquiries. When requested to do so by local authority Children's Social Care, practitioners from other organisations have a duty to cooperate.

Responsibilities of all agencies

Where there is a risk to the life of a child or the possibility of serious immediate harm, an agency with statutory child protection powers (the police and local authority Children's Social Care) should act quickly to secure the immediate safety of the child.
Emergency action may be necessary as soon as a referral is received from a member of the public or from any agency involved with children or parents. Alternatively, the need for emergency action may become apparent only over time as more is learned about a child or adult carer's circumstances.&nbsp;Neglect, as well as abuse, can cause significant harm to a child such that urgent protective action is needed.
When considering whether emergency action is required, an agency should always consider whether action is also required to safeguard and promote the welfare of other children in the same household (e.g. siblings), the household of an alleged perpetrator, or elsewhere. Consideration should also be given to any adults at risk within the property.
Responsibility for immediate action rests with the host authority where the child is found, but should be in consultation with any home authority (as described in&nbsp;<a href="#duty-to-conduct-section-47-enquiries">Section 1, Duty to Conduct Section 47 Enquiries</a>).
Emergency action will normally take place following an immediate strategy discussion between police, local authority Children's Social Care, health and other agencies as appropriate (see <a href="#strategy-discussions-meetings">Section 3, Strategy Discussions / Meetings</a>).
Immediate protection may be achieved, for example by:
<ul>
<li>A parent taking action to remove an alleged abuser;</li>
<li>An alleged abuser agreeing to leave the home;</li>
<li>The child not returning to the home;</li>
<li>The child being removed either on a voluntary basis or by obtaining an Emergency Protection Order (EPO);</li>
<li>Removal of the child/ren or prevention of removal from a place of safety under police powers of protection;</li>
<li>Gaining entry to the household under police powers to assess the situation.</li>
</ul>
When police powers of protection are used, an independent police officer of at least Inspector rank must act as the designated officer.
Where an agency with statutory child protection powers has to act immediately to protect a child, a strategy meeting / discussion should take place within&nbsp;1 working day&nbsp;of the emergency action to plan the next steps.

Immediate Protection

Whenever there is reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm there should be a strategy discussion or meeting. Where there is any uncertainty advice should be sought from the Line Manager.
The age and stage of development of the child are crucial considerations in forming a professional judgement as to whether a referral to social care and a strategy discussion is required. Accidental bruising is strongly related to mobility, and as such injuries and bruising to a non-independently mobile child, such as a baby who is not yet crawling, bottom shuffling or cruising, or child with a disability and who is not able to move independently, raises a concern about the possibility of child abuse.
For this reason, a strategy discussion should take place where injuries or bruising are observed in a non-independently mobile baby or child. Professionals within the strategy discussion will have an evidence-based discussion considering other relevant factors such as presentation, explanation, the voice of the child, and any other known vulnerability factors to support further decision making and safety planning.
The strategy discussion / meeting should involve local authority Children's Social Care (including the placement provider if the child is Looked After), police, health and other bodies such as the referring agency. This might take the form of a Multi-Agency meeting or phone calls; more than one discussion may be necessary. A strategy discussion can take place at any time following a referral including during the assessment process.
The purpose of the strategy discussion / meeting is to determine the child's welfare and plan rapid future action if there is reasonable cause to suspect the child is suffering, or is likely to suffer, Significant Harm.
A local authority Social Worker and their manager, an appropriate health professional and a police representative should, as a minimum, be involved in the strategy discussion. Other relevant professionals will depend on the nature of the individual case but may include:
<ul>
<li>The professional or agency which made the referral;</li>
<li>The child's school or nursery; and</li>
<li>Any health services the child or family members are receiving.</li>
</ul>
All attendees should be sufficiently senior to make decisions on behalf of their agencies.
The strategy discussion / meeting should be used to:
<ul>
<li>Share available information;</li>
<li>Agree the conduct and timing of any criminal investigation; and</li>
<li>Decide whether an assessment under&nbsp;<a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/41/section/47" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Section 47 of the Children Act 1989</a>&nbsp;(Section 47 enquiries) should be undertaken.</li>
</ul>
Where there are grounds to initiate a Section 47 enquiry, decisions should be made as to:
<ul>
<li>What further information is needed if an assessment is already underway and how it will be obtained (including the need for a medical assessment or treatment) and recorded;</li>
<li>What immediate and short term action is required to support the child, and who will do what by when. If the child is in hospital, decisions should also be made about how to secure the safe discharge of the child; where the child is to be separated from family members, consideration should be given to contact and supervision; and</li>
<li>Whether legal action is required.</li>
</ul>
Relevant matters include:
<ul>
<li>Determining what information from the strategy discussion / meeting will be shared with the family, including whether such information sharing may place a child at increased risk of significant harm or jeopardise police investigations into any alleged offence/s;</li>
<li>Agreeing who should be interviewed, by whom, for what purpose and when. All sexual abuse allegations should be jointly investigated by the police and local authority Children's Social Care. When a criminal offence may have been committed against a child, the timing and handling of interviews with victims, their families and witnesses can have important implications for the collection and preservation of evidence. See&nbsp;<a href="#visually-recorded-interviews-achieving-best-evidence">Section 8, Visually Recorded Interviews / Achieving Best Evidence</a>;</li>
<li>Agreeing the visiting and interviewing arrangements for the child as part of the Safety Plan;</li>
<li>Agreeing, in particular, when the child will be seen alone (unless to do so would be inappropriate for the child) by the Social Worker during the course of these enquiries and the methods by which the child's wishes and feelings will be ascertained so that they can be taken into account when making decisions under Section 47 of the Children Act 1989;</li>
<li>Consideration should be given to any disabilities and the race / ethnicity of the child and family, and how these will be taken into account. It should be established if an interpreter will be required;</li>
<li>Consideration of the needs of other children who may be affected in the same household (e.g. siblings), the household of an alleged perpetrator, or elsewhere.</li>
</ul>

Strategy Discussions / Meetings

There may be circumstances where a strategy discussion may need to take place immediately to create a Safety Plan for a child. In this situation, as a minimum, the three key partners will be required to participate.&nbsp;There is a likelihood in these circumstances that a further strategy discussion may be convened to discuss the broader safeguarding issues and decision making.
For any new cases, the health professional to be involved in strategy discussions within normal working hours will be the Health Advisors in the Derby City Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) or Derbyshire Starting Point.&nbsp;Where the child is an open case to Social Care, the&nbsp;<a href="local-contacts">Named Nurse Safeguarding Children</a> on call for Derby City or Derbyshire County should be contacted. Where the child is an inpatient or within the ED department of a local hospital, the Named Nurse Safeguarding should be contacted. Please see the links to the Child Protection Medicals for UHDB/ DHCFT and Chesterfield Royal Hospital and the Local Contacts document for contact details in the <a href="/resources/documents-library">Documents Library, Guidance Documents</a>)
The&nbsp;<a href="local-contacts">Consultant Paediatrician</a>&nbsp;on-call for child protection should be consulted if the&nbsp;following circumstances apply:
<ul>
<li>Outside normal office hours;</li>
<li>If there is a concern about&nbsp;abuse or neglect and it is not immediately clear whether a medical examination is required;</li>
<li>Where there are medical concerns about a child who is subject to the strategy discussion.</li>
</ul>

Urgent strategy discussions

Meetings either face to face or via conference meeting facilities, rather than telephone discussions, are expected where:
<ul>
<li>There is concern that the child is suffering sexual abuse, neglect or complex types of maltreatment;</li>
<li>There is an allegation that a child has abused another child - the strategy meeting must address the needs and risks for each child separately&nbsp;(see&nbsp;<a href="children-who-present-a-risk-of-harm-to-others">Children who Present a Risk of Harm to Others Procedure</a>);</li>
<li>There are on-going, cumulative concerns about the child's welfare and a need to share concerns and agree a course of action;</li>
<li>There are concerns about the future risk of harm to an unborn child;</li>
<li>Where the child is an in-patient in hospital and abuse is suspected.</li>
</ul>
(Please note&nbsp;- this list is not exhaustive).
The&nbsp;Strategy Meeting&nbsp;should be convened and chaired by local authority Children's Social Care. In addition to the Social Worker and their Manager, the police and relevant health professionals, the meeting may need to involve the other agencies (e.g. schools and nurseries) which hold information relevant to the concerns about the child. In complex or unusual circumstances a Child Protection Manager may need to chair the meeting (see&nbsp;<a href="#referrals-to-the-police">Section 7, Referrals to the police</a>).
Professionals participating in strategy meetings must have all their agency's relevant available information relating to the child to be able to contribute it to the meeting, and must be sufficiently senior to make decisions on behalf of their agencies.
Where issues have significant medical implications, or a paediatric examination has taken place or may be necessary, a Paediatrician should always be included.&nbsp;If the child is receiving services from specialist health services, the meeting, if practicable, should involve the responsible Medical Consultant and, in the case of in-patient treatment, a Senior Ward Nurse.
If sexual abuse is being considered or FGM may be a factor, then the East Midlands Children and Young People's Sexual Assault Service (EMCYPSAS&nbsp;Tel: 0800 183 0023) should be contacted to invite them to participate in the strategy discussion. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.emcypsas.co.uk/#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EMCYPSAS website</a>&nbsp;contains up to date information for both professionals and young people.
A professional may need to be included in the strategy meeting who is not involved with the child, but who can contribute expertise relevant to the particular form of abuse or neglect in the case.

The strategy meeting

It is the responsibility of the Chair of the strategy discussion / meeting to ensure that the decisions and agreed actions are fully recorded using an appropriate form / record and circulated at the conclusion of the meeting.
For telephone strategy discussions, all agencies should make a record of the outcome of the telephone discussion and actions agreed at the time. The record of the decisions authorised by the local authority Children's Social Care Manager should be circulated by e-mail as soon as practicable to all parties to the discussion.

Strategy discussion / meeting record

Strategy discussions / meetings should be convened within&nbsp;3 working days&nbsp;of child protection concerns being identified, except in the following circumstances:
<ul>
<li>For allegations / concerns indicating a serious risk of harm to the child e.g. serious physical injury or serious neglect,&nbsp;the strategy discussion / meeting&nbsp;should be held on the same day&nbsp;as the receipt of the referral;</li>
<li>For allegations of sexual abuse where there might be forensic evidence, the strategy discussion / meeting&nbsp;should be held on the same day&nbsp;as the receipt of the referral;</li>
<li>Where immediate action was required by either agency, the strategy discussion must be held within 1 working day.</li>
</ul>
Where the concerns are particularly complex e.g. organised abuse / allegations against staff, the strategy discussion / meeting must be held within a maximum of 5 working days, but sooner if there is a need to provide immediate protection to a child.
The plan made at the strategy discussion / meeting should reflect the requirement to convene an initial&nbsp;Child Protection Conference&nbsp;within 15 working days of the strategy discussion / meeting&nbsp;(or within 15 days of the strategy discussion / meeting at which it was decided to initiate the enquiry if there was more than 1 meeting). In exceptional circumstances, such as fabricated and induced illness for example, enquiries will be more complicated and may require more than one strategy discussion / meeting. If the strategy discussion / meeting&nbsp;concludes that a further strategy discussion / meeting&nbsp;is required, then a clear timescale should be set and be subject to regular review by the Social Work Manager bearing in mind the safety of the child at all times.
If the conclusion of the strategy discussion / meeting is that a&nbsp;Child Protection Conference&nbsp;is likely to be needed, a discussion should take place with a Child Protection Manager and a provisional date agreed for the child protection conference. Where there is no cause to pursue the Section 47 enquiry then consideration should be given to the needs of the child for any support services or services as a Child in Need; a clear and agreed plan of action should be recorded.

Timing of strategy discussion / meeting

A Section 47 Enquiry must always follow when:
<ul>
<li>There is reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm in the form of physical, sexual, emotional abuse or neglect;</li>
<li>Following an&nbsp;Emergency Protection Order&nbsp;or when the use of police Powers of Protection is initiated.</li>
</ul>
An assessment should be initiated whenever a Section 47 enquiry has commenced. The local assessment protocol will provide the framework for gathering and analysing information for the enquiry. The conclusions and recommendations of the enquiry should inform the assessment (see Derby City Council Children's Services Assessment Protocol and&nbsp;Derbyshire Assessment Protocol&nbsp;(see <a href="/resources/documents-library">Document Library, Protocols</a>)).

Section 47 Thresholds and the Multi-Agency Assessment

Local authority Children's Social Care is the lead agency for child protection enquiries and the local authority Children's Social Care Manager has responsibility for authorising a Section 47 enquiry following a strategy discussion / meeting. A local authority Social Worker has a statutory duty to lead that enquiry. The police, health professionals, teachers and other relevant professionals should support the local authority in undertaking its enquiries.
A Section 47 enquiry may run concurrently with police investigations. When a joint enquiry takes place, the police have the lead for the criminal investigation (see&nbsp;<a href="#referrals-to-the-police">Section 7, Referrals to the police</a>) and local authority Children's Social Care have the lead for the Section 47 enquiries and the child's welfare.

Initiating a Section 47 Enquiry

Whenever a Section 47 enquiry is initiated, even when there has been a recent assessment, the local authority&nbsp;Social Worker must consult with their manager about how and when to inform the family of the cause for concern unless to do so would place the child at increased likelihood of suffering significant harm.
The Social Worker, together with their manager, must decide whether to seek parental permission to undertake Multi-Agency checks. Whilst it is good practice to seek agreement, this is not needed if it would be prejudicial to the child's welfare.
The Social Worker must contact the other agencies involved with the child and their parents / carers to inform them that a child protection enquiry has been initiated and to seek their views. The checks should be undertaken directly with involved professionals including parents / carers, GP's and the police, and not through messages with intermediaries.
The relevant agency should be informed of the reason for the enquiry, whether or not parental consent has been obtained and asked for their assessment of the child in the light of information presented.
Agency checks should include accessing any relevant information that may be held in other counties.

