Child Protection Plans
AMENDMENT
This chapter was updated in November 2020 in line with local practice.
Contents
- Introduction
- Formulation of the Child Protection Plan
- The Lead Social Worker Role
- The Core Group
- Difficulties in Implementing the Child Protection Plan
1. Introduction
When a conference decides that a child should be the subject of a Child Protection Plan, a qualified social worker must be appointed as the lead social worker to co-ordinate all aspects of the inter-agency child protection plan.
The Child Protection Plan must make clear to the child, family, and all relevant professionals the exact nature of the concerns which resulted in the child requiring the plan.
The Child Protection Plan should set out what work needs to be done, why, when and by whom. If there are obstacles to progressing the Child Protection Plan that cannot be satisfactorily addressed, an early Review Child Protection Conference must be convened.
The Child Protection Plan can be used as evidence in any legal proceedings of the services which have been put in place to work in partnership with the child and family to reduce the level of risk.
The Core Group is the forum to co-ordinate this multi-agency, collaborative work and the membership will have been identified at the initial child protection conference.
2. Formulation of the Child Protection Plan
Purpose of child protection plan
The purpose of a child protection plan is to facilitate and make explicit a co-ordinated approach to:
- Ensure that each child in the household is safe and prevent them from suffering further harm;
- Promote the child's safety and wellbeing;
- Provided it is in the best interests of the child, to support the family and wider family members to safeguard and promote the wellbeing of their child.
It must be clarified for parents:
- What the causes for concern are that have resulted in the decision that a child needs a child protection plan;
- What needs to change and contingency plans if not;
- What the intended outcomes of the intervention and services are;
- What is expected of them as part of the plan for safeguarding the child.
Review of progress on achieving the outcomes set out in the child protection plan and consideration as to whether changes need to be made should be an agenda item at each review conference and core group meeting. Contingency plans should be made, if there is no evidence of change in relation to the child's safety and wellbeing.
Detailed child protection plan
The lead social worker must ensure that there is a record of the core group meetings and update the Plan to reflect timescales and expected outcomes for the child.
The child protection plan should take into consideration the wishes and feelings of the child, and the views of the parents, insofar as they are consistent with the child's wellbeing. The lead social worker should make every effort to ensure that the child/ren and parents have a clear understanding of the planned outcomes, that they accept the plan and are willing to work to it.
The completed child protection plan should be explained to the child in a manner which is in accordance with their age and understanding. The child should be given a copy of the plan written at a level appropriate to their age and understanding, and in their preferred language.
Professionals should ensure that the parents understand:
- The evidence of the child suffering significant harm, or likely significant harm, which resulted in the child becoming the subject of a child protection plan;
- What needs to change;
- What is expected of them in the plan to safeguard the child.
If the parents' preferences have not been accepted in the plan about how best to safeguard and promote the wellbeing of the child, the reasons for this should be explained. Parents should be told about their right to complain and make representations, and how to do so.
All parties should be clear about the respective roles and responsibilities of family members and different agencies in implementing the child protection plan.
Any disagreements should have been discussed at the core group meeting, recorded with reasons and reflected appropriately in the written plan.
Reference to the Child Protection Plan should also be on the adult's record if the parent is known to adult services. This is the responsibility of the adult services worker allocated to the family.
All agencies are responsible for the implementation of the child protection plan and all professionals must ensure they are able to deliver their commitments or, if not possible, that these are re-negotiated.
3. The Lead Social Worker Role
It is important that the role of the lead social worker is fully explained at the Initial Child Protection Conference and at the Core Group.
At every initial or pre-birth conference, where a child protection plan is put into place, the conference chair must name a qualified social worker, identified by the Team Manager, to fulfil the role of lead social worker for the child.
The lead social worker should complete the Child & Family assessment, securing contributions from core group members and others as necessary. They should co-ordinate the contribution of family members and other agencies to plan the actions which need to be taken, put the child protection plan into effect, and review progress against the planned outcomes set out in the plan.
The lead social worker should also regularly ascertain the child's wishes and feelings, and keep the child up to date with the child protection plan and any developments or changes.
