Child Protection Plans

1. Introduction

The Isle of Man uses the principles of the Signs of Safety Approach (SOS) to enable all participants of the Child Protection Case Conference an understanding of how best to safeguard and promote the welfare of child/ren and young people. The model utilises solution focused and focused resolution approaches where families and professionals alike are encouraged to be fully engaged in the process. The key to the approach is to be inclusive and not directive. This particular model of working is based on appreciative enquiry, asking the right questions at the right time using the Dynamic Risk Assessment tool (DRAT) which focuses on risk, protective factors, and the impact of these upon the child to assist practitioners to make decisions.

SOS demands collaborative work across all agencies and professional disciplines and encourages family participation through listening to contributions of the child, the parents and professional links to a family's network.

It is crucial from the onset that the conference takes account of the clear views of family members, particularly if there is any disagreement about what needs to happen and why. It is also important to take into account whether the child and parent/s have any language or learning disabilities as this would prevent them from having a full understanding of the meeting and an inability to raise any disagreements during discussion, and whilst the Child Protection Risk Action Plan is being drawn up.

Visual aids (the white board) should be used during the conference to summarise all of the information relating to the thorough exploration of the risks, protective factors and the impact of these on the child. It is imperative that all information on the white board is presented clearly to enable all participants to agree a way forward and make suitable arrangements to support the family.

When a Child Protection Conference determines that a child is at risk of ongoing significant harm a multi-agency Child Protection Risk Action Plan is produced in response to the decision that a plan is required. It is the duty of all practitioners during the conference to develop an effective plan to ensure that the child is protected and their best possible outcomes are achieved.

When a conference decides that a child should be the subject of a Child Protection Risk Action Plan, a qualified social worker must be appointed as the lead social worker to co-ordinate all aspects of the inter-agency plan.

The plan with the family should involve only those people required, this is to avoid families having to meet numerous people from different agencies which can be confusing.

The risk statement should be discussed and produced during the meeting outlining what needs to change for the Risk Action Plan to be no longer required.

If there are obstacles to progressing the Child Protection Plan that cannot be satisfactorily addressed, an early Child Protection Review Conference must be convened.

The Child Protection Risk Action 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 Risk Action Plan

Purpose of the Child Protection Risk Action Plan

The purpose of a child protection risk action 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 welfare, health and development.

Provided it is in the best interests of the child, to support the family and wider family members to safeguard and promote the welfare of their child. The Child Protection Risk Action Plan should set out what work needs to be done, why, when and by whom. It should include all things needed to address the concerns and risks identified and be outcome focused and timely. The plan must be set out clearly to enable the child and family to understand:

The agreed risks, and what are the causes of concern that have resulted in the decision that a Child Protection Risk Action Plan is needed;
What needs to change and what needs to happen to support the family and what are the contingency plans if there is no change;
Who needs to do it;
When will it be done;
The outcome to be achieved and what difference will it make;
What is expected of the child and parent/s.

There should be a review of progress on achieving the outcomes of the plan and consideration given as to whether any changes need to be made. This should be an agenda item of the core group.

Contingency plans should be made, if there is no evidence of change in relation to the child's safety and welfare.

Detailed child protection risk action plan - written agreement

The lead social worker must ensure that there is a record of the core group meetings and must ensure that they formulate the detailed Child Protection Plan setting out timescales and expected outcomes for the child. Once complete, the minutes of the meeting must be distributed to all invited delegates of the meeting and the family concerned.

The child protection risk action plan / agreement 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 welfare. 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.

It is important to gauge whether the family feel included and if they agree or disagree with any aspects of the plan.

Any disagreements with the family must be acknowledged at the time of the conference or very soon after given that the family's agreement demonstrates a willingness to cooperate and work alongside professionals to achieve the best outcome.

The child and parent's views and agreement to the plan must be documented within the outcome and discussion documents of the conference that will be sent to parents soon after the conference.

Although parents may appear to agree with the plan and the arrangements made during the meeting, it may be that soon after they decide to disagree and therefore must be provided with information about how to complain and appeal the conference decision.

