Information for Professionals

New London Child Protection Procedures

The 3rd edition of the London Child Protection Procedures are now available. The link below will take you to their website so that you can download a copy. A brief summary has been produced highlighting the changes from the old procedures.

www.londonscb.gov.uk/procedures/

Changes to the CP Procedures

Patrick Leeson's letter on changes to CP Procedures

Child Protection Plans and the Child Protection Register

What has changed?

RBK Children's Services and Safeguarding no longer keep a 'child protection register'. If a child protection case conference decides a child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm they will agree a child protection plan for that child.

When it is necessary to tell anyone of this we will say that the child is 'subject of a child protection plan'.

This change follows Government guidance in Working Together to Safeguard Children, 2006. It is being made to focus workers and families on the child protection plan and the day-to-day actions everyone needs to take to safeguard the child. This is what keeps children safe and makes a difference to their lives.

What has stayed the same?

All the duties described in guidance and legislation (see references) remain, including:

For all workers and volunteers

Being able to recognise and report a child who may be suffering harm through abuse or neglect
Listening to children and their parents
Assisting Children's Services in any enquiries about a child who may be suffering harm
Knowing when to share information to safeguard any child
Knowing how to escalate concerns if you think another agency's response is inadequate
Being open and honest with children and their families and listening to their views, including considering any cultural differences
Arranging for interpretation, translation and other services to enable everyone to participate in the safeguarding process
Contributing to core assessments on any child who may be suffering harm in line with the Framework for Assessment, 2000.

If you are working with a child who has a child protection plan

Know what the child protection plan says and what you have to do
Know who the keyworker is and how to contact them
Implement any policies and procedures that you would have used for children previously described as being 'on the child protection register'
See the child regularly
Report any concerns you have about the child to key worker immediately
Attend all child protection conferences with a written report that you have given to the family and discussed with them before the meeting
Attend core groups and take a progress report on your work with the child and their family

Child Protection Plans

A child protection plan is a working tool that should enable the family and professionals to understand what is expected of them and what they can expect of others. The aims of the plan are:

To keep the child safe
To promote their welfare
If it can be done safely, to support their wider family to care for them

It is the responsibility of the core group (including family members) to draw up the detailed plan, although here in Southwark the plan is largely drafted at the case conference.

It is the role of the key worker to co-ordinate the plan, including keeping the child up to date with the plan, including keeping the child up to date with the plan and finding out what their views are.

Effective plans should:

Identify any further assessments needed
Identify the root causes of the harm to the child, based on assessments so far
Set out specific and achievable child-focused outcomes (both long and short term)
Set out what both the family and workers involved need to do to stop the child suffering harm
Set out which workers will be checking the child is safe and well on a day to day basis
Include a contingency plan, i.e. what should be done if the child protection plan is not working
Describe how and when the child protection plan will be reviewed.

References

What to Do if You are Worried a Child is Being Abused HM Government (2006)

Working Together to Safeguard Children HM Government (2006)

Information Sharing: Practitioner's Guide HM Government (2006)

Assessing Children in Need and their Families: Practice Guidance DoH (2000)