Why is my family being involved in a Child Protection Case Conference?
The Child Protection Case Conference has been arranged as a result of the Child Protection Inquiry that has just taken place.
After the Child Protection Inquiry the Social Worker involved gave a report to his/her Manager. The Manager decided that there should be a Conference.
The Conference has been arranged because it is felt that there are enough reasons to be concerned that your child could be at risk of significant harm because of abuse or neglect.
The Conference has also been arranged to get people together to share information about your child and your family and to consider whether or not your child is at risk of being abused or neglected. And if he or she is at risk, what can be done to change the situation so that there is no risk?
Working out whether children and families need help because there is a Child Protection problem, and working out the sort of help that is needed, is best done by all the Agencies (Social Work, Health, Education, etc) coming together, with you, at a Conference.
The Social Work Service and other agencies involved want you to be involved in discussing how your child can be kept safe from harm.
The chances of your child being kept safe are greatly improved when everybody co-operates in working together.
What is a Child Protection Case Conference?
A Child Protection Case Conference is a multi-agency meeting. This means that it is a meeting organised by the Social Work Service but involves people from other places.
For example, if your child is under 5, the Health Visitor, your GP, nursery or child and family centre staff (if your child attends a nursery or family centre) will all be invited. If your child is at school then someone from the school will be invited. The Police and community health doctors are always invited.
The Child Protection Case Conference will be chaired by a Manager from the Social Work Service. It is their job to make sure that everyone is able to contribute their views at the Conference and that everything that needs to be talked about is discussed.
Should I attend the Child Protection Case Conference?
Yes.
This is your child and your family that is being discussed so you have a right to know what is being said. Your also have the legal responsibility to look after your child properly and to help you do this you need to know what other people say.
You should discuss with the Social Worker the possibility of your child also attending the Conference, if he or she is old enough to understand and say what they think.
Occasionally, the person chairing the meeting may want to hear something without you being present. This could, for example, be if the Police have information that they do not wish to share with you at this stage. You will be told about this if it happens.
What happens at a Child Protection Case Conference?
The Conference will start with the person chairing the meeting asking everyone to introduce themselves. The chairperson will then say why the Conference has been arranged. The chairperson will then say how they plan to organise the meeting - he order that things will be discussed in.
The Conference will discuss your child and your family so far as this is relevant to the concerns that have been raised during the Child Protection Inquiry.
This may make you feel very uncomfortable or angry. The other people at the Conference do feel that it must be very difficult to have your family spoken about at a Conference. So no-one is going to think any less of you if you are uncomfortable or angry. The person chairing the meeting will want to discuss what led up to the Conference being called and details of the Child Protection Inquiry.
The person chairing the meeting will ask people to talk about your child's health and development. This will include physical, emotional and educational development. Dependent on the reason's for the Child Protection Inquiry the chairperson may also wish to hear about your family; how people get on with each other, what sort of things happen on a day to day basis in your home, etc.
The last part of the meeting will be when the chairperson asks Social Workers and people from other agencies to say whether they think your child's name should be placed on the Child Protection Register. The chairperson will listen to what they say and then say what the decision is. If your child's name is placed on the Child Protection Register the chairperson will also say what category this will be under. Depending on the circumstances this will be either Physical Abuse, Physical Neglect, Sexual Abuse, Emotional Abuse or Non-Organic Failure to Thrive.
The Chairperson of the Conference will then go on to say what the recommendations of the Conference are. This will be to do with how any problems that are discussed could be tackled - by you and by the other people at the Conference helping you. The Social Work Service have a legal duty to tell the Reporter about children who are the subject of a Case Conference.
Finally, if your child's name is placed on the Child Protection Register, the chairperson will make sure that everybody makes an arrangement to meet to draw up a detailed Child Protection Plan.
The Child Protection Plan.
If your child's name has been placed on the Child Protection Register, there needs to be another meeting within two weeks. This will not be as formal as the Child Protection Case Conference.
The purpose of this meeting is to draw up the Child Protection Plan. The people involved will be yourself along with the key people who know, and have contact with, you and your child.
The Child Protection Plan is a detailed document that says:
- what the protection problems are:
- what changes people agree need to be made so that your child will not be at risk of significant harm;
- how it is planned that these changes will be achieved;
- what the plans are for people such as the Social Worker, Health Visitor, etc to visit you and your child and keep a check on your child's health and development whilst he or she is named on the Child Protection Register.
The Child Protection Plan will be reviewed at least every six months. You will be invited to be part of that review.
- Your views and opinions do matter. It is your child who will be discussed at the Conference and you have a responsibility and a right to be involved.
- It is you who knows your child and your family best. That is why your involvement in the Conference is important.
- Everyone involved in the Conference wants your child to be looked after by you, so long as your child is safe from harm.
- The problems that have led to this Conference will best be solved by everyone involved working together.
- Please note that information shared in a Case Conference can be used in criminal or civil proceedings.