Summary
1. The Plan specifies the actions needed to protect the child, what must change and the level of change that must be achieved. 2. The Child Protection Plan is developed and implemented by the core group. 3. The Plan must be recorded as a discrete document and each member of the core group, including the child and family must have a copy. 4. Each child in a family identified as needing a Child Protection Plan must have a separate Plan. 5. All members of the core group have equal ownership of and responsibility for the Child Protection Plan |
The Child Protection Plan is drawn up in outline at the initial conference and developed and implemented by the core group. The Plan is then reviewed and, if necessary, amended at review conferences.
The Plan must be recorded as a discrete document on the relevant Plan documentation used by the local authority.
The overall aim of the Plan is to:
- Ensure the child is safe and prevent him or her from suffering further harm
- Promote the child’s health and development
- Provided it is in the child’s best interests, to support the family and wider family members to safeguard and promote the welfare of the child
The Plan should:
- Describe the identified needs of the child, how these should be met, and what services/actions may be required to meet these needs in order to promote the welfare of the child
- Include specific, achievable, child-focused outcomes
- Identify realistic strategies and specific actions by all relevant professionals and family members to achieve those outcomes
- Identify the types of assessment required, e.g. risk, parenting ability, protective ability, psychiatric, psychological assessments
- Identify strategies for managing safe contact with family members, where appropriate
- Clearly identify the roles and responsibilities of professionals and family members including the nature and frequency of contact by professionals with children and family members, including when and where the child will be seen by the lead social worker, both alone and with other family members present
- Set out clearly the roles and responsibilities of those professionals with routine contact with the child – e.g. health visitors, GPs, teachers
- Set out timescales for meetings of the core group
- Lay down points at which progress will be reviewed and how progress will be judged
- Include the contingency arrangements should the core group be unable to implement the agreed plan or circumstances change quickly
If a number of children in a family are made subject to a Child Protection Plan, each child must have a separate Child Protection Plan focussing on their individual needs and their unique place in the family.
The Plan should take into account the wishes and feelings of the child and the views of parents in so far as they are consistent with the welfare of the child. If the family’s views about how best to safeguard the child are not accepted, the reasons for this should be explained to the family and they should be informed about their right to complain.
The lead social worker must make every effort to ensure that the children and parents clearly understand the Plan and that they are willing to work to it. Parents should be clear about:
- Why the child is subject of a Child Protection Plan,
- What needs to change,
- What is expected of them in implementing the plan.
The Plan should be explained to and agreed with the child in a manner which is in accordance with their age and understanding.
The child and family members should receive a copy of the Plan in their preferred language, if applicable, and at a level appropriate to their age and understanding.
Every member of the core group and the Safeguarding Unit must be given a copy of the Child Protection Plan when it has been finalised by the core group after the initial conference, or amended after review conferences.
All members of the core group have equal ownership of and responsibility for the Child Protection Plan and must co-operate to achieve its aims. All professionals working with children and/or families under a Child Protection Plan must be alert to indications that the Plan may be failing to protect the child. Any professional who is concerned about this must promptly inform the lead social worker and a re-appraisal of the case by the core group must be undertaken without delay.
Similarly, if there are problems of professional engagement with the family which means that the Plan is not being fully implemented, the lead social worker must be informed and a re-appraisal of the case by the core group undertaken without delay.
If a Plan is not being implemented, the lead social worker must inform the Conference Chair as a matter of urgency.