Multi-Agency welfare enquiries

Section 47 Enquiries should always be carried out in such a way as to minimise distress to the child, and to ensure that families are treated sensitively and with respect. Timings of interviews and medicals should be sensitive to the needs of the child. Local authority Children's Social Care should explain the purpose and outcome of Section 47 enquiries to the parents and child/ren (having regard to age and understanding) and be prepared to answer questions openly, unless to do so would affect the safety and welfare of the child.
The Social Worker has the prime responsibility to engage with family members. Parents and those with&nbsp;Parental Responsibility&nbsp;should be informed at the earliest opportunity of concerns, unless to do so would place the child at increased likelihood of suffering significant harm, or undermine a criminal investigation.

Involving Children, Parents and Family Members

If the whereabouts of a child subject to Section 47 enquiries are unknown and cannot be ascertained by the Social Worker, the following action must be taken within 24 hours:
<ul>
<li>A strategy discussion /&nbsp;meeting with police;</li>
<li>Agreement reached with the local authority Children's Social Care Manager responsible as to what further action is required to locate and see the child and carry out the enquiry.</li>
</ul>
If access to a child is refused or obstructed the Social Worker, in consultation with their manager, should co-ordinate a strategy discussion / meeting, including legal representation, to develop a plan to locate or access the child/ren, progress the Section 47 enquiry and to consider if an EPO is required. A missing child alert should be generated by Children's Social Care if appropriate.
See also: Derby and Derbyshire Runaway or Missing from Home or Care Protocol (see&nbsp;<a href="/resources/documents-library">Documents Library, Protocols</a>).

Missing or inaccessible children

The primary responsibility of police officers is to undertake criminal investigations of suspected or actual crime and to inform local authority Children's Social Care when they are undertaking such investigations in relation to a child, and where appropriate to notify the&nbsp;<a href="local-contacts">Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)</a>.
The police and local authority Children's Social Care must co-ordinate their activities to ensure the parallel process of a Section 47 enquiry and a criminal investigation is undertaken in the best interests of the child. This should primarily be achieved through joint activity and planning at strategy discussions / meetings.
At the strategy discussion / meeting, the police officers should share current and historical information with other services where it is necessary to do so to ensure the protection of a child.
All suspected cases of child abuse must be referred to the police as potential crimes. This will be the responsibility of Social Care when a referral has been made to them. Telephone referrals should be followed up within 24 hours by secure email to:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:RiskandReferralUnit@Derbyshire.PNN.Police.UK" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RiskandReferralUnit@Derbyshire.PNN.Police.UK</a>
The police will make a decision, based on the force threshold policy and following checks and information sharing, on whether to initiate a criminal investigation.
The following matters will always be investigated by the police:
<ul>
<li>All alleged sexual assaults;</li>
<li>Allegations of physical abuse amounting to offences of actual bodily harm (Section 47 Offences Against the Person Act 1861) and more serious assaults;</li>
<li>Allegations of serious neglect / cruelty;</li>
<li>Allegations and concerns involving minor offences where there are aggravating features.</li>
</ul>
For historical allegations refer to specific circumstance chapter&nbsp;<a href="adults-who-disclose-non-recent-abuse">Adults who Disclose Non Recent Abuse Procedure</a>.

Referrals to the Police

Visually recorded interviews must be planned and conducted jointly by trained police officers and local authority Social Workers in accordance with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cps.gov.uk/sites/default/files/documents/legal_guidance/Achieving%2520Best%2520Evidence%2520in%2520Criminal%2520Proceedings.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Achieving Best Evidence in Criminal Proceedings: Guidance on Interviewing Victims and Witnesses, and Guidance on Using Special Measures (Ministry of Justice 2011)</a>.
All events up to the time of the video interview must be fully recorded.
Visually recorded interviews serve two primary purposes:
<ul>
<li>Evidence gathering for criminal proceedings;</li>
<li>Examination in chief of a child witness.</li>
</ul>
Relevant information from this process can also be used to inform Section 47 enquiries or subsequent civil childcare proceedings.
In accordance with Achieving Best Evidence, all joint interviews with children should be conducted by those with specialist training and experience in interviewing children. Specialist / expert help may be needed:
<ul>
<li>If the child's first language is not English (approved professional interpreters must be used instead of family members);</li>
<li>They appear to have emotional or behavioural problems, or special educational needs;</li>
<li>They have a physical / sensory / learning disability;</li>
<li>Where interviewers do not have adequate knowledge and understanding of the child's racial religious and cultural background.</li>
</ul>

Visually Recorded Interviews / Achieving Best Evidence

Where the child appears in urgent need of medical attention e.g. suspected fractures, bleeding, loss of consciousness, they should be taken to the nearest hospital Emergency Department.
The strategy discussion / meeting, which includes the relevant Health Professional, will determine the need and timing for a paediatric assessment. This should also be negotiated with the examining Paediatrician. Referrals should be made by the Social Worker or a member of the police, as appropriate.
If a child has been taken to a healthcare facility by parents / carers, and in the course of their health review / examination by a Paediatrician with the relevant competencies, has had an appropriate assessment, the child does not necessarily require another child protection medical in the presence of a Social Worker. In circumstances where this may happen it is of utmost importance that a referral to Children's Social Care is made without delay and information is shared between agencies at the earliest opportunity, this would result in a strategy discussion/meeting.
The need for a paediatric assessment of the siblings of a child who is to have a medical should always be considered. The decision may be made at any point in the process &ndash; such as during the strategy discussion / meeting, after the child's medical, or as information emerges.
For details of local arrangements when requesting child protection medicals for physical abuse or neglect, see the following links:
<ul>
<li><a href="/resources/documents-library">Derby City and Southern Derbyshire; Local Guidance on Medical Examinations in Cases of Suspected Child Abuse&nbsp;(Documents Library, Guidance Documents)</a>;</li>
<li><a href="/resources/documents-library">North Derbyshire: Arranging a Child Protection Medical at Chesterfield Royal Hospital (Documents Library, Guidance Documents)</a>.</li>
</ul>
Examinations for children who may have been sexually abused now all take place at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.emcypsas.co.uk/#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">East Midlands Children and Young People's Sexual Assault Service (EMCYPSAS)</a>&nbsp;based at Queens Medical Centre Nottingham&nbsp;Tel: 0800 183 0023.
Examinations of children who may have been subject to FGM are arranged through the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.emcypsas.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">East Midlands Children and Young People's Sexual Assault Service (EMCYPSAS)</a>&nbsp;based at Queens Medical Centre Nottingham. Please follow the pathways in&nbsp;<a href="/resources/documents-library">Appendix 1: FGM Flowchart</a>&nbsp;(Documents Library, Flowcharts) and&nbsp;<a href="/resources/documents-library">FGM Clinical Pathway, Appendix 1a</a>&nbsp;(Documents Library, Flowcharts).
<ul>
<li>If there is any uncertainty regarding the need for paediatric assessment, advice is available from the relevant Paediatrician on call.</li>
</ul>
A paediatric assessment is necessary to:
<ul>
<li>Identify the child's health needs;</li>
<li>Determine the likelihood of child abuse on the balance of probability;</li>
<li>Help to reduce the physical and psychological consequences of abuse or neglect;</li>
<li>Facilitate the police investigation of a possible crime by documentation of clinical findings, including injuries arranging clinical investigations,&nbsp;that support a police investigation, relevant to all types of abuse;</li>
<li>Work alongside the police&rsquo;s Force Medical Examiner (FME) to take necessary forensic samples; and</li>
<li>Contribute to the Multi-Agency assessment through sharing of information</li>
</ul>

Paediatric Assessments

The person giving consent must be fully informed about:
<ul>
<li>The reason for the assessment and what it will involve;</li>
<li>How the information will be shared (including for court);</li>
<li>The fact that consent can be refused to all or part of the assessment.</li>
</ul>
Consent or authorisation may be given by:
<ul>
<li>A child or 16 years or over (Mental Capacity Act);</li>
<li>A child who has the maturity and understanding to understand and make the decision (Fraser&nbsp;guidelines);</li>
<li>A person with&nbsp;Parental Responsibility;</li>
<li>The local authority when the child is the subject of a Care Order or is accommodated under&nbsp;<a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/41/section/20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Section 20 of the Children Act 1989</a>, and the parent / s have abandoned the child or are physically or mentally unable to give such authority;</li>
<li>A Court if the child is subject to an&nbsp;Emergency Protection Order, an&nbsp;Interim Care Order&nbsp;or a&nbsp;Child Assessment Order. (If proceedings are on-going, the court may determine the nature of the assessment and who will conduct it).</li>
</ul>
Consent should be provided in writing where possible, but verbal consent (e.g. by telephone) from a parent, carer or agency may be used in certain circumstances if it would delay examination or treatment. All decisions must be recorded in the medical record.
If a person with parental responsibility is unavailable to give consent, the decision to proceed should depend on the circumstances, including risk to the child. In this event paediatric assessment should be limited to that needed to save life or prevent serious deterioration in the health of a child or young person
Only one person with parental responsibility is required to give consent &ndash; however, if another person who also holds parental responsibility refuses consent and examination is in the child's best interest, or there is a public interest, then consideration should be given to applying for a court order.
If a person with parental responsibility refuses consent and the child is believed to be at immediate risk of harm, the police and local authority should consider whether to apply for an Emergency Protection Order.
A child who is of sufficient age and understanding may refuse some or all of the paediatric assessment, though refusal can potentially be overridden by a court. Parents must be informed by the Medical Practitioner as soon as possible and a full record must be made at the time.
Where circumstances do not allow permission to be obtained and the child needs emergency medical treatment, the Medical Practitioner may only provide treatment that is immediately lifesaving or that will prevent serious deterioration.

Consent for paediatric assessment or medical treatment

The assessment should be carried out by a Paediatrician with at least Level 3 competencies&nbsp;Safeguarding Children and Young People; Roles and Competencies of Health Care Staff (2019). Where a speciality trainee carries out the assessment there should be a supervising consultant available.
Since April 2018 medicals for sexual abuse have been carried out by the East Midlands Children and Young People's Sexual Assault Service (EMCYPSAS&nbsp;Tel: 0800 183 0023), advice is available 24 hours a day.
The Forensic Medical Examiner may occasionally attend medicals for physical abuse at the discretion of the police.
Paediatricians do not conduct specialist assessments of emotional harm, and consideration should be given to referring to a suitably trained child psychiatrist or psychologist.
General Practitioners do not undertake formal child protection assessments, but in the event of a child protection concern, would be expected to document any findings, provide treatment as appropriate and refer to Children's Social Care for further investigation.

The Examining Doctor

The timing of paediatric assessment will depend on a number of factors, including the nature and severity of abuse, the timing of the abuse and circumstances surrounding the child. This will include where a medical opinion is needed more urgently in order to secure parental agreement or a Court order to safeguard a child.
For physical injury:&nbsp;Children should be seen within 24 hours of referral.
For sexual abuse: the timing of this will be determined by the input from the police and EMCYPSAS at the strategy discussion.
The relative timing of any interviews to be undertaken by police and/or local authority Children's Social Care (under Achieving Best Evidence) will be dependent on circumstance and should be agreed at the strategy discussion.
For neglect:
<ul>
<li>Non-urgent&nbsp;&ndash; most referrals are non-urgent and children should be referred in writing to the relevant Paediatrician and seen within 4 weeks of referral. Written background information should be provided at least 3 working days before the medical, including parental background and health and the nature of any specific concerns;</li>
<li>Urgent&nbsp;&ndash; timing should be by negotiation, but urgent assessment may be needed, for example if the child is to be removed from home at short notice or there are particular concerns about the children's health. Written background information should still be provided unless the medical is within 7 days of the referral. Urgent requests should be by telephone call to the relevant Paediatrician or safeguarding team in the first instance;</li>
<li>In any circumstances where the child is removed and placed in the care of others it is good practice for the child to be registered with their local GP as a priority.</li>
</ul>
In the event of dispute over the timing of a medical, the Derby and Derbyshire Multi Agency Dispute Resolution and Escalation Policy (see&nbsp;<a href="/resources/documents-library">Documents Library, Guidance Documents</a>) should be used without delay, raising directly with the relevant senior Paediatrician and if necessary Designated Doctor, or Nurse if they are not available.

Timing

A paediatric assessment should demonstrate a holistic approach, considering the child's physical, developmental, social and emotional wellbeing in the context of background information provided by parents and carers, the child and by other agencies. It is likely to take at least an hour. Any injuries and the history around them should be carefully recorded. Contemporaneous records should be made. Photographs of significant findings should be taken (with consent) by a professional medical photographer, the examining doctor if appropriately trained, or the police photographer whenever possible.
It may be necessary to arrange investigations such as blood tests, x-rays or scans. If results are not immediately available and the result will influence the medical opinion as to the probability of abuse, the child may need to be safeguarded until the result is available. For example in circumstances where a&nbsp;skeletal survey is indicated, final X -rays are taken approximately 10 &ndash; 14 days after the initial survey. A further strategy discussion will be required to discuss any new findings and any further investigations that may be required.
An immediate conclusion form should be completed at the time of the medical and given to the police / Social Worker.
Parents must be kept informed throughout, and the conclusion of the medical must be shared in a way that does not compromise the investigation.
The Paediatrician must provide a report to the Social Worker and, where appropriate, the police. The report is usually copied to the General Practitioner, Health Visitor or School Nurse and the Named Nurse Safeguarding Children. Parents are not routinely sent a copy but the report may be shared with them by the Social Worker or police following consultation with the health organisation that produced the report.
The report should be dictated as soon as possible and certainly within 24 hours, and should be completed within 10 working days of the medical. Every effort should be made to provide a report if it is needed urgently for court, and in any event it must be received 2 working days before any Child Protection Conference.
The report should include:
<ul>
<li>A brief statement of personal qualification, experience and current role;</li>
<li>Date, time and place of examination and those present;</li>
<li>A full paediatric history, including birth and developmental details / school progress and attendance, emotional and behavioural difficulties, immunisation, past health, family health, including information about parental domestic abuse, drug and alcohol problems, mental health, learning difficulties; where possible and social history;</li>
<li>A record of the carer's and child's accounts of injuries and concerns noting any discrepancies or changes of story. A child's allegation must be taken seriously, even in the absence of supporting clinical evidence;</li>
<li>Observation of the child&rsquo;s interaction with parents / carers and others present;</li>
<li>A full examination (with consent from the child and parents / carers);</li>
<li>Growth parameters, with centiles recorded;</li>
<li>Documentary findings in both words and diagrams, where appropriate;</li>
<li>Site, size, shape and where possible age of any marks or injuries;</li>
<li>Other findings relevant to the child;</li>
<li>Confirmation of the child's developmental progress (especially important in cases of neglect);</li>
<li>Details of investigations;</li>
<li>Any follow up arrangements made and the management / discharge plan;</li>
<li>The Paediatrician should be prepared to state their opinion and the reasoning behind it. The opinion should state whether the findings are consistent with the explanation and, if an injury is believed to be non-accidental, opinion about the mechanism of injury. The conclusion of the report should include a differential diagnosis and a working diagnosis, and an indication as to whether the findings, on the balance of probability, are consistent with possible abuse, probable abuse or provide strong evidence for abuse &ndash; or if it is not possible to ascribe causation.&nbsp;A summary of any additional health needs / recommendations should be included;</li>
<li>All reports and diagrams where relevant should be signed and dated by the Doctor undertaking the examination. The report should clearly indicate the name of the consultant responsible for the child.</li>
</ul>
If further information emerges following paediatric peer review, this must be forwarded to local authority Children's Social Care as soon as feasible with a discussion as to the implications of this new information.
The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/key-topics/child-protection/evidence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH)</a>&nbsp;have developed an online evidence-based resource for clinicians to help inform clinical practice and address key questions about the recognition and investigation of children with suspected physical abuse and neglect.

