Whenever there is reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm there should be a strategy discussion involving local authority children’s social care, the police, health and other bodies as appropriate (for example, children’s centre/school or family intervention projects), in particular any referring agency. The strategy discussion should be convened and led by local authority children’s social care and those participating should be sufficiently senior and able, therefore, to contribute to the discussion of available information and to make decisions on behalf of their agencies. If the child is a hospital patient (in- or out-patient) or receiving services from a child development team, the medical consultant responsible for the child’s health care should be involved, as should the senior ward nurse if the child is an in-patient. Where a medical examination may be necessary or has taken place a senior doctor from those providing services should also be involved. Where the parents or adults in the household are experiencing problems such as domestic violence, substance misuse or mental illness it will also be important to consider involving the relevant adult services professional(s).
