Child protection conferences will be chaired by a Reviewing Manager, whose main role is:
- To meet with the family prior to the conference, to ensure that they are clear about the purpose and process of the conference and their role in it;
- To agree issues of attendance and participation of family members, including exclusions where necessary;
- To ensure that there was evidence that the child’s voice was heard;
- To ensure that facilities for disabled participants are available;
- To chair the meeting, setting out its purpose for all participants and to ensure that participants are given adequate opportunity to express their views;
- To respond to issues of dissent and to make the final decision about child protection plans;
- Where it is decided that the child should be subject to a child protection plan, to assist the conference to formulate a child protection plan that addresses identified risks; N.B. This should form the main part of the meeting.
- To ensure that expectations of parents and the outcomes required to achieve the ending of the child protection plan are clear to all parties;
- To identify core group members, including timescales for meetings, and with whom case responsibility lies;
- Where insufficient information is available at an initial conference to make decisions about a child protection plan, to decide whether the conference should be reconvened when a fuller assessment has been completed.
- Where the criteria for a child protection plan are not met but family support services are required, to lead the formulation of a family support plan.
- To ensure the list of child protection plans is updated in light of the conference decision;
- To ensure appropriate arrangements are made for the child to be informed about the outcome of the conference. Usually the case co-ordinator will be the best person to do this, having already discussed the child’s views with them before the conference.
