The child protection conference follows a standardised agenda. The following describes ‘what works’ when following the agenda.
1. The purpose or reasons for the conference and the tasks of conference members
Process:
It is important that family members are given every opportunity to participate actively in the conference. This is most likely to be achieved if:
Many practitioners are not familiar with conferences and may well be nervous and this should be recognised.
2. Introductions, apologies, confidentiality, agency roles with the family
Process:
Family members often feel overwhelmed. Research has found the sooner the family speak then the more likely they are to actively participate.
Approaches such as beginning a conference with a genogram or ecomap, introduced by the social worker and family, can be helpful in engaging the family.
3. Circulation of reports
Process:
Disproportionate time has traditionally been spent on information-sharing. Best practice would be to circulate reports prior to the conference and/or have reports available for members to read immediately prior to the conference.
The family should be familiar with report contents before the conference, so they receive no unexpected information during the conference.
Rather than going through each report in detail practitioners should be prepared to provide a brief summary.
4. Details of the events leading up to the initial child protection conference
Process:
This should be relevant and proportionate.
5. Information from the s 47 enquiries and the assessment to date
Process:
In many cases assessments of care and support protection needs will not have been completed. It is important, therefore, that information-shared is put into context -the 3 ‘whats’:
6. Background information from all agencies, including past and present involvement
Process:
Members should recognise the aim is to provide an overview of the family’s past and current history and engagement with services in order to inform decision-making. Thus, information should focus on:
what works in terms of interventions – evidence-based and knowledge of past services and family response.
7. A summary by the chair of all the main information provided to the conference
Process:
It is important that the family and practitioners are not overwhelmed by the information shared.
The summary should focus on:
8. The views of children and family members
Process:
If too much information has been shared and discussed by this stage the child and their family may well feel overwhelmed. This sense of being overwhelmed is more likely to occur if practitioners use jargon and marginalised the family from the discussions.
If the first part of the conference has focused on relevant information shared simply, the family are far more likely to understand what has been shared and are more able to comment.
It is important to establish prior to conference the ways in which the child and family wish to express their views.
9. An analysis of the implications of all the information shared for the child’s future safety, health and development: i.e. whether the child is at continuing risk of harm
Process:
It is important that this analysis is done in a manner that is easy to understand.
The conference participants need to know, drawing on the lived experience of the family:
Visual aids such as using a white board to record the responses to the questions have been found to be really helpful to the family.
10. Consideration of the risks of harm if the child remains at home, and explicit recommendations for how the risks can be managed
Process:
Drawing on the information shared and analysed, the chair should facilitate a discussion of risks, needs and strengths to EACH CHILD IN THE FAMILY. The aim is for practitioners to consider:
The following questions are designed to facilitate this discussion:
11. Consideration of the need for legal advice
Process:
Any discussion about legal action should involve the local authority legal department.
12. Decision whether to place the child’s name on the child protection register and the category of risk.
Process:
When making this decision and determining category it is important that ALL practitioners contribute to the decision-making process.
Stating the category for registration can come as a shock to families particularly if practitioners have not named the concerns specifically previously. It is important, therefore, that during discussions prior to and during conference practitioners name their concerns e.g. ‘we are concerned your child is being neglected because...’.
13. Outline of care and support protection plan, if required
Process:
This is an essential part of the conference process. In the past, very limited time has been spent on planning. Therefore, both family members and practitioners are left unclear as to what is expected of them and why.
Conference discussions should lead logically to the content of the plan with both family members and practitioners understanding the rationale for the outline care and support protection plan.
14. Summary of conference actions
Process:
The chair must ensure that practitioners and family members understand:
Details of core group membership, first core group meeting and review.
(Adapted from Horwath and Wirral Safeguarding Children Board Supporting Families Enhancing Futures)