It is the responsibility of the Independent Chairperson to ensure that the parent/s are aware of their right to complain and appeal the conference decision. How to complain about any aspect of the meeting and what to do if they wish to appeal the decision will need to be explained, with leaflets provided. See Leaflets 'How to make a Complaint' and 'How to Appeal the Child Protection Conference decision'.

The completed child protection risk action plan / agreement should be explained to the child in a manner which is in accordance with their age and understanding.

If the parents' preferences have not been accepted in the plan / agreement about how best to safeguard and promote the welfare of the child, the reasons for this should be explained.

All parties should be clear about the respective roles and responsibilities of family members and different agencies in implementing the child protection plan / agreement.

Copies of the notes should be circulated to core group members within three working days of the core group meeting. Implementation of the child protection risk action plan must begin immediately.

Any disagreements put forward during the conference and afterwards (if they remain unresolved) should be discussed at the core group meetings, recorded with reasons and reflected appropriately in the written plan.

The Child Protection Risk Action Plan / agreement should also be on the adult service user's record if the parent is known to adult social care or health services.

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 risk action 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 assessment of the child and family, 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 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 (infants and babies to be seen awake) as agreed in the child protection plan. The frequency of visiting must be determined in the child protection plan and reviewed by the core group;
See the child on their own on at least alternate occasions;
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;
See the child's bedroom as agreed in the plan but not less than alternate occasions;
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 welfare;
Convene and lead second and subsequent core group meetings (the first core group meeting should be chaired by the team manager). Complex cases should be led by the team manager, this arrangement will need to be discussed and agreed by the team manager with a decision made as to whether the team manager will continue to chair the subsequent core groups;
Provide a written record of meetings for all core group members and the team manager;
Ensure that the outline child protection risk action plan is 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;
Obtain 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 and Family services, 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;
Complete the Needs Assessment, Robust Risk Analysis Timely, Effective Support (Narrates) 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 signed record on the child's current electronic file.

4. The Core Group

Responsibilities

The core group is responsible for the detailed formulation and implementation of the child protection risk action 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 risk action plan.

All members of the core group are jointly responsible for:

Collecting information to assist the lead social worker in completing the Narrates Assessment;
Participating in the compilation and analysis of the Narrates assessment;
The outline/detail of the child protection risk action plan will be discussed and written during the conference. It is the responsibility of core group members to clearly understand who does what and when and for all members to be responsible for progressing the plan;
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 plan;
The core group must ensure that the child protection risk action plan sets out the frequency for all core group members to see 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 social worker and their manager, as well as other core group members must be informed. This must result in a plan of action agreed between core group members and the police 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 and team manager. Which one of these professionals chairs/ leads the core group is dependent on the complexity of the case, this will be agreed between the social worker and team manager;
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, wider family members, and children of sufficient age and understanding. Where there are conflicts of interest between family members 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 ten working days of the initial child protection conference. After that the core group should meet monthly. More regular meetings may be required according to the complexity, needs and age of the child, the core group should discuss this.

The first core group meeting date must be arranged at the end of the 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 confirmed in writing to all concerned by the lead social worker.

5. Difficulties in Implementing the Child Protection Plan

Where any member of the core group is aware of difficulties implementing the protection risk action plan, the lead social worker must be informed immediately and a core group meeting / discussion co-ordinated to agree a reconsidered child protection plan. Alternatively, a strategy discussion/meeting should be convened to consider the need for immediate emergency police action to gain access to a premises where appropriate, a Section 46 Enquiry, legal action, and/or to bring forward the date of the review challenge child protection conference. Arranging a legal planning meeting should be considered by the lead social worker with their line manager.

Circumstances about which the lead social worker should be informed include inability to gain access to a child who is subject to a child protection risk action plan, for whatever reasons, on two consecutive home visits (the second visit being a second attempt to see the child in close succession of the first attempt).

If members are concerned that there are difficulties implementing the protection risk action 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 / child protection designated individuals (for example team manager Children's Services, designated / named safeguarding children doctor / nurse, teacher or police DCI);
If a professional remains concerned and in situations where a resolution cannot be sought the Escalation of Concerns Procedure should be considered to agree a way forward to establish a solution.