Data from the children’s charity, NSPCC suggests that around half a million children in the United Kingdom are victims of abuse or neglect each year. It says an average of 62 children per day are referred to agencies for further investigation into their possible abuse or neglect.
If a report is received by a local authority, social services may become involved with your family to safeguard the welfare of your child/children. If they believe that your child is at risk of abuse or neglect, they’ll take steps to ensure that they’re protected from harm. One of the most pressing steps is the creation of a child protection plan.
What are the key components of a child protection plan?
If social services consider that a child is suffering or is likely to suffer harm, they’ll arrange a child protection conference. As a parent, you’ll be able to attend this meeting along with professionals such as social workers, your child’s doctor, teacher or the police.
The conference allows the professionals working with your family to share information and decide how best to keep your child safe. The conference will also be used to decide if a child protection plan should be created.
If it’s necessary for a child protection plan to be drawn up, it will contain several key components. These include:
- The reasons why a child protection plan is required
- How you as a parent can keep your child safe
- An overview of the support that social services will provide to your family
- The consequences of not adhering to the child protection plan
- Who to speak to for further information
How do child protection plans identify and address potential risks to children?
The child protection plan will outline the risk of harm the child is facing and set out how those risks can be mitigated.
Those risks will be identified at the child protection conference. They will specify the exact vulnerabilities and areas where the child’s needs aren’t being met, in accordance with the input given by the assembled professionals.
The plan will specify what should be done, when, and by whom to keep the child safe from harm. The plan will also:
- Specify how often the child should see their Lead Social Worker
- Outline any developmental needs the child has, and how those needs will be met
- Set specific outcomes that should be met for the wellbeing of the child
- Specify what actions should be taken to achieve those outcomes
- Assign specific roles to all relevant people associated with the child, including parents and others with regular contact
- Set a review schedule and outline how progress will be measured at those reviews
- Outline what should happen next if the plan isn’t working
What roles do professionals play in the implementation of child protection plans?
The child protection plan calls for specific interventions to be carried out to support the child and their family. It also assigns roles to those with regular contact with the child.
Lead Social Worker
A Lead Social Worker will be appointed to oversee those interventions and the plan overall. That person will be responsible for:
- To coordinate communication between parents and the other professionals providing support and resources to the family
- To visit the child as often as specified in the plan and record details of that visit
- To monitor progress being made and escalate the case to their manager within the local authority if alternative actions need to be considered
- To bring other professionals into the Core Group if needed
Manager
The manager of the Lead Social Worker won’t have the same level of contact with the family, but they are responsible for certain aspects of the plan. For example:
- The must counter-sign assessments conducted in line with the child protection plan
- Work with the lead social worker to decide on the best course of action should an unexpected event take place
Core Group
The Core Group will assess the family and monitor the plan’s progress. They may also request a further child protection conference if the plan isn’t having the desired effect. Individual members of the Core Group will additionally lend their expertise, provide advice and may also be tasked with preparing reports.
How do child protection plans evolve to meet the changing needs of children and families?
Regular progress reviews will take place to measure the impact of the plan. As the plan progresses any member of the Core Group, including the child’s parents, can put forth any changes they think may be required as circumstances change.
If social services become involved with your family, it’s important to seek legal advice. We can help you navigate each stage of the child protection plan and understand what to do next to ensure the best outcomes for your family. Contact us to speak to a family solicitor in confidence.