The Paediatric Assessment

Where possible and appropriate, a police Officer, and/or an FME or police photographer, should also attend the Paediatric assessment, in order to review findings from a criminal perspective and collect evidence. As above, collection of forensic evidence will be agreed before the medical and taken by the examining Paediatrician or relevant police staff at the paediatric assessment.
If at the strategy discussion it is agreed that police attendance is not necessary or appropriate, the Social Worker should feedback the findings by the next working day. Children should not normally be subject to repeat examinations, tests and photographs, and where these are necessary, they should all be taken within a clinical setting.

Evidence for criminal investigation

Local authority Children's Social Care in consultation with partner agencies is responsible for deciding how to proceed with the enquiries based on the strategy discussion / meeting and taking into account the views of the child, their parents and other relevant parties (e.g. a foster carer).
During the enquiry the scope and focus of the assessment will be that of a risk assessment, using the Social Care&nbsp;Single Assessment&nbsp;format. An interim safety plan must be in place whilst section 47 enquiries are underway. The scope of the assessment:
<ul>
<li>Identifies the cause for concern;</li>
<li>Evaluates information from all sources and previous case records;</li>
<li>Evaluates the strengths of the family;</li>
<li>Evaluates the risks to the child/ren;</li>
<li>Considers the ability of parents, wider family and social networks to safeguard and promote the child's welfare;</li>
<li>Considers the child's need for protection;</li>
<li>Considers how these risks can be managed.</li>
</ul>
It is important to ensure that both immediate risk assessment and long term risk assessment are considered.
Where the child's circumstances are about to change, the risk assessment must include an assessment of the safety of the new environment e.g. where a child is to be discharged from hospital to home the assessment must have established the safety of the home environment and implemented any support plan required to meet the child's needs.
At the completion of a Section 47 enquiry, local authority Children's Social Care in consultation with other agencies must evaluate and analyse all the information gathered to determine if the threshold for significant harm has been reached.
In Derby City the outcome of the Section 47 enquiries may&nbsp;reflect that the original concerns are:
<ul>
<li>Not substantiated; although consideration should be given to whether the child may need services as a Child in Need or Early Help Support;</li>
<li>Substantiated but child not likely to suffer significant harm, on consultation with the child protection manager agreement that no child protection conference is required. Consideration should be given to whether the child may need services as a Child in Need;</li>
<li>Substantiated and the child is judged to be suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm and an initial child protection conference should be called.</li>
</ul>
In Derbyshire the outcome of the Section 47 enquiries&nbsp;must be made in consultation with the Child Protection Manager.&nbsp;Outcomes may be that the original concerns are:
<ul>
<li>Not substantiated on consultation with the child protection manager; although consideration should be given to whether the child may need services as a Child in Need or Early Help Support;</li>
<li>Substantiated but child not likely to suffer significant harm, on consultation with the child protection manager agreement that no child protection conference is required. Consideration should be given to whether the child may need services as a Child in Need;</li>
<li>Substantiated and the child is judged to be suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm and, on consultation with the child protection manager, an initial child protection conference should be called.</li>
</ul>

Outcome of Section 47 Enquiries

Where the concerns are not substantiated, the local authority Children's Social Care Manager must authorise the decision that no further action is necessary, having ensured that the child, any other children in the household and the child's carers have been seen and spoken with. In Derbyshire this decision should be made following consultation with a Child Protection Manager.
The Social Worker should discuss the case with the child, parents and other professionals and determine whether early help or child in need services may be helpful. They should consider whether the child's health and development should be re-assessed regularly against specific objectives and decide who has responsibility for doing this. Arrangements should be noted for future referrals, if appropriate.

Concerns are not substantiated

Where concerns are substantiated but the child is assessed as not likely to suffer significant harm, the Social Worker following discussion with their Manager must consult with a Child Protection Manager to agree that no child protection conference is required. This may include situations such as where the child has come into care, moved to a non-abusing parent, the perpetrator has left the household, or the parents are engaging positively, and the assessment is that this will afford sufficient protection to the child.
Where it is agreed that no conference is required there should be consideration about whether child in need services or any on-going monitoring is required. Where a child has complex or serious needs they will require a specialist in depth assessment and co-ordination via a Social Worker.

Concerns substantiated but the child is not likely to suffer significant harm

Where concerns are substantiated and the child is assessed to be suffering or likely to suffer significant harm, there must be a Child Protection Conference within 15 working days of the strategy discussion / meeting at which Section 47 Enquiries were initiated. Suitable Multi-Agency arrangements / Safety Plan must be put in place to safeguard the child until such time as the initial child protection conference has taken place. The Social Worker and their line manager will coordinate and review such arrangements.
Consideration should also be given for whether immediate action is required to safeguard the child or the grounds are met to initiate legal proceedings or to take the case through&nbsp;Public Law Outline, and whether such action is necessary.

Concerns of significant harm are substantiated and the child is judged to be suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm

The Social Worker is responsible for recording the outcome of the Section 47 enquiries / strategy discussions or meetings consistent with the requirements of the relevant recording system. The outcome should be put on the child's electronic record with a clear record of the discussions, authorised by the local authority Children's Social Care Manager.
Notification, verbal or written, of the outcome of the enquiries, including an evaluation of the outcome for the child, should be given to all the agencies who have been significantly involved, the parents and children of sufficient age and appropriate level of understanding, in particular in advance of any initial child protection conference that is convened. This information should be conveyed in an appropriate format for younger children and those people whose preferred language is not English.
Feedback about outcomes should be provided to non-professional referrers in a manner that respects the confidentiality and welfare of the child.
If there are on-going criminal investigations, the content of the Social Worker's feedback should be agreed with the police.

Feedback from enquiries

Where local authority Children's Social Care have concluded that an initial child protection conference is not required but professionals in other agencies remain seriously concerned about the safety of a child, these professionals should refer to the Derby and Derbyshire Multi Agency Dispute Resolution and Escalation Policy (see&nbsp;<a href="/resources/documents-library">Documents Library, Guidance Documents</a>). They should follow the outlined stages which include further discussion with the local authority Children's Social Worker, their manager and/or the nominated safeguarding children adviser. The concerns, discussion and any agreements made should be recorded in each agency's files.
If concerns remain, the professional should discuss with a designated / named / lead person or senior manager in their agency. If concerns remain the agency may wish to discuss the case with a Child Protection Manager who may agree to convene an initial child protection conference.
If this fails to achieve agreement, the issues should be raised with the Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Partnership Chair via the agency Partnership representative. This should always be a last resort after all other options have been exhausted.

Disputed Decisions

A full written record must be completed by each agency involved in a Section 47 enquiry, using the required agency proforma, authorised and dated by the staff.
The responsible manager must countersign / authorise local authority Children's Social Care assessment.
Practitioners should, wherever possible, retain all original notes in line with local retention of record procedures until the completion of anticipated criminal or civil legal proceedings.
Local authority Children's Social Care recording of enquiries should include:
<ul>
<li>Information sharing between agencies;</li>
<li>Strategy discussion / meeting&nbsp;notes;</li>
<li>Details of the enquiry;</li>
<li>Body maps (where applicable);</li>
<li>Assessment including identification of risks and how they may be managed;</li>
<li>Decision making processes, including clear analysis and rationale;</li>
<li>Safety Plans;</li>
<li>Outcome / further action / medical investigations planned.</li>
</ul>
At the completion of the enquiry, the Social Work Manager should ensure that the concerns and outcome have been entered in the recording system including on the child's chronology and that other agencies have been&nbsp;informed.

Recording

(see Documents Library, Keeping Babies Safe)

Derbyshire and Derby City Practice Guidance on Bruising in Babies and Children

Guidance on managing babies with suspected birth marks

Children Act 1989 – Care Planning, Placement and Case Review

Children Act 1989 – Court Orders

Information Sharing: Advice for Safeguarding Practitioners

DfE Keeping children safe in education: for schools and colleges

Good practice service delivery standards for the management of children referred for child protection medical assessments RCPCH (2020)

Providing Early Help

This chapter outlines the arrangements for:
<ul>
<li>The provision of&nbsp;Early Help&nbsp;for families and children with low level or emerging needs;</li>
<li>How families may be helped;</li>
<li>How services may be accessed; and</li>
<li>When Children's Social Care need to become involved and how this transition should be made.</li>
</ul>
It also sets out how practitioners and managers can assess and identify children's needs in partnership with them and their families, and how to work together to obtain the resources and services that are needed.
There are differences between Derby and Derbyshire in terms of systems and services, and ongoing development in both; these are outlined in&nbsp;<a href="#obtaining-advice-and-using-the-early-help-assessment">Section 5, Obtaining Advice and Using the Early Help Assessment</a>.
Arrangements for supporting children and their families in Derby and Derbyshire have been established to help at an early stage to meet the low level and emerging needs of children; these are co-ordinated via the&nbsp;<a href="local-keywords" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Early Help Assessment</a>&nbsp;process, identification of a&nbsp;Lead Practitioner&nbsp;and single or integrated Multi-Agency support.

Early Help is the process and means by which the needs of children and their families for support are identified and addressed as soon as they emerge, so that children's development is maintained and harm prevented, as part of 'early', targeted and sometimes intensive work with the wider family &ndash; a 'Think Family' approach. This can occur at different points in the child's life, including pre-birth, and may be repeated for different reasons, as the child develops.
The consequences of not addressing needs in this way are that the issues may become more entrenched, complex and acute and can become overlaid by additional needs and problems, not just for the individual child, but for the wider family, thus requiring greater help and support from more agencies as time progresses &ndash; creating greater cost and, more importantly, more severe and intractable problems. Early Help can avoid these escalations and support/enable the child and the family to resolve their own issues and build resilience for the future! 'Think Family' is fundamental to effective Early Help.
By effective use and deployment of Early Help, the following objectives can be achieved:
<ul>
<li>Children start school healthy and ready to learn;</li>
<li>Children and young people are kept safe from abuse, neglect and exploitation;</li>
<li>Children and young people are supported in their emotional wellbeing; and</li>
<li>Young people are ready to work.</li>
</ul>
The identification of the need for and delivery of Early Help is the responsibility of all agencies who work with children and all agencies accept that responsibility, by signing up to, and actively engaging with, this multi-agency approach.

What is Early Help?

There is a range of early help support that is provided for children, young people and their families. This support is provided via both universal and targeted services.
The majority of children and young people will have low level needs that can be supported through a range of universal services. These services include:
<ul>
<li>Health services such as GP's, Midwifery, Health Visiting and School Nursing;</li>
<li>Nurseries and playgroups;</li>
<li>Schools and Colleges;</li>
<li>Children's Centres;</li>
<li>Community, sport and leisure facilities;</li>
<li>Housing; and</li>
<li>Play and Youth Services.</li>
</ul>
However the changing nature of needs of the child or parent often means that the level of support required is likely to vary. This can be linked to the developmental stages of the child, challenges for parents (such as parental mental ill health / substance misuse / domestic abuse) and factors that impact on the family (such as unemployment / bereavement / isolation / lack of support networks). Assessment of a child's needs is therefore a dynamic, continuous process rather than a single event and practitioners should be alert to changes which might require a re-assessment of needs.
Early help should be provided to address any emerging needs and consists of co-ordinated support from universal and targeted services. Examples of agencies providing targeted services include:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Health services such as Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS);</li>
<li>Multi-Agency Teams (MATs) in Derby and Early Help Teams in Derbyshire;</li>
<li>Youth Offending Service (YOS);</li>
<li>Services for disabled children such as The Lighthouse (City);</li>
<li>Voluntary and community sector organisations e.g. Homestart or Safe and Sound; and</li>
<li>Specialist educational services and establishments.</li>
</ul>
Derby City's '<a href="https://www.derby.gov.uk/education-and-learning/derbys-send-local-offer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SEND Local Offer</a>' and Derbyshire's "<a href="https://localoffer.derbyshire.gov.uk/#!/directory" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Local Offer</a>" websites contain information about support and services for children and young people (0 to 25 years) with special educational needs and disabilities and their families. These also contain information about universal and targeted services which can be accessed by all children and young people.
Many universal and specialist services are also able to provide a targeted response.
Practitioners are expected to use the&nbsp;<a href="local-keywords" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Early Help Assessment</a>&nbsp;to help identify emerging needs.
Consideration must be made of the particular circumstances that increase a child's vulnerability such as their age, disability, special educational needs, previous experience of abuse or exploitation, legal status, family circumstances including mental ill health, substance use / misuse, domestic abuse, social isolation, and anti-social / offending behaviour, or if the child is a young carer. The positive or negative impact of religious or cultural belief should also be taken into account. Where a child has complex needs or is suffering or likely to suffer Significant Harm, a referral should be made to Children's Social Care,&nbsp;<a href="making-a-referral-to-social-care">Making a Referral to Social Care Procedure</a>.
All practitioners should be supported with professional training, and be able to obtain advice in their workplace, so they can identify situations where the circumstances in the family are getting worse and are likely to affect the development or wellbeing of the child. They must also be able to distinguish those situations that are so serious that urgent action is needed.
Agencies and practitioners must refer to the Derby City and Derbyshire Thresholds Document&nbsp;(see&nbsp;<a href="/resources/documents-library">Documents Library, Guidance Documents Section</a>) to help them in their decision making about thresholds for early help services and Local Authority Children's Social Care.

