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Children: Protection

Answer

[holding answers 21 June 2007]: All organisations that work with children share a commitment to safeguard and promote their welfare, and for many organisations that is underpinned by a statutory duty or duties. Local authorities that are children’s services authorities have a number of specific duties to organise and plan services and to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Children’s trusts are local area partnership arrangements, underpinned by the Children Act 2004 duty to cooperate, for bringing together key agencies which deliver services for children young people and their families.Section 11 of the Children Act 2004 places a duty on key people and bodies to make arrangements to ensure that their functions are discharged with regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. The application of this duty will vary according to the nature of each agency and its functions.Councils with local authority children’s social services functions have particular responsibilities towards all children whose health or development may be impaired without the provision of services, or who are disabled (defined in the Children Act 1989 as children ‘in need’). They should agree, with LSCB partners, criteria with local services and professionals as to when it is appropriate to make a referral to local authority children’s social care in respect of a child in need. They should also agree the format for making a referral and sharing the information recorded.Professionals who phone local authority children’s social care should confirm referrals in writing with 48 hours. The Common Assessment Framework provides a structure for the written referral. At the end of any discussion or dialogue about a child, the referrer (whether a professional or a member of the public or family) and local authority children’s social care should be clear about proposed action, timescales and who will be taking it, or that no further action will be taken. The decision should be recorded by local authority children’s social care and by the referrer (if a professional in another service). Local authority children’s social care should acknowledge a written referral within one working day of receiving it. If the referrer has not received an acknowledgement within three working days, they should contact the local authority children’s social care again.Local authority children’s social care should decide and record next steps of action within one working day. This information should be consistent with the information set out in the Referral and Information Record (Department of Health, 2002). This decision should normally follow discussion with any referring professional/service and consideration of information held in any existing records, and involve discussion with other professionals and services as necessary (including the police, where a criminal offence may have been committed against a child). This initial consideration of the case should address—on the basis of the available evidence—whether there are concerns about with the child’s health and development or actual and/or potential harm that justifies and initial assessment to establish whether this child is possibly a child in need. Further action may also include referral to other agencies, the provision of advice or information, or no further action.All child protection conferences, both initial and review, should have a dedicated person to take notes and produce a record of the meeting. The record of the conference is a crucial working document for all relevant professionals and the family. Cases where s47 inquiries do not result in the substantiation of referral concerns should be retained in accordance with agency retention policies. These policies should ensure that records are stored safely and can be retrieved promptly and efficiently.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

144384; 462 c537-9W

Session

2006-07

Subjects

Children Protection

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk