Local authority children’s social care should decide how to proceed following section 47 enquiries, after discussion between all those who have conducted, or been significantly involved in, those enquiries, including relevant professionals and agencies (as well as foster carers where involved) and the child and parents themselves. The information recorded on the outcome of the section 47 enquiries should be consistent with the information set out in the outcome of the section 47 Enquiries Record (Department of Health, 2002). The local authority children’s social care record for the child should set out clearly the dates on which the child was seen by the lead social worker during the course of the enquiries, if they were seen alone, and if not, who was present and for what reasons. Parents and children of sufficient age and appropriate level of understanding (together with professionals and agencies who have been significantly involved) should receive a copy of this record, in particular in advance of any initial child protection conference that is convened.
This information should be conveyed in an appropriate format for younger children and those people whose preferred language is not English. Consideration should be given to whether the core assessment has been completed or what further work is required before it is completed. It may be valuable, following an evaluation of the outcome of enquiries, to make recommendations for action in an inter-disciplinary forum if the case is not going forward to a child protection conference. Enquiries may result in a number of outcomes. Where the child concerned is living in a residential establishment which is subject to inspection, the relevant inspectorate should be informed.