Services for Children and their Families and Thresholds for Intervention

Parents, carers, children and young people may tell us that they require support, or practitioners may identify&nbsp;emerging needs and that services might be required as there are concerns about the child. In such cases practitioners would expect to have an open discussion with the parents / carers and child about the support and services that might help and agree how they would be accessed.
Where need is relatively low, individual services and universal services may be able to meet these needs, take swift action and prevent needs escalating.
In Derby they may wish to use the Derby Early Help Pre-Assessment (available in the&nbsp;<a href="/resources/documents-library">Documents Library, Assessment Tools</a>) to identify and document low level needs and to develop a single agency action plan, which should be reviewed as appropriate. The Derby Early Help Pre-Assessment may identify that an Early Help Assessment is needed and the action to be taken. The Multi-Agency Team (MAT) Team around the school meeting can identify the needs for low level support through the early help offer to Derby schools. In these circumstances the Derby Early Help Pre-assessment should be used with consent from the child and/or family to request low level support services.
Where there are emerging needs and the child or parent are likely to require co-ordinated support from a range of Early Help services, or where there are concerns for a child's well-being or a child's needs are not clear, not known or not being met, practitioners should discuss the use of the Early Help Assessment with the child and/or their parents / carers.

How do I know whether there are Low Level or Emerging Needs?

The Early Help Assessment consists of:
<ul>
<li>A process to enable practitioners in the children and young people's workforce to undertake an Early Help Assessment and then act on the result;</li>
<li>A Team Around the Family (TAF) meeting to share information and co-ordinate responses either before or after completion of the Early Help Assessment form;</li>
<li>A standard form to record an Early Help Assessment;</li>
<li>A TAF action plan and review form.</li>
</ul>
Unless there are serious concerns that a child is suffering or likely to suffer abuse and maltreatment, practitioners should use an Early Help Assessment to start the process of understanding the needs and strengths of the child and the parent / carers. The aim should be to be complete the Early Help Assessment with 10 working days.
This will make sure that an in depth understanding of the child and their family's needs and strengths are understood at the earliest opportunity and increases the likelihood that the most effective decisions are made to improve the situation for the child and their family.
Some services as a result of statutory or other requirements will have different assessment models i.e. Youth Offending Service and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). In these cases the assessment used is likely to be that of the agency rather than the Early Help Assessment.
Where an agency could complete an Early Help Assessment they should take the necessary steps to progress this.
The Early Help Assessment Guidance and Assessment Tools for use by practitioners when completing Early Help Assessments can be found in the <a href="/resources/documents-library">Documents Library</a>,&nbsp;Guidance Documents&nbsp;and&nbsp;Assessment Tools&nbsp;sections. See:
<ul>
<li>Derby Pre Assessment;</li>
<li>Early Help Assessment;</li>
<li>Team Around the Family (TAF) Meeting Document;</li>
<li>Early Help Assessment Guidance.</li>
</ul>

Using the Early Help Assessment to Identify Support and Services

Obtaining Advice and using the Early Help Assessment

Where there are emerging needs the practitioner should first establish whether the child has an identified Lead Practitioner within another service, for example a Health Visitor, a Teacher or a Social Worker, by contacting the relevant&nbsp;<a href="local-contacts#childrens-social-care-and-local-authority-early-help-services">Locality Early Help Manager or Single Point of Access Clerk</a>. If so, they should liaise with that individual with regard to the child's current needs and services provided (as below).
Where there is no identified Lead Practitioner, they should obtain consent from the child and / or family, commence an Early Help Assessment and seek support from their agency to take this forward. This will involve speaking with the child, parents / carers and other involved practitioners to gather information and seek to understand what this means for the child and family, usually by means of a "Team Around the Family" (TAF) meeting. They should consider both the needs / strengths of the child and, where appropriate, the needs of the parent / carer (such as those who have mental health needs).
In the event that advice and support is required to progress the Early Help Assessment, the practitioner should contact the&nbsp;<a href="local-contacts#childrens-social-care-and-local-authority-early-help-services">Early Help Advisor</a>&nbsp;based in their locality. They can also assist with the coordination of practitioners from different agencies to establish the team around the family (TAF) meetings.
Further information about the Early Help Assessment can be found in the Guidance for Completing an Early Help Assessment document (see&nbsp;<a href="/resources/documents-library">Documents Library, Assessments Tools</a>).
If a practitioner requires advice, wishes to explore ways of engaging children and families in early help or discuss whether the threshold for a referral to Local Authority MAT or Children's Social Care met; they should call the&nbsp;<a href="local-contacts#advice-and-further-information">Children's Services Professional Consultation Line</a>. If the concerns/issues raised indicate that there is reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering or is likely to suffer, significant harm, the LA Team Manager will record the contact and advise the practitioner to contact the&nbsp;<a href="local-contacts#childrens-social-care">Initial Response Team</a>&nbsp;to make a referral.
See the Derby City Consultation Line Leaflet for Professionals for more information on the service (see&nbsp;<a href="/resources/documents-library">Documents Library, Leaflets</a>).
Staff in the Local Authority Multi-Agency Teams (MATs), Integrated Disabled Children's Service (IDCS) and integrated / co-located teams will have the opportunity for informal consultation with Social Workers in their localities.
If emerging needs are identified by the completion of an Early Help Assessment and it is likely that services are needed from other agencies, then the assessment and action plan can be submitted to other services requesting their input, with the consent of the family.
If a complex package of support is needed, or if services are required from the Local Authority, or to make a non-urgent referral to Children's Social Care, completed Early Help Assessments (or other relevant assessments) with the consent of the child and / or family can be submitted to the weekly Vulnerable Children's Meeting by the practitioner who has completed the assessment. They should be sent to the&nbsp;<a href="local-contacts#childrens-social-care-and-local-authority-early-help-services">Single Point of Access Clerk</a>&nbsp;in the relevant locality or at the Lighthouse for a child with a significant disability.
On completion of an Early Help Assessment, other appropriate assessment or assessment by Children's Social Care Reception team, the Vulnerable Children's Meeting will make a decision about allocation to the most appropriate practitioner or service for further assessment and action. In some cases there will be no need for Early Help Teams, MAT or Children's Social Care involvement and a referral to other services will best meet the needs of the child, or a decision made that no action is needed at that time.

Derby City

Where there are emerging needs the practitioner should first establish whether the child has an identified Lead Practitioner within another service, for example a Health Visitor, a Teacher or a Social Worker, by contacting the relevant Early Help Team. If so, they should liaise with that individual with regard to the child's current needs and services provided (as below).
Where there is no identified Lead Practitioner, they should obtain consent from the child and/or family to commence the Early Help Assessment and seek support from their agency to take the assessment forward. This will involve speaking with the child, parents / carers and other involved practitioners to gather information and seek to understand what this means for the child and family, usually by means of a "Team around the Family" (TAF) meeting. They should consider both the needs / strengths of the child and, where appropriate, the needs of the parent / carer (such as those who have mental health needs).
In the event that advice and support is required to progress the Early Help Assessment, the practitioner should contact their local Early Help Team for advice. They can also assist with the coordination of practitioners from different agencies to establish the Team Around the Family (TAF) meetings.
Further information about the Early Help Assessment in Derbyshire can be found in the Guidance for Completing an Early Help Assessment document (see&nbsp;<a href="/resources/documents-library">Documents Library, Assessments Tools</a>).
If a practitioner requires advice, wishes to explore ways of engaging children and families in early help or discuss whether the threshold for a referral to the Early Help Team or Children's Social Care met; they should call the&nbsp;<a href="local-contacts">Starting Point Consultation and Advice Service</a>.
If the concerns/issues raised indicate that there is reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering or is likely to suffer, significant harm, Starting Point will advise the practitioner to make a referral the&nbsp;<a href="local-contacts">Starting Point Consultation and Advice Service</a>&nbsp;will record the contact and advise the practitioner to contact Starting Point to make a referral.
If emerging needs are identified by the completion of an Early Help Assessment and it is likely that services are needed from other agencies, then the assessment and action plan can be submitted to other services requesting their input, with the consent of the family.
If a complex package of support is needed, or if services are required from the Early Help Team, or to make a non-urgent referral to Children's Social Care, completed Early Help Assessments (or other relevant assessments) with consent of the child and /or family can be submitted Starting Point to accompany the on line referral by the practitioner who has completed the assessment.
Starting Point receive all Initial Contacts where there is a request for general advice, information or a service for a child who may be a child with emerging or complex / serious needs. Information is shared with the Police and health services to ensure that families receive the right help at the right time.
In cases where there is no identified Lead Practitioner within the Early Help Team, Starting Point may provide information and advice or re-direction to other services. This action will be informed by any history of previous involvement with the child and family.
An Initial Contact will be created for all other cases where it is judged the child may have emerging or complex needs. This Initial Contact will be then passed to the Senior Practitioner within Starting Point for screening.
The Senior Practitioner will decide whether an Early Help Assessment and planning process should be commenced or continued through the Lead Practitioner.
The Senior Practitioner will, within 24 hours, decide whether the child requires:
<ul>
<li>The Early Help Assessment and planning process to be commenced or continued through the Lead Practitioner within the Early Help teams, this will then be allocated for support at the appropriate locality 'Vulnerable Childrens Meeting' (VCM);</li>
<li>Early Help Advisor supporting the referring agency to provide Early Help;</li>
<li>No further action;</li>
<li>A referral to Children's Social Care for an assessment by a Social Worker.</li>
</ul>
Starting Point will direct the Initial Contact / Referral to the appropriate team and advise the referrer of the outcome within 24 hours.
Further information about the Early Help Assessment in Derbyshire can be found online on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/home.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Derbyshire County Council website</a>.

Derbyshire

Engaging with Families and Sharing Information

Accurate information and a clear understanding of what is happening to a child within their family and community are vital to any assessment. The usual and most effective way to achieve this is by engaging children and parents in the process of assessment, and identifying the voice of each individual child and what life is like for them. The assessment should include family strengths as well as any needs, concerns or risks, and consider what the impact might be on the child and their family if the situation was left and no action taken. Differences of opinion with the family's views must be explored, reflected on and taken into account. It is vital that the assessment is clear about what needs to change, how the child, family and practitioners will know when things are better as this will help ensure that progress, or the lack of progress, can be identified and drift avoided.
All practitioners should expect to work in partnership with children and parents and this includes agreement about sharing information. Some families may not recognise difficulties, may be reluctant to engage, may avoid contact or even be hostile. It is important that practitioners use their skills to engage with all families through a variety of means and are persistent in these attempts. Practitioners should appropriately share information with each other in such situations in order to maximise their chances of engagement and/or to agree a lead role for someone who may have been able to establish contact.
See Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Partnership Information Sharing Guidance for Practitioners (<a href="/resources/documents-library">Documents Library, Guidance Documents</a>).

Working in partnership with children, parents / carers and families

It is essential that the child is seen and listened to and their wishes and feelings considered, whatever their method of communication, when undertaking the Early Help Assessment. Engaging with and listening to what children and young people have to say about what is happening to them in their lives, should be the cornerstone of effective intervention and support. There may be circumstances where the information from the child or young person will inform the nature of further action and will take place prior to the matter being raised with the parent or carer.

Involving children and young people

In all situations the overriding consideration as to whether to share information should be the safety and welfare of the child.
Obtaining parental, or where appropriate the child's consent to information being shared, should be a first consideration when practitioners first have contact with a child and/or their family. Written consent to share information should be sought wherever possible. A lack of consent should never compromise the safety or welfare of a child. However, consideration should be given to seeking the views of the parent/child as to why consent may be being withheld in line with their human rights.
A practitioner should record their decision and the reasons for it, whether or not they decide to share information. If the decision is to share, a practitioner should record what information was shared and with whom. They should also record any consultations and views sought which were undertaken as part of the process.
For further information please see:
<ul>
<li>Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Partnership Information Sharing Agreement and Guidance for Practitioners (see&nbsp;<a href="/resources/documents-library">Documents Library, Guidance Documents</a>); and</li>
<li><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safeguarding-practitioners-information-sharing-advice" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Information Sharing: Advice for Safeguarding Practitioners</a>.</li>
</ul>

Sharing information

Providing Services for Emerging Needs

Where a Multi-Agency response is required, the team around the family (TAF) brings together the child and / or family and practitioners from across different services that work together to co-ordinate and deliver an integrated package of support to meet the needs identified during the&nbsp;<a href="local-keywords" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Early Help Assessment</a>&nbsp;process. Working with the child and / or family, they will agree an action plan to describe the outcomes agreed and support to be provided or actions taken, by whom and within what timescale.
The assessment and TAF action plan are regularly reviewed by the TAF to monitor the progress towards the agreed outcomes. The review identifies any unmet or additional needs for the child or young person and should ensure a smooth transition between universal, targeted and specialist services. Reviews should usually take place at 6 weekly intervals but may be more or less frequent depending on needs.
Where a child has been in receipt of specialist services, and that service is coming to an end but transition to the early help process is needed it is the responsibility of the specialist service to convene an appropriate meeting to ensure a smooth transition.
Practitioners should follow their own agency procedures with regards to recording, but the plan and assessment should be shared documents.
The TAF Meeting Document for use by practitioners can be found in the&nbsp;<a href="/resources/documents-library">Documents Library, Assessments Tools</a>.

