Developing the Child Protection Plan

1. The Child Protection Plan

Each child considered to have suffered or be at risk of suffering must have a Child Protection Plan. Also see: The Child Protection Plan which is recorded on the agreed pro forma;
The details of the plan will then be developed in the Core Group - see The Core Group;
The overall aims of the Child Protection Plan are:
- To ensure the child is safe and prevent him or her from suffering further harm by supporting the strengths, addressing the vulnerabilities and risk factors and helping meet the child's unmet needs;
- To promote the child's welfare, health and development; and
- 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.
If the Child Protection Plan is not successful in achieving these objectives, an early Child Protection Review Conference must be convened;
The Child Protection Plan must make clear to the child, family, and all relevant professionals the exact nature of the concerns which resulted in the child requiring the plan;
Children must be seen a minimum of once every 15 working days. However, if the worries are significant then this should be more often. The specific frequency of visits will be determined at the Initial Case Conference and will be included within the outline Child Protection Plan. Remember, children subject to Child Protection Plans are some of the most vulnerable children on Wirral. Therefore, we need to ensure that they are seen regularly to ensure that they are safe and to help build relationships to assist their ability to tell us their daily lived experience;
Please refer to GUIDE TO CHILD PROTECTION VISITS;
The Child Protection Plan should set out what work needs to be done, why, when and by whom. The Plan should:
- State when and in what situations the child will be seen by the child's Lead Social Worker, both alone and with other family members or caregivers present;
- Describe the identified developmental needs of the child, and what therapeutic services are required;
- Include specific, achievable, child-focused outcomes intended to safeguard and promote the welfare of the child;
- Include realistic strategies and specific actions to achieve the planned outcomes;
- Include a Contingency Plan to be followed if circumstances change significantly and require prompt action;
- Clearly identify roles and responsibilities of professionals and family members, including the nature and frequency of contact by professionals with children and family members;
- Lay down points at which progress will be reviewed, and the means by which progress will be judged; and
- Set out clearly the roles and responsibilities of those professionals with routine contact with the child - e.g. health visitors, GP's and teachers - as well as those professionals providing specialist or targeted support to the child and family.

2. Intervention

It is important that services are provided to give the child and family the best chance of achieving the required changes. If a child cannot be cared for safely by his or her parent(s), legal advice will need to be sought and he or she will have to be placed elsewhere whilst work is being undertaken with the child and family;
Irrespective of where the child is living, interventions should specifically address:
- The developmental needs of the child;
- The child's understanding of what has happened to him or her;
- If applicable, the abusing parent/child relationship and the parental capacity to respond to the child's need;
- Family relationships; and
- Possible changes to the family's social and environmental circumstances.
- Any contextual risks and vulnerabilities.
Interventions may have a number of inter-related components:
- Action to make a child safe;
- Action to help promote a child's health and development;
- Action to help a parent in safeguarding a child and promoting his or her welfare;
- Therapy for an abused child; and
- Support or therapy for a perpetrator of abuse.
The Child Protection Plan can be used as evidence in any legal proceedings of the efforts which have been made to work in partnership with the child and family and to reduce the level of risk.

3. Explaining the Child Protection Plan to the Child and Parents

The child (depending on his or her age and understanding) and the parents should be clear about the evidence of Significant Harm, which resulted in the child becoming the subject of a Child Protection Plan, what needs to change and what is expected of them as part of the plan for safeguarding and promoting the child's welfare. This should be the subject of continuing discussion with the Lead Social Worker and other professionals involved;
The child (depending on his or her age and understanding) and the parents should receive a written copy of the plan in their preferred language so that they are clear about their own role and responsibilities as well as the roles and responsibilities of others, and the planned outcomes for the child. The child's copy should be written in a way appropriate to the child's age and understanding. Understandably, ‘Red’ factors will be the focus of much of the work being undertaken. However, the families and child’s strengths ‘Greens’ are to be shared and celebrated with them.

