Issue - meetings

To inform members of the Committee of the child protection process.

Members received a detailed report setting out the processes from referral to review for children “at risk of significant harm”. It was noted that referrals were possible from a number of sources such as the police, a professional in the child’s network, or from the public, including a family member. The process for assessing a child who could be at risk was set out in the Pan London Child Protection Procedures. Every referral into the service was looked at and assessed by the screening manager. Where the screening manager concluded that a child was at risk a referral was made to the police Child Abuse and Investigation Team and a Child Protection Strategy meeting convened within 24 hours. If the meeting concluded that there was insufficient evidence to suggest significant harm a social worker would be allocated and a core assessment carried out.  Details of the S47 core assessment which was carried out when the social worker had concerns was noted.  Where substantial concerns remained following the strategy meeting, albeit not life threatening an Initial Child Protection Case Conference was convened within 15 working days of the Strategy meeting. This meeting would determine whether a child had a ongoing risk of significant harm and should therefore be the subject of a child protection plan. In less urgent cases a Core Assessment, taking up to 35 working days could be undertaken before the Initial Child Protection Conference, but there would be regular strategy meetings during that time frame to ensure the child’s continued safety. Members were informed that the police now require updates every seven days if there was a single agency investigation. Details of the processes and timescales for reviewing a child protection plan were noted.  Currently there were 264 children who were the subject of a plan, this constituted 54 per 10,000 and was higher than the national average of 42 per 10,000 which was of 31 March 2009, although it was noted that the national figure may well now be higher. In future with a more effective CAF model and better intervention strategies it was hoped that this figure would be reduced. In circumstances where the harm was found to be so great that children could not remain with their parents immediate alternative care was found either through police protection, an Emergency Protection order through the court or, if parents agreed, children could stay elsewhere whilst the investigation and planning took place.

Details of the cases subject to ongoing social work intervention that were being tracked since July 2009 were noted.

The Committee welcomed the conference feedback from parents and children and were pleased to note the number of children and young people who wished to be involved.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.