Team around the Family (TAF)

he Lead Practitioner is the person responsible for co-ordinating the actions identified in the assessment process, including any review TAF meetings. They are a single point of contact for children and young people with emerging needs who are supported by more than one practitioner within a team around the family.
The Lead Practitioner can be any practitioner working within the team around the family and should be the most appropriate person to act in the role at that time. The Lead Practitioner should be ideally someone with an established relationship with the family. In cases where The Lighthouse (disabled children's services) or the Youth Offending Service are involved, it is likely that that the practitioner from these services will be the Lead Practitioner.
If the child becomes subject of a statutory service such as Children's Social Care, the Lead Practitioner responsibility will transfer to the relevant specialist service.
Disagreements about the most appropriate person to be the Lead Practitioner should be addressed using the Derby and Derbyshire Multi Agency Dispute Resolution and Escalation Policy (see&nbsp;<a href="/resources/documents-library">Documents Library, Guidance Documents</a>).

The Lead Practitioner in Derby and Derbyshire

The Multi-Agency Teams (MATS) in Derby and Early Help Teams in Derbyshire will work at an early stage to help parents and carers meet the emerging needs of children and young people. They are also able to work with children and their family's following a period of specialist intervention when continued support is required.
The Multi-Agency Teams / Early Help Teams are all locality based and consist of a range of linked services. They may include:
<ul>
<li>Children's Practitioners;</li>
<li>Education Welfare Officers;</li>
<li>Youth Workers;</li>
<li>Youth Offending Service / Crime Prevention officers;</li>
<li>Children's Centre staff; and</li>
<li>Careers Guidance.</li>
</ul>
The teams are able to offer parenting programmes, targeted youth support groups, family support and targeted child development programmes. The teams have close links with their locality areas, the services within them and communities who live there.

Multi-Agency Teams (MATS) / Early Help Teams

Escalating Concerns and Differences in Professional Opinion

It is essential to keep under review the changing picture of whether the circumstances and outcomes for the child are improving or not. The views of children / young people and parents / carers about whether the help is making a difference are important in this, as are the views of practitioners and other objective measures. Where insufficient progress is made, or the situation deteriorates, consideration must be given in a timely way to the potential long term impact on the child, taking particular account of the age of the child, and whether a referral should be made to Social Care. In all cases drift and delay must be avoided.
If at any point within the early help assessment process serious/complex needs or child protection concerns are identified a referral to Children's Social Care should be made. See&nbsp;<a href="making-a-referral-to-social-care">Making a Referral to Social Care Procedure</a>.

Insufficient progress, increasing or new concerns

Occasionally practitioners in all agencies will come across families who prove to be reluctant, resistant, and sometimes angry or hostile to their repeated efforts to engage with them. In extreme cases there can be intimidation, abuse, threats of violence and actual violence.
In other cases they may appear to engage with practitioners, but only superficially and with no real commitment on their part. The adults may also be focused on their own needs which can divert practitioners from a focus on the child.
If this arises, practitioners must seek advice from their manager or designated safeguarding person to explicitly identify in a timely manner whether this parental behaviour is having a detrimental impact on the development of the child and together consider if other action might be necessary.
The behaviour may prevent or restrict opportunities to assess and observe the child in their own home. It may also restrict other sources of information from other practitioners or family members. It is important to explicitly work out and record what areas of assessment are difficult to achieve and why. The presence of violence or intimidation needs to be included in any assessment of risk to the child living in such an environment.
Insufficient cooperation and engagement of a parent / carer that impacts on the welfare of the child should be explicitly analysed to identify whether a referral should be made to Children's Social Care (see also&nbsp;<a href="making-a-referral-to-social-care">Making a Referral to Social Care Procedure</a>).

Parents who do not wish to work in partnership and disguised compliance

Practitioners should seek to agree the level of concern about a child. However it may be that individuals may legitimately have a different perspective as to the seriousness of concerns. Differences in professional opinion about a child's needs and concerns must be resolved using the Derby and Derbyshire Multi Agency Dispute Resolution and Escalation Policy (see Documents Library, Guidance Documents). Any practitioner has a responsibility to refer to Social Care if they consider the threshold is met and a child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm.

Differences in opinion

It is good practice to involve parents/carers, children and young people in multi-agency meetings, however there are occasions when it is may not be appropriate to involve them.
Professional meetings provide an opportunity for practitioners involved with a family to come together not only to share information, but also to help determine the direction of a case and the plan for a child/young person. They may be held to resolve uncertainty and are helpful where there are particularly complex family concerns, with extensive professionals/networks. Professional meetings can lead to staff being able to challenge families (especially where there is disguised compliance, hostility and resistance) and one another openly and effectively.
Where professional meetings take place, they should be focused on outcomes for the child and family and form part of a continuous process of assessment, planning, implementation and review across all levels of need, including early help.
Any practitioner can request a professional meeting however they should only be held after careful consideration is given to the need to exclude the family from the meeting. In most cases the family should be informed by the practitioner arranging the meeting that it is to take place. However, where this would be against the best interests of the child/young person, the family need not be informed in which case all invited agencies should be aware of this decision; see Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Partnership Information Sharing Agreement and Guidance for Practitioners (via&nbsp;<a href="/resources/documents-library">Documents Library, Guidance Documents</a>). Where decisions and recommendations have been made without family members being present they should be communicated to the family as soon as possible afterwards unless to do so would put the child at additional risk.
The reasons for the professional meeting and the decision to inform the family or not, should be documented within agency records and other agencies informed. Similar to other multi-agency meetings, professional meetings should be chaired by an appropriate person, have minutes taken along with clear actions/recommendations and review timescales.
Where there are differences in opinion about the need for a professional meeting, the outcome of a meeting or other issues, practitioners should refer to the Derby and Derbyshire Multi Agency Dispute Resolution and Escalation Policy (see&nbsp;<a href="/resources/documents-library">Documents Library, Guidance Documents</a>).

Professional Meetings

<div id="main_content" tabindex="-1"><main>
<div id="sections">
Practitioners should refer to the Derby City and Derbyshire Thresholds Document (see&nbsp;<a href="/resources/documents-library">Documents Library, Guidance Documents</a>) to support their decision making about escalating any concerns to other agencies including Children's Social Care. Serious or complex needs and child protection concerns should be referred to Children's Social Care, see&nbsp;<a href="making-a-referral-to-social-care">Making a Referral to Social Care Procedure</a>.
</div>
</main></div>

Referrals to Social Care

Derby City and Derbyshire Thresholds Document

Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Partnership Information Sharing Guidance for Practitioners

Child Protection Conferences

A&nbsp;Child Protection Conference&nbsp;brings together family members (and the child/ren where appropriate), supporters/Advocates and those practitioners most involved with the child and family to make decisions about the child's future safety, health and development. If concerns relate to an unborn child, any conference should be held prior to birth at 28 weeks pregnancy.
The tasks for all conferences are to:
<ul>
<li>Consider the information presented to the conference and, taking into account the child's present situation and information about their family history and present and past family functioning, to decide whether the child is suffering or likely to suffer&nbsp;Significant Harm;</li>
<li>Bring together and analyse, in an inter-agency setting the information which has been obtained about:
<ul>
<li>The child's developmental needs;</li>
<li>The child's wishes and feelings; and</li>
<li>The parents' capacity to respond to the child's needs to ensure their safety and promote the child's health and development within the context of their wider family and environment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Recommend what future action and timescales are required in order to safeguard and promote the welfare of the child, including the child becoming the subject of a&nbsp;Child Protection Plan, what the planned outcomes are for the child and how best to intervene to achieve these;</li>
<li>Confirm a lead Social Worker from Local Authority Children's Social Care for the child, or any child in the same family who requires a Child Protection Plan. The Social Worker is responsible for ensuring that the Child Protection Plan is developed, co-ordinated and fully implemented to timescale;</li>
<li>Identify a&nbsp;Core Group&nbsp;of practitioners and family members to develop, implement and review the progress of the Child Protection Plan;</li>
<li>Consider the need to inform the relevant Embassy if the child has links to a foreign country;</li>
<li>Put in place a contingency plan if the agreed actions are not completed and/or circumstances change impacting on the child's safety and welfare.</li>
</ul>
The Local Authority Children's Social Care Team Manager in consultation with a Child Protection Manager is responsible for making the decision to convene a child protection conference and the reasons for calling the conference (or not calling a conference following completion of a&nbsp;Section 47 Enquiry) must be recorded against each child.
A conference may be convened, by agreement with a Child Protection Manager, if requested by a practitioner, supported by a senior manager / named or designated practitioner where there is disagreement between agencies. The Derby and Derbyshire Dispute Resolution and Escalation Policy (see&nbsp;<a href="/resources/documents-library">Documents Library, Guidance Documents Section</a>) should be used.

Depending on the circumstances there are several different types of child protection conferences:
<ul>
<li>Initial conferences;</li>
<li>Pre-birth conferences;</li>
<li>Transfer in conferences (see also&nbsp;<a href="/resources/documents-library">Derby and Derbyshire Child Protection Transfer-in Process and Temporary Plans, Documents Library, Guidance Documents</a>);</li>
<li>Review conferences.</li>
</ul>
Note:&nbsp;All types of child protection conferences should include not only the child subject of the specific concerns but must also include all other children in that household or family.
Where this procedure refers to a child / or the child, this reference will apply to all children being included in the conference.&nbsp;
An&nbsp;Initial Child Protection Conference&nbsp;must be convened following a s47 Enquiry to safeguard and promote the welfare of a child who is suspected of, or likely to be, suffering Significant Harm.
A child who is subject of&nbsp;Care Proceedings&nbsp;without any order, pending the outcome of the final family court proceedings hearing or is subject to a Public Law Outline (PLO), should also be considered at an initial conference and will normally be subject to a Child Protection Plan.
In these cases, it is important for there to be an initial child protection conference within the 15 day timeframe.
In Derby, specific arrangements apply in respect of a child who has been subject to proceedings and is returning to carers in whose care the significant harm originally occurred, on a Supervision Order. Please see section 3 below.
In Derbyshire, a Child Protection Plan will be considered.
The initial child protection conference should take place within 15 working days of the&nbsp;Strategy Discussion / Meeting&nbsp;when the Section 47 Enquiries were initiated.
If there is a recommendation for an Initial Child Protection Conference (ICPC) to be convened, the Team Manager must ensure that there is an interim safety plan in place and this is to be shared with the Child Protection Manager and practitioners involved with the family.
If there is any delay, this must be reported to the Local Authority Children's Child Protection Manager (including reasons for the delay) and Local Authority Children's Social Care must ensure risks of harm to the child are monitored and action taken to safeguard the child.
A Pre-birth Conference is an initial child protection conference concerning an unborn child. Such a conference has the same status and must be conducted in a comparable manner to an initial child protection conference. The conference should be held at 28 weeks pregnancy, especially as some babies are born prematurely. Please also see Derby City and Derbyshire Multi-Agency Protocol for Pre-Birth Assessments and Interventions for guidance (<a href="/resources/documents-library">Documents Library, Protocols</a>).
A pre-birth conference should be held where:
<ul>
<li>A pre-birth assessment gives rise to concerns that an unborn child is likely to suffer significant harm;</li>
<li>A previous child has died or been removed from parent/s as a result of significant harm;</li>
<li>A child is to be born into a family or household that already has children who are subject of a Child Protection Plan;</li>
<li>An adult or child who poses a risk to children resides in the household or is known to be a regular visitor.</li>
</ul>
Other risk factors to be considered are:
<ul>
<li>The impact of risk factors such as severe and enduring mental ill health, problematic or chaotic substance misuse,&nbsp;high risk domestic abuse and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM);</li>
<li>Any concerns about the parent's ability to self care and/or care for the child e.g. where the parent has a learning disability / difficulty;</li>
<li>Where the parents are recent care leavers and there are indications that they remain vulnerable or their behaviours may impact on a child negatively;</li>
<li>An expectant mother is under 13 years of age or, where the mother is under 16 years, and there are additional concerns regarding her ability to self-care and/or to care for the child.</li>
</ul>
All agencies involved with pregnant women, where there are concerns about the unborn, should consider whether there is the need for an early referral to Local Authority Children's Social Care so that assessments are undertaken as early as possible in the pregnancy.
See&nbsp;<a href="/resources/documents-library">Derby City and Derbyshire Multi-Agency Protocol for Pre-Birth Assessments and Interventions for guidance</a>&nbsp;(Document Library, Protocols Section) for additional information on the decision making and assessment processes when working with pregnant women, their partners and family.
Transfer in conferences&nbsp;should take place when a child, who is the subject of a Child Protection Plan, moves from the&nbsp;original Local Authority area to another Local Authority area to live there permanently e.g. when there is clear evidence from the information available that the family intend to remain or have a current tenancy agreement in the area.
The &ldquo;originating&rdquo; local authority must always notify the &ldquo;host&rdquo; local authority of a child subject of a child protection plan moving on a permanent or temporary basis into its area, within 48 hours.
On receipt of notification of a transfer in, Children's Social Care will notify the Police, Health and other relevant organisations.
For children temporarily residing in Derby City and Derbyshire who are subject to a Child Protection Plan in another local authority area, this authority will retain responsibility for the child until such a time that a transfer in child protection conference has taken place and responsibility for the children transferred to the local authority where the child is currently living.
Please see the joint Transfer in Protocol for Derbyshire and Derby City (<a href="/resources/documents-library">Documents Library, Guidance Documents</a>) which includes the transfer in workflow for both Derbyshire and Derby City on Temporary residence in Derbyshire for children on a CP Plan.
The&nbsp;host&nbsp;Local Authority Team Manager must satisfy themselves that there are clear arrangements in place between the two local authorities to support the family until the transferring conference has taken place.
The &ldquo;originating&rdquo; local authority is responsible for demonstrating how criteria are met to hold a transfer conference. Transfer conferences would be held for:
<ul>
<li>Families who have new tenancy or permanent living arrangements (such as registered with new GP, School etc);</li>
<li>A child being registered at host area local authority school;</li>
<li>Families who have made a temporary move but with a clear and realistic plan to remain in the host area.</li>
</ul>
The transfer in conference should receive reports from the original Local Authority, and the original authority should be invited to attend the conference which should take place within 15 working days of the notification. Such a conference has the same status and purpose and must be conducted in a comparable manner to an initial child protection conference.
Temporary accommodation &ndash; or a regular visitor.&nbsp;The &ldquo;originating&rdquo; local authority must notify a &ldquo;host&rdquo; local authority if a child subject of a Child Protection Plan is a regular visitor or temporarily resident in another area &ndash; for example in a refuge or to stay with family members. The &ldquo;host&rdquo; authority must keep appropriate records of such children, identifying them as subject to a temporary plan, the key worker, the current plan and contingency arrangements.
During the temporary stay in an area, the child and family would access local services on a temporary basis. The &ldquo;originating&rdquo; Core Group must ensure that services are accessed consistent with the protection plan and liaise with new &ldquo;host&rdquo; agencies or services as appropriate.
Should safeguarding concerns arise for a child living in an area on a temporary basis, the &ldquo;host&rdquo; local authority is responsible for any S47 but must notify the &ldquo;originating&rdquo; local authority who must then be involved in strategy discussions.
Please see the joint Transfer in Protocol for Derbyshire and Derby City (<a href="/resources/documents-library">Documents Library, Guidance Documents</a>) which includes the transfer in workflow for both Derbyshire and Derby City.
A&nbsp;review conference&nbsp;is intended:
<ul>
<li>To review whether the child is continuing to suffer, or is likely to suffer, significant harm, and review developmental progress against the Child Protection Plan outcomes;</li>
<li>To consider whether the Child Protection Plan should continue or should be changed.</li>
</ul>
Every review should consider explicitly whether the child is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm and hence continues to require safeguarding from harm through adherence to a formal Child Protection Plan. If the child is considered to be suffering significant harm, the Local Authority should consider whether to initiate family court proceedings. For further guidance see the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/protecting-the-vulnerable/care-proceeding-reform/pd12a.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Public Law Outline (2014)</a>.
If&nbsp;not, then the child should no longer be the subject of a Child Protection Plan and the conference should consider what continuing support services may benefit the child and family and make recommendations accordingly.
Thorough, regular review is critical to achieving the best possible outcomes for the child and should focus on the progress of all aspects of the Child Protection Plan. It should consider any significant changes or areas of harm to the child. The review should decide if changes to the Child Protection Plan are necessary.
The first child protection review conference should be held within 3 months of the date of the initial child protection conference. If the initial conference was a pre-birth conference the review conference should take place within 1 month of the child's birth or within 3 months of the date of the pre-birth conference, whichever is sooner.
Further reviews should be held at intervals of not more than 6 months for as long as the child remains the subject of a Child Protection Plan.
All review conferences should consider the timescales to meet the needs and safety of the child. An infant or child under the age of 5 where there are serious concerns about the levels of risk might require the timescales to be shorter than those set above. The decisions should reflect the circumstances of the child and the impact on the child of the concerns rather than any agency constraints.
Where an early review is being considered, this should be discussed and agreed with the Child Protection Manager where / when:
<ul>
<li>Child protection concerns relating to a new incident or allegation of abuse have been identified;</li>
<li>There are significant difficulties in carrying out the Child Protection Plan;</li>
<li>A child is to be born into the household of a child or children already subject of Child Protection Plans;</li>
<li>An adult or child who poses a risk to children is to join, or commences regular contact with, the household;</li>
<li>There is a significant change in the circumstances of the child or family not anticipated at the previous conference and with implications for the safety of the child;</li>
<li>A child subject to a Child Protection Plan is also&nbsp;Looked After&nbsp;by the Local Authority and consideration is being given to returning them to the circumstances where care of the child previously aroused concerns (unless this step is anticipated in the existing Child Protection Plan). In these circumstances, a Child Protection Conference should take place to enable consideration of the need for a child protection plan;</li>
<li>The core group believes that it should consider an early cancellation of the need for a Child Protection Plan.</li>
</ul>