4. Role of the Lead Social Worker

Each child with a Child Protection Plan has been allocated a Social Worker.
The allocated Social Worker will always be a suitably qualified and experienced social worker from within Children’s Social Care;
The allocated Social Worker is the lead professional in co-ordinating the multi-agency work under the Child Protection Plan;
The first Core Group meeting will be arranged at the ICPC and members of the Core Group named.
The allocated Social Worker and members of the Core Group must take a pro-active role in ensuring that:
- A detailed Child Protection Plan is developed.
- Prior to any recommendation to end the Child Protection Plan an updated Single Assessment is completed and that appropriate contributions are made by Core Group members and others as necessary;
- The safety of the child is monitored.
- The child's wishes and feelings are ascertained.
- The child is kept up to date with the Child Protection Plan and any changes or developments.
- Risks are kept under regular review.
- Any specialist contribution to the required assessment is commissioned on behalf of the Core Group.
It is important that the role of the Social Worker and Core Group Members is fully explained at the Initial Child Protection Conference .
The specific responsibilities of the allocated Social Worker are:
- To promote good communication between agencies and with the family, ensuring:
- Parents and, where appropriate, children, are clear about the role and responsibility of the Core Group and that they are properly involved in developing the Child Protection Plan;
- Any parent who has been excluded from the Core Group is informed of discussions and outcomes as appropriate to the child's welfare and safety.
- Core Group members are aware of significant events in the family's life and consulted about proposed changes to the Child Protection Plan;
- All Core Group meetings are recorded on the updated plan. The Conference Chair at the Safeguarding Unit (WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THE REPORT VIA LIQUID LOGIC RECORDING SYSTEMS);
- The allocated Social Worker's manager and the Safeguarding Unit are consulted about and/or informed of any changes in circumstances as appropriate.
- The frequency of contact will be stipulated in the Child Protection Plan but must never exceed intervals of more than 3 weeks. This must include seeing the child alone or a baby when awake
- To take lead responsibility for monitoring the progress of the Child Protection Plan and alert their manager where the plan cannot be progressed and it is necessary to consider alternative action;
- To convene, co-ordinate and record the Core Group meetings after the initial meeting following on from the Conference.
- To ensure Core Group meetings are held at the agreed frequency.
- To invite additional members to the Core Group as needed.
- To ensure that all members of the Core Group are aware of the next Conference date.
- To circulate the record of Core Group meetings and the Child Protection Plan to members of the Core Group, including parents and the child (depending on his or her age and understanding), and the Conference Chair - see, Recording Core Group Meetings.
- To ensure that where a child subject to a Child Protection Plan is also subject to statutory reviews as a Looked After Child, active consideration is given by the Lead Social Worker's line manager and in discussion with the Conference Chair to coordinating the meetings wherever possible or appropriate.
- To take lead responsibility for ensuring that the child's assessment is completed and that any specialist assessment identified as necessary is or completed;
- To prepare the assessment report of the Core Group for the Child Protection Review Conference.
If contact with the child is refused or avoided and the child remains unseen, this must be viewed as a serious breach of the Child Protection Plan. Immediate discussion with the Lead Social Worker's line manager may deem it appropriate to seek legal advice about statutory protective action. There must also be discussion with the Core Group members and with the Conference Chair about the need for urgent action including consideration of an urgent Child Protection Review Conference;
In exceptional circumstances, responsibility for personal contact with the child may have to be delegated. If so, this must be agreed and recorded under an explicit, written agreement, agreed by the manager of the Lead Social Worker and the worker to whom the contact is delegated, and must be monitored by the Lead Social Worker;
Contact with the child should be recorded on the child's file and the record should follow Wirral’s recording template which includes:
- The time and date of every home visit, stating who was present, confirmation that the Lead Social Worker spoke with the child (including if alone), or providing a clear reason why not;
- Any information gathered or observations made during the visit relevant to the identified risks to the child;
- The child’s daily lived experience and their wishes and feelings
- Parent’s daily lived experience.
- Specific information about key subjects such as meals and sleeping arrangements.
- Factual reports of the child's presentation and behaviour
- Any new incidents or injuries.

5. Role of the Lead/Allocated Social Worker's Manager

The first line manager has a vital role in managing the progress of the case and supporting the allocated Social Worker;
The manager should:
- Read and countersign all significant records and assessments on the child's file, including the incident log.
- Discuss the progress of the Child Protection Plan and any concerns in supervision, including the need for any further risk assessment.
- Read and countersign Conference Reports and the Child Protection Plan.
- Review the Child Protection Plan with the Lead Social Worker when unexpected developments or crises occur, and together make a decision whether to recommend that a Child Protection Review Conference date be brought forward.
- Attend Initial Child Protection Conferences and Child Protection Review Conferences as appropriate.
- Offer support to the Social Worker and allow time for reflective case discussions to take place.
- Confirm the visiting frequency of the Lead Social Worker and the frequency of Core Group meetings.
- Arrange cover for the allocated Social Worker in case of sickness and ensure arrangements are in place when the allocated Social Worker is on annual leave and training.

