The outline care and support protection plan

When a child’s name is placed on the child protection register, the act of registration itself confers no protection on a child. Therefore, a care and support protection plan must always accompany registration.

If a care and support protection plan is not already in place, an assessment under Part 3 of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) 2014 Act should be undertaken and a plan put in place.

The plan should include all elements of a plan required under Part 4 of the of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) 2014 Act, but emphasise the protection or risk management to secure child-centred outcomes.

A multi-agency, care and support protection plan must be formulated for every child whose name is placed on the child protection register.

The plan should be developed in two phases.

• an outline plan will be drawn up at the initial child protection conference;

and

• developed into a detailed plan at the first core group meeting.

The initial child protection conference should discuss and agree the following elements of the outline child protection plan for each child registered:

• the risks of harm to the child;
• the way in which a multi-agency plan will protect the child;
• the shorter and longer term planned outcomes to be achieved, clearly;
• linking outcomes to reducing the risks of harm to the child and promoting the child’s well-being;
• the provision of any support, treatment or therapy including on-going advocacy;
• specify who will have responsibility for what actions, within what specified;
• timescales;
• decide arrangements to monitor and evaluate progress against the plan;
• identify the practitioners who will monitor the child’s progress, development, well-being and safety, and how;
• the outline plan must take into consideration the wishes and feelings of the child, and the views of the parents, in so far as this is consistent with the child's well-being.

Within five working days a copy of the outline plan and a summary of decisions made at the initial child protection conference, which includes the date of the next conference, should be circulated to those invited and present at the conference and members of the core group.

Pointers for Practice: Preparing Outline Plans