Types of conference

Looked After Children and Child Protection Conferences

Children who are already looked after will not usually be the subject of Child Protection Plans, though they may be the subject of a Section 47 enquiry; a strategy meeting or child protection conference must be held at the conclusion of a S47 investigation involving a Looked After Child, depending on the level of risk to the child. This should be attended by the child's Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) so they can monitor any future safeguarding concerns. Where a child is believed to be at ongoing risk of abuse or neglect of any form within their placement, first consideration should always be given to removing the child from that placement; exceptionally where that is not assessed as in the child's best interests, a Child Protection Plan must be considered.
The Care Plan and Placement Plan for a child who is looked after (whether there are proceedings pending an outcome, an Interim Care Order or a Care Order in place) should provide the means to safeguard the child. The Care Plan and Placement Plan should be reviewed and updated regularly at the Looked After Review and in response to new information or concerns about the welfare of the child. If it is proposed that a child subject to a Care Order should be returned to their birth family / returned home, the members of the statutory Looked After Review (<a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/441643/Children_Act_Guidance_2015.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations - Volume 2: Care Planning, Placement and Case Review</a>) when considering the proposal for rehabilitation must decide and record whether an initial child protection conference should be convened prior to the change. If the decision of the Review is that an initial child protection conference should be convened, the child's Social Worker must request it to take place within 15 days of the Looked After Children (LAC) Review decision.
A child looked after under s20 of the Children Act 1989, who has been or is about to be returned to a parent's care may be subject of a s47 enquiry and a child protection conference. See&nbsp;<a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/441643/Children_Act_Guidance_2015.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations - Volume 2: Care Planning, Placement and Case Review</a>.
The Local Authority Social Worker must discuss the case with the Local Authority Children's Social Care Manager who will make a decision about whether a s47 child protection enquiry should be initiated. If a child protection enquiry is initiated, the reasons for this must be clearly recorded on the child's record and may lead to an initial child protection conference. In these circumstances, the Local Authority Children's Social Care Social Worker and their manager should consider whether legal action is required to protect the child.

Looked After Children with Child Protection Plans

If a child subject of a Child Protection Plan becomes Looked After under Section 20, their legal situation is not permanently secure and the&nbsp;Looked After Review&nbsp;should consider the child's safety in the light of the possibility that the parent can simply request their removal from the Local Authority's care. The Looked After Review must be sure that the child's Care Plan provides adequate security for the child and sufficiently reduces or eliminates the likelihood of the child suffering significant harm as identified by the initial child protection conference. The Looked After Review, will be the forum for decision making on whether the child should continue on a Child Protection Plan or not.&nbsp;The&nbsp;Independent Reviewing Officer&nbsp;will seek assurance from the Child Protection Manager that discussions have taken place with the Team Manager that there has been full consultation with the core group in order to support the decision making process.
If a child ceases to be subject of a Child Protection Plan as a result of a decision at a Looked After Review, and the parent then unexpectedly requests the return of the child from the Local Authority's care, the Local Authority Children's Social Care Team Manager should discuss with the Child Protection Manager and Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) the need for an initial child protection conference. The Team Manager must record the reasons for the decision whether or not to hold a conference.
If a court grants a Care Order in respect of a child who is subject of a Child Protection Plan, the subsequent Looked After Review must make an assessment about the security of the child, considering issues such as the placement arrangements, contact and the looked after&nbsp;Care Plan&nbsp;for the child. If the Care Plan for the child involves remaining in or returning to the family of origin, the Looked After Review should give careful consideration to whether the child can be adequately protected through the framework of the Looked After Reviews or whether the Child Protection Plan should continue.

Children Subject to Child Protection Plans who become Looked After

Where a Looked After Child remains the subject of a Child Protection Plan there must be a single plan and a single planning and reviewing process, chaired or attended by the Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO). This should be considered on an individual case basis and managed to ensure that the independence of the Independent Reviewing Officer is not compromised.
This means that the timing of the review of the child protection aspects of the Care Plan under the requirements of these Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding Partnership procedures should be the same as the review under the&nbsp;<a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/441643/Children_Act_Guidance_2015.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2015</a>&nbsp;(also see the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/families/childrenincare/g00227338/iro-handbook" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IRO Handbook (DfE website)</a>). This will ensure that up to date information in relation to the child's welfare and safety is considered within the review meeting and informs the overall care planning process.
Consideration should be given to whether the criteria continue to be met for the child to remain the subject of a Child Protection Plan. Significant changes to the Care Plan should only be made following the Looked After Review.

Review Conferences and Children who are Looked After

An Interim Supervision Order may be issued at any point during care proceedings, and a Supervision Order at the conclusion of care proceedings.
The following applies to Derby City and Derbyshire County:
Children who are subject to a Supervision Order following the outcome of care proceedings&nbsp;and remain with a parent, will be placed on a Child Protection Plan. Normally, the Safeguarding Plan should continue at least until the order expires. However, exceptionally, where a core group and Child Protection Manager are unanimous that there is no further risk of significant harm, a decision may be made at a review conference to cease a child protection plan. (See Section 4.9 Supervision Orders for further information).
Children who are subject to a Supervision Order following the outcome of care proceedings and are placed with an alternative carer, will be treated as Children in Need and a Child in Need plan should be drawn up, in line with the Care Plan agreed in Court. (See Section 4.9, Supervision Orders for further information).

Children Subject to a Supervision Order

A conference will be chaired by a Child Protection Manager and should consist of only those people who have a significant contribution to make due to their knowledge of the child and family or their expertise relevant to the case. This is likely to include:
<ul>
<li>The child and/or their representative / Advocate;</li>
<li>Parents and those with parental responsibility and/or Advocate (particularly where parents have a learning disability or mental health problems);</li>
<li>Upon discussion with the conference chair, significant family members including the wider family;</li>
<li>Foster carers (current or former);</li>
<li>Residential care staff;</li>
<li>Local Authority Children's Social Worker who have led and been involved in an assessment of the child and family and their line manager where necessary;</li>
<li>Other Local Authority practitioners who have supported the Care Plan;</li>
<li>Midwifery services, where the conference concerns an unborn or new-born child;</li>
<li>Health practitioners involved with the child should attend the initial conference (e.g. Health Visitor, School Nurse, Paediatrician, GP and CAMHS) and at subsequent conferences the health representative should consist of the nominated lead health practitioner along with other agreed health staff, as relevant to the health needs of the child;</li>
<li>A discussion needs to take place at the point of a strategy discussion/meeting in identifying health practitioners who are currently working with the child and who are best placed to attend the initial child protection conference. This is important to ascertain for children over 5 years as a School Nurse may not be currently working with the young person;</li>
<li>GP's/Paediatricians invited to attend conferences and submit a written report; it is important to understand availability of GP's and Paediatricians at the strategy discussion/meeting and consideration given, if they are unable to attend in person, that a teleconference facility is available;</li>
<li>Education or early years staff involved with the child, including Education Welfare Officers;</li>
<li>Other agencies involved with the child including the Youth Offending Team or third sector organisations;</li>
<li>Practitioners involved with the parents or other family members e.g. Family Support Services, Adult Mental Health Services, Substance Misuse Services, Domestic Abuse Advisors, Adult Offenders Services i.e. National Probation Service, GP's;</li>
<li>Practitioners with expertise in the particular type of harm suffered by the child or in the child's particular condition e.g. a disability or long term illness;</li>
<li>Those involved in investigations:
<ul>
<li>The Paediatrician who conducted the medical assessment;</li>
<li>The Police should also be invited to all initial conferences whether they have been involved in the investigation or not (attendance will be prioritised when there is an on-going investigation otherwise relevant information will be shared). It is expected in all cases they will provide a report.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>When there is an individual subject to MAPPA arrangements, the lead agency for the MAPPA plan (MOSOVO/Probation);</li>
<li>Housing Providers;</li>
<li>A representative of the armed services, in cases where there is a service connection;</li>
<li>Any other relevant practitioner or service provider.</li>
</ul>
Either the Local Authority Social Worker and/or Child Protection Manager may seek legal advice prior to the conference.
Solicitors attending conferences must comply with the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.lawsociety.org.uk/advice/practice-notes/attendance-of-solicitors-at-local-authority-children-act-meetings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Law Society guidance: Attendance of solicitors at local authority Children Act meetings 2013</a>.
A practitioner observer can only attend with the prior consent of the Chair and the family, and must not take part in discussions or decision-making.
Practitioners who are invited but unable to attend for unavoidable reasons should:
<ul>
<li>Inform the conference administrator;</li>
<li>Submit a written report to the conference chair and family; and</li>
<li>Consider with the Child Protection Manager if a well-briefed agency representative to attend and speak to the report is required.</li>
</ul>
Report templates for initial and review child protection conferences can be found in the&nbsp;<a href="/resources/documents-library">Documents Library, Report Forms and Templates</a>.
Agencies are expected to share a report about the child and family in written form with the family, child and other agencies as appropriate, 2 days in advance of the initial child protection conference and 3 days in advance of the review child protection conference, regardless of whether they are able to attend the conference. Where possible, the sharing of reports should take place on a face to face basis and with direct discussion between the author and the family.&nbsp;Reports should be shared in a secure and confidential manner.
Babies and young children should not normally be present during the conference as the environment is often emotionally charged and could further harm the child. Parents can often feel anxious and distressed during these meetings and may not be aware of the impact that this can have on their child. Parents should be assisted to make arrangements for their care where necessary.
All children should be encouraged to give their wishes and feelings and where appropriate attend part of their conference or at the very minimum share their views with the Child Protection Manager.
<h3>Location, timing and safety of conferences</h3>
It is imperative that all children, both parents (in addition to a person with legal/parental responsibility at the time) have the opportunity to attend and participate in child protection conferences. This may be in person, in writing or through their agreed advocate. No conference should go ahead without the views of children and their parents.
All Child Protection Conferences will be held in local authority locations which are accessible to families and at a suitable time of day. Wherever possible, Local Authority Children's Social Care should provide parents with the opportunity to utilise appropriate day care for their children to enable their attendance at the conference.
The location and timing of the conference should be planned to ensure maximum attendance from the most critical attendees. It may be appropriate for key practitioners to contribute via conference calls. See&nbsp;<a href="#information-for-the-conference">Section 8, Information for the Conference</a>
Local Authority Children's Social Care is responsible for taking into account privacy, health and safety issues and security arrangements when planning each conference. See also&nbsp;<a href="#exclusion-of-family-members-from-a-conference">Section 6, Exclusion of Family Members from a Conference</a>.
<h3>Conference quorum</h3>
As a minimum quorum, at every conference there should be attendance by Local Authority Children's Social Care and at least 2 other practitioner groups or agencies, which have had direct contact with each child who is the subject of the conference.
In some circumstances there may be no health involvement at the Initial Child Protection Conference other than the GP if the child is over 5 years. In these circumstances the conference may go ahead with the Health representation being made via a report from the GP. The outcome of the strategy discussion/meeting and section 47 investigations should try to identify both police and health practitioner representation.
If the Chair makes a decision to cancel the conference there must be a clear case record as to the interim safety plan for the child and this is to be communicated to all agencies by the allocated Social Worker. An early Initial Child Protection Conference date will be set to review the child's and family circumstances.
The Chair may decide to proceed with the conference despite lack of agency representation. This would be relevant where:
<ul>
<li>A child has not had relevant contact with 3 agencies e.g. pre-birth conferences;</li>
<li>Sufficient information is available; and</li>
<li>A delay will be detrimental to the child.</li>
</ul>
Where an inquorate conference is held, an early review conference should be arranged.