6. The Core Group

Purpose of Core Group

The Core Groups task through the Child Protection Plan is to reduce the risks, or prevent the occurrence of further Significant Harm to the child, and safeguard the child's well being to the point where the child no longer requires a Child Protection Plan;
The Core Group achieves this by:
- Producing an agreed, detailed Child Protection Plan.
- Ensuring each member completes their actions within the plan and is accountable for such
- Completing an assessment of the family.
- Meeting regularly to monitor progress.
- Providing a report for the Child Protection Review Conference.
- Requesting a new Conference if the plans cannot be achieved or need to be significantly altered.

Membership of the Core Group

Membership should include the Lead Social Worker, who leads the Core Group, the child if appropriate, family members, carers and professionals who have direct contact with the family.

The First Core Group Meeting

In Wirral, the Lead Social Worker will chair the first meeting of the Core Group on the date set at the initial Child Protection Conference. The purpose of this first meeting is to flesh out the Child Protection Plan and to decide what steps need to be taken by whom.
In Wirral, the first meeting of the core group should take place within 10 working days of the Initial Child Protection Conference;
Using either the full minutes of the Child Protection Conference or a copy of the decisions and recommendations, the Chair of the Core Group must help the group complete the detail of the Child Protection Plan;
The detailed Child Protection Plan, together with any other decisions made and actions agreed at the Core Group will be recorded on the proforma. This completed proforma will then be circulated to all Core Group members by Lead Social Worker.

Subsequent Core Group Meetings

The Core Group should meet sufficiently regularly to facilitate working together, monitor actions and outcomes against the Child Protection Plan, and make any necessary alterations as circumstances change.
Thereafter, the core group should meet 4 weekly to facilitate working together, monitor actions and outcomes against the Child Protection Plan and make any necessary changes as circumstances change.
The second Core Group meeting will usually be held within 4 weeks of the first meeting, unless the conference decides that meetings should be more frequent.
Meetings will usually be held every 4 weeks after the first Child Protection Review Conference, although the needs of the child may require more frequent meetings.
In Wirral, Core Group Meetings will usually continue to be chaired by the allocated Social Worker. If the allocated Social Worker is not available to chair the meeting, it must be chaired by someone from the Social Work Team who knows the family well.

Recording Core Group Meetings

There should be a written record of the decisions taken and actions agreed;
The Lead Social Worker should ensure that the Child Protection Plan is amended as necessary. The actions, as specified and agreed at the Core Group meeting are written into the ‘actions’ section of the Plan, which is saved on the child’s Liquid Logic file.
The Plan will:
- Follow SFEF format and the traffic light tool with areas of strength and those of concern will be detailed
- Clearly outline what support each member of the Core Group will provide to the child or family, with defined and agreed timescales.

The Roles and Responsibilities of Core Group Members

Child Protection Plans should be formulated with the specific roles of the Core Group members in mind so that everyone is clear about the individual and shared responsibilities.
Although the allocated Social Worker has the lead role, all members of the Core Group are jointly responsible for the formulation and implementation of the Child Protection Plan, refining the plan as needed, and monitoring progress against the planned outcomes set out in the plan. All members of the Core Group are expected to consult each other before making any changes that affect the (outline or latest) child protection plan.
Supervision and/or managerial and professional support to individual Core Group members remain with their agency. However, the Conference Chair may provide advice to the Core Group on any remaining inter-agency problems which the Core Group is unable to resolve.
The specific responsibilities of individual Core Group members are to:
- Accept that the child's needs remain paramount and maintain a child-centred focus;
- Alert the allocated Social Worker to any new information, changes or events that may be relevant.
- Contribute to the multi-agency assessments;
- Make suggestions or approaches, if appropriate, for the involvement of other specifically skilled professional or agency seen as relevant to its completion.
- Attend and participate in Core Group meetings or other relevant meetings. Core Group members must give adequate notice if unable to attend Core Group meetings or arrange a substitute colleague to attend if possible. If not, then along with their apologies, they must provide a summary/report of their involvement with the family since the last Core Group meeting.
- Carry out agreed tasks in accordance with their own agency functions: if this is not possible the Lead Social Worker must be consulted before any plans regarding the child or family are altered.
- Provide specialist advice which will inform the Child Protection Plan.
- Provide the Social Worker with written reports as requested or if they are not able to attend the meeting.
- Communicate regularly with the Social Worker about the progress of their part of the agreed Child Protection Plan.
- Inform the Social Worker of any change in circumstances relevant to the Child Protection Plan;
- Alert the Lead Social Worker to the need to convene either a Core Group meeting or to reconvene the Review Conference early;
- Help identify unmet need.

