An independent social work professional from the local authority Safeguarding Unit who has no operational or line management responsibilities for the case will chair the conference. Wherever possible, the same person will also chair the subsequent child protection reviews in respect of that specific child. The responsibilities of the chairperson include:
- meeting the child and family members in advance, to ensure that they understand the purpose of the conference, what will happen, checking they have received the child protection conference explanatory leaflets and answering any queries they may have;
- setting out the purpose of the conference to all present, emphasising the confidential nature of the meeting and determining the agenda;
- ensuring that all those present are aware of the identity and professional responsibility of all the participants at the conference;
- ensuring that the conference is conducted in an anti-discriminatory manner and gives proper consideration to issues of race, culture, language, religion, gender, sexual orientation and disability;
- managing any proposed exclusions from the conference or from receipt of conference minutes;
- enabling all those present, and absent contributors, to make their full contribution to discussion and decision making. This particularly applies when children are attending the conference;
- ensuring that the conference maintains a focus on the child/ren as the primary client, whose interests must supercede those of the parents/family members;
- ensuring that the conference takes the decisions required of it in an informed, systematic and explicit way;
- ensuring that the recommendations that form the outline Child Protection Plan, if appropriate, are based on the available information and agreed by all agencies;
- ensuring the appointment of a lead social worker if the child is to be subject to a Child Protection Plan;
- ensuring that the reasons for parents not receiving an invitation to attend the conference are recorded and agreed;
- ensuring the accuracy of minutes and the distribution of minutes;
- ensuring the date of the first core group is arranged at the end of the conference (if appropriate) to take place within 10 working days;
- setting a date and time for the first review conference;
- ensuring that agreement is reached about how and when non-attending parents/carers//child/ren are informed of the decisions and recommendations;
- being accountable to the Director of Children’s Services for the conduct of the conference.