Membership of a Child Protection Conference

It is important that the principles of partnership with children and parents are maintained in the child protection process. The following are minimum requirements for all attendees of the conference and the responsibility of the Chair of the conference to uphold:
<ul>
<li>Parents must be invited and encouraged to participate in all child protection meetings unless it is likely to prejudice the welfare of the child;</li>
<li>Parents should be supported to enable them to participate by timely preparation and information, such as leaflets, being provided about the process and their role. Agency reports to conference should be shared with parents 2 days in advance of an initial conference and 3 days in advance of&nbsp;a review conference, securely and confidentially.&nbsp;Where possible, the sharing of reports should take place on a face to face basis and with direct discussion between the author and the family.&nbsp;Reports should be shared in a secure and confidential manner;</li>
<li>Advocates should be facilitated to support parents where necessary;</li>
<li>A meeting with the Independent Chair immediately prior to the conference should take place;</li>
<li>Those parents (and/or children) for whom English is not a first language must be offered and provided with an interpreter, if required. A family member should not be expected to act as an interpreter of spoken or signed language.</li>
</ul>
Exceptionally, it may be necessary to exclude one or more family members from a conference, in whole or in part. Where a parent attends only part of a conference as a result of exclusion, they must receive the record of the conference. The Chair should decide if the entire record is provided or only that part attended by the excluded parent, and make a case note of the rationale which informed this decision (see&nbsp;<a href="#exclusion-of-family-members-from-a-conference">Section 6, Exclusion of Family Members from a Conference</a>).
Explicit consideration should be given to the potential for conflict between family members and possible need for children or adults to speak without other family members present. The Child Protection Manager will ensure that adults are kept out of a conference for the least time necessary and will use sensitivity in how and when in the conference confidential information is obtained in order to ensure safety for all who attend.
The child, subject to their level of understanding, needs to be given the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the conference. (See&nbsp;<a href="https://derbycsc.trixonline.co.uk/chapter/participation-in-child-protection-conferences" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Derby Children's Social Care Procedures Manual, Participation in Child Protection Conferences</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://derbyshire.gov.uk/council/have-your-say/community-involvement/participation/children-and-young-persons-feedback.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Derbyshire Children and Young People Participation Process</a>.
In practice, the appropriateness of including an individual child must be assessed in advance and relevant arrangements made to facilitate attendance at the initial part of the conference and then taken back home or to school by an appropriate person. As soon as possible after the conference the Social Worker must inform the child of the outcome.
Where it is assessed, in accordance with the criteria below, that it would be inappropriate for the child to attend, alternative arrangements should be made to ensure their wishes and feelings are made clear to all relevant parties e.g. use of an Advocate, written or recorded comments.
<h3>Criteria for presence of child at conference, including direct involvement</h3>
The primary questions to be addressed are:
<ul>
<li>Does the child have sufficient understanding of the process?</li>
<li>Have they expressed an explicit or implicit wish to be involved?</li>
<li>What are the parents' views about the child's proposed presence?</li>
<li>Is inclusion assessed to be of benefit to the child?</li>
</ul>
The test of 'sufficient understanding' is partly a function of age and partly the child's capacity to understand. The following approach is recommended:
<ul>
<li>A (rebuttable) presumption that a child of less than 12 years of age is unlikely to be able to be a direct and/or full participant in a forum such as a child protection conference;</li>
<li>A presumption (also rebuttable by evidence to the contrary) that from the age of 12 and above, a child should be offered such an opportunity.</li>
</ul>
A declared wish not to attend a conference (having been given such an explanation) must be respected.
Consideration should be given to the views of and impact on parent/s of their child's proposed attendance.
Consideration must be given to the impact of the conference on the child e.g. if they have a significant learning difficulty or where it will be impossible to ensure they are kept apart from a parent who may be hostile and/or attribute responsibility onto them. Consideration must be given in particular to the extent to which it is appropriate for a child to hear details of a parent's personal difficulties and a parent's view about this must be respected.
In such cases, energy and resources should be directed toward ensuring that, by means of an Advocate and/or preparatory work by a Social Worker, the child's wishes and feelings are effectively represented.
<h3>Direct involvement of a child in a conference</h3>
All practitioners who attend a conference must be mindful of how they communicate with the child and family and ensure they are not spoke over, but rather are included in the conversations held.
In advance of the conference, the Chair and Social Worker should agree whether:
<ul>
<li>The child attends for all or part of the conference, taking into account confidentiality or parents and/or siblings;</li>
<li>The child should be present with one or more of their parents;</li>
<li>The Chair meets the child alone or with a parent prior to the meeting.</li>
</ul>
If a child attends all or part of the conference, it is essential that they are prepared by the Social Worker or independent Advocate who can help them to present their views. Normally, attendance would be at the initial part of the conference and the child then taken back home or to school by an appropriate person. As soon as possible after the conference the Social Worker must inform the child of the outcome.
Provision should be made to ensure that a child who has any form of disability is enabled to participate.
Consideration should be given to enabling the child to be accompanied by&nbsp;an Advocate or their nominated representative who will provide support. See the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ddscp.org.uk/cyp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding Partnership website</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/social-health/adult-care-and-wellbeing/how-to-access-care-and-support/advocacy/advocacy-support-in-derbyshire.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Derbyshire Children's Independent Advocacy Service</a>.
<h3>Indirect contributions when a child is not attending</h3>
Indirect methods include written statements, e-mails, text messages and recorded comments prepared alone or with independent support, and representation via an Advocate.
All children should be encouraged to give their wishes and feelings and where appropriate attend part of their conference or at the very minimum share their views with the&nbsp;Child&nbsp;Protection&nbsp;Manager.
Childcare practitioners should all be able to represent a child's views and a particular responsibility falls upon the Social Worker to do so. It is important that the child feels involved in the whole process of child protection assessment rather than merely receiving an invitation to the conference.
<h3>Babies and younger children</h3>
Babies and young children should not normally be present during the conference as the environment is often emotionally charged and could further harm the child. Parents can often feel anxious and distressed during these meetings and may not be aware of the impact that this can have on their child. Parents should be assisted to make arrangements for their care where necessary.
In all circumstances, it is important that the professionals within the conference are able to demonstrate that they are able to fully represent and articulate the child&rsquo;s lived experience. The understanding of this should be developed through various interventions such as high-quality direct work and observations of the child or baby within the home environment and other settings as required.

Involving Children and Family Members

The conference Chair, or other participants, must be notified as soon as possible by the Social Worker if it is considered necessary to exclude one or both parents for all or part of a conference. The Chair should make a decision according to the following criteria:
<ul>
<li>Indications that the presence of the parent may seriously prejudice the welfare of the child;</li>
<li>Sufficient evidence that a parent may behave in such a way as to interfere seriously with the work of the conference such as violence, threats of violence, racist or other forms of discriminatory or oppressive behaviour, or being in an unfit state (e.g. through drug, alcohol consumption or acute mental health difficulty). In their absence, a friend or Advocate may represent them at the conference;</li>
<li>A child requests that the parent / person with parental responsibility is not present while they are present;</li>
<li>The presence of one or both parents would prevent a practitioner from making their proper contribution through concerns about violence or intimidation (which should be communicated in advance to the conference Chair);</li>
<li>The need (agreed in advance with the conference Chair) for members to receive confidential information that would otherwise be unavailable, such as legal advice or information about a criminal investigation;</li>
<li>Conflicts between different family members who may not be able to attend at the same time e.g. in situations of domestic abuse;</li>
<li>Where a parent or carer is subject to either Police or Court imposed bail, Police advice should be sought;</li>
<li>The chair&rsquo;s final decision on attendance of all parties will be based on the best interests of the child.</li>
</ul>
If the reason for the exclusion is due to potential violent or threatening behaviour, it is expected that the allocated Social Worker will complete a risk assessment and share the risks with key agencies involved with the family.
Where a worker from any agency believes a parent should, on the basis of the above criteria, be excluded, representation must be made, at least 3 working days in advance, to the Chair of the conference.
The agency concerned must indicate which of the grounds it believes is met and the information or evidence on which the request is based. The Chair must consider the representation carefully and may need legal advice.
If, in planning a conference, it becomes clear to the Chair that there may be a conflict of interest between the children and the parents, the conference should be planned so that the welfare and safety of the child remains paramount.
Any exclusion period should be for the minimum duration necessary and must be clearly recorded in the conference record.
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 Chair may ask them to leave.
Where a parent is on bail, or subject to an active Police investigation, it is the responsibility of the Chair to ensure that the Police representative can fully present their information and views. The parents should also be supported to participate as fully as circumstances allow without the risk of incriminating themselves in any criminal investigation. In some circumstances this might mean that if the Police representative may be asked to leave a conference after providing information.
Conferences should not be the place where parents are arrested if they have a police / court summons against them. In these circumstances where it is known by agencies that there is a police warrant in place in respect of a parent, agencies should encourage the parent to present themselves to the police prior to the conference. This will ensure that parents are not arrested during the conference.
The decision of the Chair over matters of exclusion is final regarding both parents and the child/ren.
If, prior to the conference, the Chair has decided to exclude a parent, this must be communicated to them, and the Chair must ascertain how they will share their views about their children to conference.&nbsp;The Chair must ensure arrangements are in place to provide feedback to parents on the outcome of the conference and about the complaints procedure.
Those excluded should ordinarily have been provided with a copy of the reports from all agencies prior to the conference, unless it is considered unsafe to do so. They should also be provided with the opportunity to have their views recorded and presented to the conference. The Chair will determine whether or not the excluded parent should receive the record of the conference.
If a decision to exclude a parent is made, this must be fully recorded in the record. Exclusion at one conference is not reason enough in itself for exclusion at further conferences.

Exclusion of Family Members from a Conference

If children and/or parents do not wish to attend the conference they must be provided with full opportunities to contribute their views. The Social Worker must facilitate this by:
<ul>
<li>The use of an Advocate or supporter to attend on behalf of the child or parent;</li>
<li>Enabling the child or parent to communicate their wishes and feelings by using suitable tools to support their voice being heard;</li>
<li>Agreeing that the Social Worker, or any other practitioner, expresses their views.</li>
</ul>
The Child Protection Manager must record the absence and the reasons for absence.

