Key points
The child protection conference is an important part of child protection work. It brings together the child, the parents and the professionals who know the family, to discuss what has happened and decide what should happen next.
The first conference is called an initial child protection conference. An initial conference may only be requested where
- child protection enquiries are indicating or have concluded that a child may continue to suffer, or be at risk of suffering, significant harm, or
- a child who is subject to another authority’s child protection plan moves into the area and that authority requests a child protection conference, or
- a child whose previous child protection plan had ended because they had left the family home but is due to return, or
- care proceedings have begun and the child is still living with parents.
Attendance
A legal adviser should be invited to the child protection conference if appropriate, for example, if there is an issue re threshold to advise the conference.
Those attending conferences should be there because they have a significant contribution to make, arising from professional expertise, knowledge of the child or family or both. The local authority social work manager should consider whether to seek advice from, or have present, a medical professional who can present the medical information in a manner which can be understood by conference attendees and enable such information to be evaluated from a sound evidence base.
There should be sufficient information and expertise available, through personal representation and written reports, to enable the conference to make an informed decision about what action is necessary to safeguard and promote the welfare of the child, and to make realistic and workable proposals for taking that action forward. At the same time, a conference that is larger than it needs to be can inhibit discussion and intimidate the child and family members. Those who have a relevant contribution to make may include:
- the child, or his or her representative;
- family members (including the wider family);
- local authority children’s social care staff who have led and been involved in an assessment of the child and family;
- foster carers (current or former) or residential care staff;
- professionals involved with the child (for example, health visitors, midwife, school nurse, children’s guardian, paediatrician, school staff, early years staff, the GP, NHS Direct, staff in the youth justice system including the secure estate);
- professionals involved with the parents or other family members (for example, family support services, adult services (in particular those from mental health, substance misuse, domestic violence and learning disability), probation, the GP, NHS Direct);
- professionals with expertise in the particular type of harm suffered by the child or in the child’s particular condition, for example, a disability or long term illness;
- those involved in investigations (for example, the police);
- local authority legal services (child care);
- NSPCC or other involved voluntary organisations; and
- a representative of the armed services in cases where there is a service connection.
Interpreters should be used where the family’s first language is not English, or where the family have an impairment or special needs. If this is the case the conference chair should be told as soon as possible, as the conference may take longer than usual.
It is not always possible to involve all parents throughout the conference. This may be because one of the parents is responsible for serious abuse, or there is a high level of conflict within the family. Professionals themselves may have concerns about violence or intimidation, and if so this should be communicated in advance to the chair. [WTSC 5.87]
A decision to exclude someone from the child protection conference rests with the conference chair. The reasons for deciding to exclude someone from all or part of a conference include the following:
- there is a strong risk of violence or intimidation at or following the conference
- the police, or the Crown Prosecution Service (if criminal proceedings have begun) are seriously concerned by an alleged perpetrator’s attendance
- confidential information regarding another person needs to be discussed
- there are serious concerns about the well-being of the family member should they attend
- someone is clearly under the influence of drugs or alcohol to the extent that their participation in the conference would be disruptive.
In every case where someone has been excluded, the chair should record their reasons and the exclusion should be for the shortest possible period. Other means of getting the views of the excluded family member, and reporting the outcome of the conference to them, should be offered.
Attendance at a conference should be based on a professional’s potential to make a significant contribution as an expert, or from knowing the child or family, or both [WTSC 5.84] If there are too many people present it can be intimidating for the family or for some professionals. Instead of attending, people can contribute to a conference in writing, either separately or by being included in the social worker’s report.
Confidential information should be recorded separately from the main agency report and brought to the chair’s attention, who will decide who should remain in the conference while this information is shared.
A conference cannot go ahead unless there is a social worker present from children’s social care, and at least two other professional groups or agencies that have had direct contact with the child [WTSC 5.85]
How to do it
Parents (including divorced or separated parents) and children and young people who are being discussed should be invited to attend, and to bring an advocate, friend or supporter if they wish. [WTSC 5.86] Children and young people should be involved throughout the child protection process. This does not necessarily mean that they must attend the actual conference, though this is often helpful. The child’s voice needs to be heard at the conference. This can be done by them
- being there, either alone or with an advocate
- writing a statement which is read out
- making a video to show to the conference, or
- being represented by an advocate.
Whichever method is used the social worker, and where appropriate other people at the conference, should be able to explain
- what the child says happened
- what the child wants to happen now
- the child’s experience of living in the family.
It is the responsibility of the conference chair to show that the child’s voice was heard in the conference and that the child was able to influence decision making. If it was not, the chair should ensure that it will be included in any work that happens after the conference.
All family members attending the conference must be properly prepared by the social worker. This means giving them a copy of the report, in a form they can understand, in good time for them to consider it explaining why the report says what it does including their views in the report, and explaining to them who will be at the conference and what will happen.
Any family member attending the conference may bring a person to support them and, if necessary, to help them express their views. This may be a solicitor, but only to support, and not represent, the family member.
Contributors should, wherever possible, provide a written report in advance to the conference and these should be made available to those attending (WTSC 5.84). All reports should be available to the chair, parents and children in enough time for them to read each report, consider its contents and question the writer. In any case, all workers should explain the details of their reports to the parents and the young person before the conference begins.
Confidential information should be recorded separately from the main agency report and brought to the chair’s attention, who will decide who should remain in the conference while this information is shared.
Family members may have had very difficult and painful experiences in their own personal history, and only issues which are relevant should be raised during the conference. Where such an issue does need to be discussed, the social worker should explore with the family member how to do this in the least distressing way (for example, the member may wish to leave the conference while the issue is discussed).
All written information should be provided in the first or most appropriate language for the family or in another medium accessible to them (for example, Braille, audio tape).
The chair should meet with the parents and child prior to the conference to discuss how the meeting will work. This may be done with the parents and children together, or separately, as the chair sees fit.
Press here if it is decided that the child is no longer at risk of significant harm.
Lessons from research
The enquiry into the death of Caleb Ness, who died aged 11 weeks, focused on the child protection conference about him. It was noted that the ward nurse, who was attending her first conference, did not feel able to say what she really thought, because she felt herself to be of lower status than the other professionals there. Unfortunately, she was the person who had spent most time with the parents and the child.
It is therefore important to make sure that all members of the conference, including children, young persons and parents are taking part fully, and this should not be the sole responsibility of the chair.
Children gain confidence and skills through their involvement in the child protection process, but often their views are only partially represented, or are presented and interpreted solely by adults. Their participation will be more successful if they have a good relationship with a skilled, caring adult they can trust, whether an advocate, a social worker or a friend or relative. Most young people who have attended a conference say they are glad they went, even though it can be difficult and stressful. Parents and professionals agree, but some may feel they cannot say what they want while children are present.
In a study of 89 conferences, mothers attended 75 per cent of them but fathers only 25 per cent. Only 9 children were invited to attend, of whom only 3 actually came and contributed. There was no sign that other ways of contributing, such as tapes, letters or videos, had been tried. Children’s views were rarely quoted directly in the minutes. Most chairs would like to increase participation but considerable resistance remains. Workers should assume that children do want to attend or take part ‘ or at least want to be given the choice ‘ and then look at how this can happen.
See Sanders R and Mace S: Agency Policy and the Participation of Children and Young People in the Child Protection Process, in Child Abuse Review Vol 15, issue 2 (2006)
June 2010