Delays

Any delays in implementing the Child Protection Plan should be monitored and appropriate action taken by the Social Worker, their manager, and at Core Group members. Wherever possible drift and delay must be avoided as this has a significant negative impact upon the child’s safety, wellbeing and future outcomes.

It is important to be aware of the parent’s own childhood experiences and experiences of trauma when working with the family. This can lead parents to find engagement with professionals difficult. For further information please read the RiP publication and take a trauma informed approach to working with the family.

This briefing builds on findings from Broadhurst et al’s (2017) research on vulnerable birth mothers in recurrent care proceedings. It makes the case for reconceptualising parental ‘non-engagement’ with services - proposing that an understanding of how some parents’ experiences of adversity and trauma in their own childhood can help to understand why they may find service engagement difficult.

When Plans Are Not Working

In certain situations, it needs to be considered that intervention, monitoring or further assessment will reach the conclusion that the situation is not safe and the child may need to be removed in order to protect them from ongoing significant harm;

In these circumstances, and/or where there is a failure to obtain or retain the cooperation of the parents or child in working on the plan or changed or unforeseen circumstances, this must be brought immediately to the attention of the allocated Social Worker;
The allocated Social Worker must inform his or her manager and, in consultation with other agencies, a decision will be made as to the need for any immediate protective action and/or a Section 47 Enquiry (CAN THIS BE LINKED TO THAT GUIDANCE?) and/or reconvened Child Protection Conference to be considered;
Where there are concerns that a child or family are missing, for guidance see Missing Children and Families Procedure (CAN THERE BE A LINK PUT IN TAKING YOU TO HERE);
If there are concerns that there are difficulties implementing the Plan as a result of disagreement among professionals or a Core Group member not carrying out his or her responsibilities, this must be addressed by discussion between Core Group members and, if required, the involvement of relevant managers and/or designated professionals within agencies.

7. Looked After Children with a Child Protection Plan

In those current cases where it is identified a child who is subject to a Child Protection Plan is not living at home and has also been made the subject of an Interim Care Order or a parent has signed S20 during the review period then the Social Worker and Independent Reviewing Officer will liaise to arrange a multi-agency overarching review of the case within 20 working days to consider whether there remains the need for a continuing Child Protection Plan;
In Wirral: If during the review period the child becomes subject to an Interim Care Order, Interim Child Arrangements Order or any other order which gives Parental Responsibility to a person the courts have deemed able to provide safe care, the child/ young person is not living at home and there are no plans to return them home without such legal protection then the Child Protection Plan shall be discontinued from the date the court order is made;
Where a child who is Looked After is also subject to child protection processes, the overriding principle must be that the systems are integrated and carefully monitored in a way that promotes a child-centred and not a bureaucratic approach or overwhelming;
While, Looked After Reviews and Child Protection Review Conferences are separate meetings with different purposes. The plans made at Looked After Reviews must be consistent with the Child Protection Plan and the timing of such reviews should usually be arranged so as to follow the Review Conference;
Where a Looked After Review or other local authority meeting proposes the return of a child with a Child Protection Plan to his or her parents or carers or any other change which might significantly affect the level of risk, discussion should take place with the Conference Chairperson to consider the need for a Child Protection Review Conference to be convened to assess the risk and the need for a Child Protection Plan;
Where there is disagreement regarding the proposed plan either between the Lead Social Worker/Team Manager and Conference Chairperson or at a Child Protection Conference, the situation must be brought to the attention of the appropriate senior operational manager;
Where a child with a Child Protection Plan is removed by his/her parents from their placement, if S20, or where a Looked After Child is returned to his or her parents or carers in court proceedings against the recommendation of the local authority, a Child Protection Review Conference must be convened to consider the risks to the child.