The Absence of Children and/or Parents

In order for the conference to reach well-informed decisions based on evidence, it needs adequate preparation and sharing of information on the child/ren's needs and circumstances by all agencies that have had significant involvement with the child and family, including those who were involved in the assessment and the s47 enquiry. All reports must be clear and distinguish between facts, allegations and opinions. Professionals should be sufficiently prepared to share their views in relation to a plan moving forward alongside views in relation to visiting arrangements to see the child.
<h3>Virtual Meetings &ndash; Sharing Reports for Conference</h3>
There will be occasions when conferences are held virtually using a digital platform such as MS teams.
In order for practitioners to make an informed decision regarding the safety of a child and the need for a Child Protection Plan it is important that information is shared in a timely way offering practitioners the opportunity to read the information and make an informed view prior to the conference taking place.
There is an expectation that each agency takes responsibility for sharing their reports with the parents and practitioners involved with the conference.
For this to happen it is expected that all agencies who are represented in a strategy meeting where a decision has been made to proceed to an ICPC, notify the key representatives in their agencies who are responsible for attending child protection conferences. It is advisable for agencies to share their central email addresses with all practitioners at the strategy meeting and inform their agency representative that all reports for ICPC&rsquo;s must be shared at a minimum 2 days before the conference.
For Review Child Protection Conferences there will already be a core group of practitioners in place supporting the family and progressing the child protection plan. In these cases, agency representatives are expected to share their reports prior to the review child protection conference and with the professional members of the core group and the family 3 days in advance of the review conference taking place in order to ensure that all conference members are fully prepared to engage in the discussion within the meeting.
Agencies must take great care to ensure they comply with their agency data sharing policies and UK GDPR.
The child protection admin office will ensure that the following information is shared with attendees:
<ul>
<li>Practitioner email addresses;</li>
<li>The Child Protection Conference Agenda;</li>
<li>The Confidentiality Statement.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Report Sharing</h3>
The reports should be provided to parents and older children (to the extent that it is believed to be in their interests) at least 2 working days in advance of the initial conference and a minimum of 3 working days before a review conference to enable any factual errors to be corrected and the family to comment on the content.
The reports should be available to the conference Chair at least 2 working days prior to the initial conference and 3 working days in advance of the review conference.
Consideration should be given to support any additional needs of the parents and the children.
Where agencies make a decision to translate the document, they must take into consideration the time to translate within the timescale for submission to conference.
<h3>Local Authority Children's Social Care report</h3>
Local Authority Children's Social Care should provide all conferences with a written report that summarises and analyses the information obtained in the course of the assessment undertaken in conjunction with the child protection enquiries under&nbsp;<a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/41/section/47" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Section 47 of the Children Act 1989</a>&nbsp;and information in existing records relating to the child and family. Reports to Review conferences should include a clear analysis of the implementation and progress of the Child Protection Plan including any new information or obstacles to implementation. The report for a child protection conference should be consistent with the information set out in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ddscp.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Derby &amp; Derbyshire Safeguarding Partnership procedures</a>.
Where decisions are being made about more than one child in a family the report should consider the safeguarding needs of each child.
The record of the assessment by the Social Worker should form a part of the report to the initial conference.
The conference report should include information on the dates the child was seen by the Social Worker during the course of the Section 47 enquiries, if the child was seen alone and if not, who was present and for what reasons.
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.
Within Childrens Social care it is expected that all reports are agreed by their manager.
<h3>Reports from other agencies</h3>
All reports submitted by agencies for conference should be written using language and terminology that can be understood by all practitioners and families; information about their involvement with the family should be submitted in a written legible report which should be signed (or electronically signed) for the conference.
All agencies should use the&nbsp;<a href="/resources/documents-library">Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Partnership template for Multi-Agency Reports for Initial Child Protection Conferences (ICPC)</a>&nbsp;(see Document Library, Report Forms and Templates Section) or for reviews the&nbsp;template for&nbsp;<a href="/resources/documents-library">Multi-Agency Reports for Review Child Protection Conference (RCPC)</a>&nbsp;(see Document Library, Report Forms and Templates Section).
GP's should use the GP ICPC Report template and the Child and Parent/Carer Profile templates which can be found within GP's electronic systems or in the&nbsp;<a href="/resources/documents-library">Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Partnership Documents Library</a>.
Medical reports will not be shared amongst conference members. A copy should be provided to the Conference Chair. The Paediatrician attending the meeting will interpret relevant information for the conference; however their report should be written using language and terminology that can be understood by all practitioners and families.&nbsp;If the Paediatrician is not able to attend in some circumstances, they will support this process either in person or via the teleconferencing process.
<h3>Information from children and families</h3>
Children and family members should be helped in advance to consider what they wish to convey to the conference, how they wish to do so and what help and support they will require (e.g. they may choose to communicate in writing, by other means or with the help of an Advocate).

Information for the Conference

The Chair of a child protection conference will be a Child Protection Manager, accountable to the Director of Children's Services. They must not have or have had operational or line management responsibility for the case. Wherever possible, the same person should also chair subsequent child protection reviews in respect of a specific child.
The Child Protection Manager&lsquo;s role must remain independent and they do not make the ultimate decision regarding whether a child is to be subject to a Child Protection Plan as this is the social work and agency decision UNLESS there is a split decision in this circumstance the child protection manager will analyse the information heard and make the ultimate decision recording the rational for this in the minutes or summary of the meeting. There may be a requirement, albeit rare where the child protection manager makes a professional judgement to overrule the decision of the conference. For instance, this situation may occur when the child protection manager has significant concerns about the impact on the safety of the child.
If a decision is made that a child requires a protection plan to safeguard their welfare, the Chair should ensure that:
<ul>
<li>The risks to the child are stated and what is needed to change is specified;</li>
<li>All plans must ne risk focused and SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic &amp; Timebound);</li>
<li>Professional visiting arrangements must be clearly set out including details of contingency planning;</li>
<li>A qualified Local Authority Children's Social Worker is identified as a Lead Social Worker to develop, co-ordinate and implement the Child Protection Plan;</li>
<li>A&nbsp;Core Group&nbsp;is identified of family members and practitioners;</li>
<li>A date is set for the first core group meeting within 10 working days of the initial conference and timescales set for subsequent meetings;</li>
<li>A date for the child protection review conference is set;</li>
<li>The outline&nbsp;Child Protection Plan&nbsp;is formulated and clearly understood by all concerned including the parents and, where appropriate, the child.</li>
</ul>
In Derby City, all participants to conference will leave with a clear Decision Outline and Recommendation (DOR). The record will be available on the Local authority systems within 24 hours. In Derbyshire a summary and plan from the conference is sent out within 5 working days.
If the conference determines that a child does not need the specific assistance of a Child Protection Plan but does need help to promote their welfare, the Chair must ensure that:
<ul>
<li>The conference draws up a Child in Need plan or makes appropriate recommendations for a plan;</li>
<li>The conference considers any local protocols in place referred to as "step down procedures" or Family Group Conference processes.</li>
</ul>

Chairing the Conference

<h3>Threshold for a Child Protection Plan</h3>
The conference should consider the following question when determining whether a child requires a multi-agency Child Protection Plan:
<ul>
<li>Has the child suffered&nbsp;Significant Harm? and</li>
<li>Is the child likely to suffer significant harm in the future?</li>
</ul>
The test for likelihood of suffering harm in the future should be that either:
<ul>
<li>The child can be shown to have suffered maltreatment 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</li>
<li>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 maltreatment or the impairment of health and development as a result of neglect or physical, emotional or sexual abuse.</li>
</ul>
If a child is likely to suffer significant harm, then they will require multi-agency help and intervention delivered through a formal Child Protection Plan.
The primary purposes of this plan are to:
<ul>
<li>Ensure the child is safe from harm and prevent them from suffering further harm;</li>
<li>Promote the child's health and development; and</li>
<li>Support the family and wider family members to safeguard and promote the welfare of their child, provided it is in the best interests of the child.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Decision that a child needs a Child Protection Plan</h3>
If a decision is taken that the child is likely to suffer 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 (that is&nbsp;Physical Abuse,&nbsp;Emotional Abuse,&nbsp;Sexual Abuse&nbsp;or&nbsp;Neglect, 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.
Where a child is to be the subject of a Child Protection Plan, the conference is responsible for recommendations on how agencies, practitioners and the family should work together to ensure that the child will be safeguarded from harm in the future. This should enable both practitioners and the family to understand exactly what is expected of them and what they can expect of others.
The conference should design a plan that takes account of the known risks and relevant assessments to design specific and measurable targets for improvement. The progress against the targets should be reviewed at regular and specific points.
The plan should:
<ul>
<li>Describe specific, achievable, child-focused outcomes intended to safeguard each child. A clear outcome focussed plan will enable the family and core group of professionals to understand objectives and measure the impact of the actions designed to meet those objectives;</li>
<li>Describe the actions required for each child by family, practitioners and, where appropriate, the child themselves, including the nature and frequency of contact by practitioners with children and family members;</li>
<li>Set a timescale for the completion of these actions;</li>
<li>Reflect the requirements of a MAPPA plan if there is one, and vice versa;</li>
<li>Regular core groups and review processes must take place in order for the protection plan to progress and avoid any elements of drift. It is expected that the core group will develop clear measures to evidence what success looks like to parents;</li>
<li>All core group participants will work towards achieving the objectives of the child protection plan and will work open and honestly with family members;</li>
<li>Lay down points at which progress will be reviewed, by the core group and next conference;</li>
<li>Identify a contingency plan to respond if the family is unable to make the required changes and the child remains likely to suffer significant harm.</li>
</ul>

The Child Protection Plan

If the conference decides that a child is not likely to suffer significant harm then the conference cannot make the child the subject of a Child Protection Plan. The child may nevertheless require services to promote their health or development. In these circumstances, the conference should consider the child's needs and make recommendations for further help to assist the family in responding to them. Where appropriate, an outline child in need plan may be drawn up.
The decision must be put in writing to the parent(s), and agencies as well as communicated to them verbally.
<h3>Discontinuing a current Child Protection Plan</h3>
The conference should use the same decision-making process to reach a judgement for when a protection plan is no longer needed. This includes situations where other multi-agency planning might need to replace a Child Protection Plan.
A child may no longer need a Child Protection Plan if:
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<li>A review conference judges that the child is no longer likely to suffer significant harm and no longer requires safeguarding by means of a Child Protection Plan;</li>
<li>A child has come into care and is sufficiently protected in this way;</li>
<li>The child has moved permanently to another local authority (in which case the Child Protection Plan can only cease after the receiving authority has convened a transfer child protection conference and confirmed in writing responsibility for case management);</li>
<li>The child has reached 18 years of age, has died or has been judged to have permanently left the UK, when their name can be removed.</li>
</ol>
A plan may only be discontinued at the first (3 month) review conference if:
<ul>
<li>Criteria b, c or d (above) apply; OR</li>
<li>The original concerns are evidenced to be unsubstantiated to the satisfaction of conference attendees; AND</li>
<li>The review conference is attended by key agencies including those who attended the initial conference, OR they have been consulted prior to conference and expressed their views in writing.</li>
</ul>
It is the exception rather than the rule that a child will be removed from a Plan at the first Review.
No Child Protection Plan may be discontinued at any review whilst key safeguarding actions are incomplete.
Where a child has come into care, the need for a plan will be considered at the first Looked After Review, chaired or attended by the Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) after consultation with the relevant Child Protection Manager, Team Manager and agencies present at the last conference.
In a small number of cases a plan maybe discontinued prior to the Looked After Review if is known that the child has come in to care and this status is stable. There will be a discussion between the Child Protection Manager, Team Manager and the Independent Reviewing Officer.
It is permissible for the Local Authority Child Protection Manager to agree to the discontinuing of a Child Protection Plan without the need to convene a child protection review conference only when:
<ul>
<li>One or other of the criteria c or d outlined above are satisfied; AND</li>
<li>The manager has consulted with relevant agencies present at the conference that first concluded that a Child Protection Plan was required.</li>
</ul>
When this process is followed to discontinue a Child Protection Plan, the consultation with other agencies and the decision to discontinue the Child Protection Plan must be clearly recorded in the Local Authority Children's Social Care child's record and the child health record.
When a child is no longer subject of a Child Protection Plan, the notification should be sent, as a minimum, to the parents, the agencies' representatives who were invited to attend the initial conference that led to the plan and other practitioners who have subsequently joined the core group.
This applies both when a plan is discontinued at a conference or, as described above, when it is permissible for the Local Authority Child Protection Manager to agree the discontinuing of a Child Protection Plan without a conference.
When a Child Protection Plan is discontinued, the conference must agree with the parents and child/ren what services might be needed and required, based on the needs of the child and family. Where applicable, a Child in Need Plan (CiN Plan) should be developed for any continuing support.
All children who have been subject to a Child Protection Plan will be supported by a CiN Plan for a minimum of 3 months. The plan can however be discontinued by agreement of ALL the CiN membership following the first CiN Review.
Any CiN Plan following step down from a conference must be robust, with:
<ul>
<li>A clear plan addressing any outstanding actions and with a contingency in the event of further concerns, as agreed in conference. The plan must be circulated within 2 weeks of the conference;</li>
<li>The plan must identify appropriate visiting frequency for all agencies;</li>
<li>In Derby: an initial CiN review should be held at 8 weeks and subsequent CiN reviews held every four months thereafter. Where appropriate and agreed by the professional network, additional network meetings can be arranged;</li>
<li>In Derbyshire: CiN reviews booked 6 weekly.</li>
</ul>
The case must not be closed without a review, even if the family will not engage, although the review may be brought forward if appropriate.

Child does not require a Child Protection Plan

If an agency does not agree with a decision or recommendation made at a child protection conference, it will be recorded formally within the Decisions Outcome and Recommendations forms and the Child Protection conference records. It is important that all dissents are properly considered and there is a transparent process within which concerns can be raised and responded to.
It is important that the dissent process should only be used where the decision and outcome of the meeting is being challenged. The Derby City and Derbyshire joint Child Protection Conference Professional Dissent Process can be found in the&nbsp;<a href="/resources/documents-library">Documents Library, Guidance Documents</a>.
Other issues relating to practice or how the conference is managed should be raised via&nbsp;<a href="/resources/documents-library">Derby and Derbyshire Multi Agency Dispute Resolution and Escalation Policy</a>.

Professional Dissent from the Conference Decisions

Parents and, on occasion, children, may have concerns about which they wish to make representations or complain, in respect of one or more of the following aspects of the functioning of child protection conferences:
<ul>
<li>The process of the conference;</li>
<li>The outcome, in terms of the fact of and/or the category of primary concern at the time the child became the subject of a Child Protection Plan;</li>
<li>A decision for the child to become, to continue or not to become, the subject of a Child Protection Plan.</li>
</ul>
All complaints received by parents/carers will be responded to under the statutory complaints procedure. Complaints about aspects of the functioning of conferences described above should be addressed to the conference Chair. Such complaints should be passed on to the Chair's manager. Complaints about the outcome and decision should be passed to the Social Worker and their manager for consideration at the next Core group meeting, and a response given by the Chair.
Whilst a complaint is being considered, the decision made by the conference stands.
The outcome of a complaint will either be that a conference is re-convened under a different Chair, that a review conference is brought forward or that the status quo is confirmed along with a suitable explanation.
Complaints about individual agencies, their performance and provision (or non-provision) of services should be responded to in accordance with the relevant agency's own complaints management process.

Derby and Derbyshire Multi Agency Dispute Resolution and Escalation Policy

Agency Roles and Responsibilities

Child Protection Section 47 Enquiries

Providing Early Help

Child Protection Conferences

Managing Individuals who Pose a Risk of Harm to Children

Domestic Abuse

Safeguarding Children at Risk of Abuse Through Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

Hoarding - Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Multi Agency Framework

Multi Agency Dispute Resolution Escalation Protocol FINAL Nov 2024.pdf