The lead social worker should:
- See the child (including the observations of infants and babies in their parents' care) as agreed in the child protection plan. The frequency of visiting must be determined in the child protection plan. This will usually be set at every two weeks, however, there may be situations where statutory visits will be set to weekly or every three weeks (exceptional circumstances only and needs to be agreed by the conference chair);
- See the child on their own on each occasion;
- Explain the plan to the child in a manner which is in accordance with their age and understanding and agree the plan with the child;
- Undertake direct work with the child and family in accordance with the child protection plan, taking into account the child's wishes and feelings and the views of the parents in so far as they are consistent with the child's wellbeing;
- Convene and lead second and subsequent core group meetings (the first core group meeting having been led by the Team Manager);
- Ensure core group minutes are completed by a member of the core group. The Lead Social Worker is responsible in ensuring that the minutes are uploaded onto the child's electronic file and that the Child Protection Plan reflects the updates agreed at the Core Group
- Provide an updated agreed child protection plan for all core group members and the Team Manager within 5 working days of the core group meeting;
- Ensure that the child protection plan is further developed, in conjunction with members of the core group, into a detailed multi-agency protection plan;
- Clearly note and include in the written record any areas of disagreement;
- Formulate a composite chronology obtaining a full understanding of the family's history, which must involve reading previous social care files as well as current records in use in Children's social care, including those relating to other children who have been part of any households involving the current carers of the child. Additional information should be obtained from relevant other agencies and local authorities;
- Complete the Child & Family assessment of the child and family, securing contributions / information from core group members and any other agencies with relevant information;
- Co-ordinate the contribution of family members and all agencies in putting the plan into action and regularly reviewing the objectives stated in the plan;
- The lead social worker must maintain a complete and up-to-date record on the child's current file.
4. The Core Group
Responsibilities
The core group is responsible for the detailed formulation and implementation of the child protection plan, previously outlined at the conference. Agencies should ensure that members of the core group undertake their roles and responsibilities effectively in accordance with the agreed child protection plan.
All members of the core group are jointly responsible for:
- Collecting information to assist the lead social worker in completing the Child & Family assessment;
- Continuing to update the composite chronology;
- Participating in the compilation and analysis of the Child & Family assessment;
- The formulation and implementation of the detailed child protection plan, specifying who should do what, by when;
- Carrying out their part in implementing the plan including the commitment of identified resources;
- Monitoring and evaluating progress against specified outcomes for the child of the detailed child protection plan;
- Making recommendations to subsequent review conferences about future protection plans and the child's needs being met stipulating specific outcomes;
- Attending core group meetings and reviewing progress to ensure that there is no drift in achieving the aims of the Child Protection Plan;
- The core group must ensure that the child protection plan sets out the frequency for all core group members (every four weeks) to visit the child and the frequency of all contacts;
- All action points must be clearly recorded, analysis of the risk of harm to the child should be made and all the information should be shared with the lead social worker and the core group. All core group members are responsible for keeping a record of the outcome of the meeting.
If the lead social worker or any other involved professional has difficulty obtaining direct access to the child, the Team Manager / safeguarding lead should be informed, as well as other core group members. Legal advice should also be sought where appropriate. This must result in a plan of action agreed between core group members and the police (where necessary) including consideration of convening a review conference.
Membership
Membership of the core group will have been identified at the initial child protection conference and must include:
- The lead social worker;
- The child if appropriate;
- Parents and relevant family members;
- Professionals involved with the child and / or parent;
- Foster carers or residential care staff who will have direct contact with the family.
Core groups are an important forum for working with parents, significant members of the network, and children of sufficient age and understanding. Where there are conflicts of interest between significant members of the network in the work of the core group, the child's best interests should always take precedence.
Timing
The date of the first core group meeting must be within 10 working days of the initial child protection conference. After that the core group should meet every four weeks of the first meeting. More regular meetings may be required according to the needs and age of the child.
The first core group meeting date must be arranged at the end of the Initial Child Protection Conference, along with the required frequency of subsequent meetings.
Dates for future meetings must be agreed at the first core group meeting following each conference. Where a meeting needs to be rescheduled, this must be reconvened as a matter of priority.
5. Difficulties in Implementing the Child Protection Plan
Where any member of the core group is aware of difficulties implementing the protection plan, the lead social worker should convene an urgent core group meeting or a brought forward Review Child Protection Conference.
If members are concerned that there are difficulties implementing the protection plan arising from disagreement amongst professional agencies or a core group member not carrying out agreed responsibilities this must be addressed by:
- First, discussion with core group members;
- Second, if required, involvement of respective managers / safeguarding leads;
- If the situation remains unresolved see Managing Professional Differences Policy.