Child Protection Conferences

Decision making at a Child Protection Conference should be well-informed and evidence based. Written reports are therefore key to ensuring that all of the known information is presented in an accessible manner with a clear analysis of what the significance of the information is, as well as ensuring that key information does not get lost.

The social work report for a conference should explain:

• The reason for the conference;
• The child’s needs;
• Parental capacity;
• Family & Environment context;
• How the child has been abused and neglected;
• The impact of this abuse on health and development;
• Their analysis of the risks & protective factors: this will incorporate the Signs of Safety analysis;
• Their recommendations for action;
• How this action will keep the child safe.

Social work report for initial conference

The social work report should follow the episode set out in Mosaic. The report should be based on the information gathered during the Section 47 Enquiries as well as any other relevant information from previous involvement with the family by Social Care. Where decisions are being made about more than one child in the family, the report should consider the individual safeguarding needs of each child. All types of Child Protection Conferences should include not only the child subject of the specific concerns but must also include consideration of the needs of all other children in the household. The report should also contain details about when the child was seen and whether they were seen alone.

The Social Work report should provide an analysis of the risks and protective factors using the Signs of Safety headings, a recommendation as to whether a Child Protection Plan is required and an outline plan of what needs to change.

Due to the timescales in which an initial conference must be held, it is likely that any detailed assessment will not be complete, however the assessment process should be on-going after the conference.

Social work report for review conference

The social work report for a Review Conference should consider the information that was presented to the initial conference and provide an update containing any new information that has come to light since the last conference, any changes that have taken place and consider progress against the plan.

The report should also contain and updated child protection plan, reflecting the above information as well as a Signs of Safety analysis.

More detailed information

For more detailed information, please see the London Safeguarding Children Procedures.

A Child Protection Conference brings together the family and professionals working with them to make decisions about the child’s (including unborn children) future safety, health and development.

The conference should analyse the information available to make a decision about whether any of the children in the household are suffering or likely to suffer significant harm and whether a Child Protection Plan (CP Plan) is required (even if concerns are only being expressed about one child).

Where it is agreed that a plan is required a key worker (a social worker from Harrow) is to be identified as the key worker and a Core Group should be formed to develop and monitor the Child Protection Plan.

The agenda for conference and the category definitions are laid out in the conference room on laminated cards for the parents/carers and agencies to access.

If the category is neglect the on-going assessment will be undertaken using the Quality of Care Neglect Toolkit.

Pre-birth conferences

A pre-birth conference has the same status as an initial case conference and as such should analyse the information available to make a decision about whether the unborn baby is likely to suffer Significant Harm requiring a multi-agency child protection plan. Such conferences will usually follow from a pre-birth assessment (using the Pre-Birth Procedure and Assessment Tool found in the Documents Library) and there are other specific circumstances when a pre-birth conference should be held. 

Booking a conference

To book an initial child protection conference the social worker must task the CP Administrator on Mosaic. An invitation list must be provided within 24 hours of agreeing a date and should include:

• Full details of parents/carers;
• Family GP; and
• Other agencies involved.

If parents or children do not wish to attend the conference this must be respected. However, they must still be provided with full opportunities to contribute their views.

Children

Wherever possible the child should be offered a chance to meet with the Chair prior to the conference in order to have a chance to express their views directly. If this is not possible or not wanted by the child then other methods of communicating their views (e.g. children and young people contribution forms, emails, texts, etc.) are acceptable.

If a child does not attend conference, or is too young, then there is a responsibility on all those present to ensure that their views are represented, with a particular responsibility on the social worker. Children should feel that they are involved in the whole process and that this is not merely something done to them.

All children aged 8 and above should be referred to the Advocacy Service (see Advocacy and Independent Visitors Procedure) once a decision is made to proceed to conference, unless there are clear and agreed reasons with the parents or carers. The advocate will prepare the child to attend the conference and / or will provide the child’s views on their behalf.

Advocacy is provided by the Harrow children’s advocacy service which is coordinated by Harrow Association of Disabled People (HAD).

Parents

If parents choose not to attend then they must be provided with every opportunity to contribute their views, either in written format, use of an advocate/supporter to attend the meeting on their behalf or agreeing that the social worker or other professional can express their views to the conference.

More detailed information

For more detailed information please see the London Safeguarding Children Procedures, Child Protection Conferences Procedure which also contains the questions to be addressed when considering whether a child should attend a conference.

As discussed in the section on involvement of children and family (see Section 3, If Parents/Children Choose Not to Attend), all attempts should be made to ensure that relevant people can attend the conference and make their contribution. In exceptional circumstances it may be necessary to exclude one or more family members, however even if excluded it is important that they have the right to have their views expressed in the meeting.

Such situations will be rare, however the Chair and others present at the conference should be told as soon as possible if the social worker feels that there is a need to exclude one or both parents. The ultimate decision about whether someone should be excluded falls to the Chair and is dependent on whether certain criteria are met. The Chair may need to seek legal advice and their decision is final.

Needs of the child

Where there is conflict present between the children and parents, the needs of the child must remain paramount and the planning of the conference should be amended accordingly (e.g. separate times for attending the conference).

Parents on police bail

If the parents are on bail or subject to an active police investigation the plan of the conference may need to be amended to ensure that the police can present their information whilst the parents participate as fully as possible. The purpose of the conference is not to aid a police investigation.

More detailed information

For more detailed information please see the London Safeguarding Children Procedures, Child Protection Conferences Procedure which also contains the criteria that must be referred to when considering whether a family member should be excluded.

Child Protection Plans aim to ensure that children who are identified as being at risk of significant harm are kept safe and achieve their developmental goals. They assist with and measure change that takes place within a family, ensuring that the family and all agencies are working towards the same outcome for the child.

The conference will draw up an Outline Plan, which it is then the responsibility of the Core Group co-ordinated by the Social worker as the Lead Professional to develop into a Child Protection Plan and monitor until the next conference.

The table below sets out how the plan should be formed, circulated, implemented and the outcomes for children monitored through the process.

The initial child protection conference will stipulate the frequency of home visits to see the child. These timescales may need to change according to how the case is progressing. The frequency of visits will be discussed at the Core Group and revised. This decision needs to be recorded in the Core Group Meeting Minutes on Mosaic and agreed by the social worker’s line manager. The CP plan needs to be updated accordingly on Mosaic. The social worker will notify the CP Chair of the decision and rationale.