Key points
The child protection chair must explain the following at the beginning of each conference. The child protection register is a list of names of children who live in the Scottish Borders area who are considered to be at risk. The fact that a child’s name is on the register does not mean that any professional has any power over the child or parents, it is a means of co-ordinating information and support. The Scottish Borders Child Protection Committee considers the Child Protection Register to be an inter-agency responsibility managed on its behalf by Integrated Children’s Services (ICS).
Scottish Borders employs Child Protection and Reviewing Officers who are responsible for deciding whether a child protection case conference should happen, chairing the child protection case conference and monitoring the quality of the inter-agency service provided to assist the child and family.
How to do it
Function of the register:
- To assist the identification and management of children who are considered to be at risk by pooling information and to ensure an appropriate protection plan is in place.
Records
The register contains limited information on a child and family. It includes the full names, including known other names, dates of birth and current and previous addresses of a child. Also, names of the general practitioner, social worker, other agencies involved and the dates of case conferences held on those children. In addition, it maintains a record of all enquiries in respect of a particular child or family.
All agency’s records are held independently and are subject to their open access regulations.
No child’s name can be placed on the register without the knowledge of the parents. If a child’s name is placed on the register, the parents must be informed in writing by the child protection and review officer.
Access to the register
The Child Protection Register is kept up to date by Integrated Children’s Services (ICS) on behalf of the agencies represented on the Scottish Borders Child Protection Committee. Senior personnel of these agencies are entitled to access the register and each agency has its own procedure for this.
Enquiries should be made to the Child Protection and Reviewing Officer at either:
Child Protection Unit, Marigold Drive, Langlee, Galashiels. Tel. 01896 664159
or out of office hours:
Bordercare, Galashiels Tel. (01896) 752111.
The Child Protection and Reviewing Officer or their representative will:
- Take the name and professional address of the enquirer and advise that they will be phoned back.
- Ring the enquirer back, to confirm whether the child is on the register or not and whether there have been previous enquiries.
