Main heading

Sections 4 - 7 and Appendices 

Section 1 – What to do if there are child welfare concerns

A - Guidance for anyone who may have concerns about a child

• The first things to do if there are concerns about a child
• discussing the concerns with the family
• deciding on whether to refer any concerns
• Making a referral to Children’s Social Care
• clarifying the information
• confirming in writing
• Talking to the family about sharing information regarding any concerns
• Professional has concerns about a Child’s Welfare - Flow Diagram

B - Guidance primarily for Children’s Social Care and the police

• Dealing with the referral – action by Children’s Social Care
• initial checks
• if a criminal offence has been committed
• determining next steps
• Making an initial assessment – action led by Children’s Social Care
• process of the initial assessment
• communicating with the child and the family
• children who have lived abroad
• Concluding an initial assessment – action by Children’s Social Care
• Transfers-in from another local authority
• Unborn children
• Actual or suspected significant harm – next steps
• The strategy discussion – action led by Children’s Social Care
• aim of the strategy discussion
• recording the discussion
• Immediate protection – action led by Children’s Social Care and the police
• securing the child’s safety
• children who live outside the area
• The Section 47 enquiry and the core assessment – action led by Children’s Social Care and the police
• what the enquiry involves
• seeing the child
• medical consent
• the medical report
• medical differences of opinion regarding harm to children
• The outcome of the Section 47 enquiry
• concerns are not substantiated
• concerns are substantiated but the child is NOT judged to be at continuing risk of significant harm
• the family support plan
• decision not to convene a child protection conference
• concerns are substantiated, but the child IS judged to be at continuing risk of significant harm

Section 2 – Initial and review child protection conferences and child protection plans

• The purpose and timing of conferences
• initial child protection conferences
• child protection review conferences
• The process of requesting an initial conference
• Who should attend initial and review conferences?
• Involving family members and children
• Excluding family members/supporters from all or part of conferences
• Roles and responsibilities of those involved in conferences
• the chair
• the case-holding social worker
• other agency professionals
• How decisions are made
• What decisions are made by initial and review conferences?
• decision that there IS a risk of continuing significant harm
• decision that there is NOT a risk of continued significant harm
• Conference minutes
• The child protection plan
• discontinuing a child protection plan
• The role of the key worker
• The role of the Children’s Social Care Team Manager
• The core group
• Complaints about a child protection conference

Section 3 – What to do to protect children in specific circumstances

Allegations of abuse against a person who works with children

• The strategy discussion
• Issues relating to specific care settings:
• day and residential schools - Local Authority and Independent
• children living away from home in residential care
• children living away from home in foster care
• children placed for adoption in the local authority or another local authority
• children who are in receipt of adoption support
• children being cared for by day
• children in custody
• children in hospital
• Children in contact with individuals who are a potential risk to children
• the new term: ‘Risk to Children’

Abuse of children with disabilities

Children and Young People who Abuse others 

• sexual abuse
• bullying
• Children who self-harm

Sexually active children and young people

• when the child is under 13 years of age
• Children involved in prostitution and other sexual exploitation
• child abuse and Information Communication Technology (ICT)
• Domestic abuse
• Children of substance misusing parents
• Fabricated or induced illness
• Organised or multiple abuse
• Children and families who go missing
• Racism
• Migrant children
• child victims of trafficking
• unaccompanied asylum seeking children
• Female genital mutilation
• Child abuse related to spiritual or religious belief
• Forced marriage

Children whose parents are in the Armed Services

• children moving to the UK
• children moving overseas
• children of ex-Armed Service families
• children of Armed Service families who come to attention of the authorities

Visits by children to high secure hospitals, prisons and young offender institutions

• visits where an assessment is required

Sections 4 - 7 and Appendices