Aim

1.1 - The aim of this document is to:

• Assist decision making when there are concerns about the safety or welfare of a child
• Set out the procedures that should be followed when a child has been identified as at risk of harm
• Give guidance to assist practice

1.2 - It is designed for managers and practitioners in all agencies who work with  vulnerable children and is published by the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB). http://www.lutonlscb.org

Resources

• Chapter 1 - Introduction
  • Aim
  • Context
  • How to use the document
  • Supplementary documents
  • Supplementary leaflets
  • Glossary
• Chapter 2 - Recognising and Responding to Concerns About the Welfare of a Child
  • Chapter 2 - Procedures
    • Members of the public
    • Identifying concerns – procedures to be followed by practitioners working with children and families
    • Deciding when to refer
    • Deciding when to refer in situations of possible neglect
    • Deciding when to refer – underage sexual activity
    • Deciding when to refer - domestic violence
    • Deciding when to refer – parental drug and alcohol use
    • Deciding when to refer – parental mental illness
    • Deciding when to refer - disabled children
    • Deciding when to refer - child abuse images and the internet
    • Deciding when to refer – sexually harmful behaviour carried out by children and young people
    • Deciding when to refer - where a parent has learning disabilities
    • The referral process for Children in Need of Protection
    • Deciding when to refer - fabricated illness
    • The referral process for children in need of protection
    • Taking a referral – procedures to be followed by Children’s Social Care
  • Chapter 2 - Practice Guidance
    • Information Sharing
    • Children in Need
    • Identifying risk of harm
    • Defining child abuse and neglect
    • Tiers of Need in situations of domestic violence
• Chapter 3 - Action to be taken following a referral to Children’s Social Care
  • Chapter 3 - Procedures
    • Initial decision making
    • Procedures to be followed after the initial decision has been made
    • Initial assessment of the child’s needs
    • Immediate protection of the child
  • Chapter 3 - Practice Guidance
    • The Assessment Process
    • Initial Assessments and Enquiries – 10 pitfalls and how to avoid them
• Chapter 4 - Action to be taken where a child is at risk of significant harm
  • Chapter 4 - Procedures
    • Child protection enquiries
    • S47 enquiries and associated police investigations – decision making about joint and single agency enquiries
    • S47 enquiries and the core assessment
    • S47 enquiries and medical assessments
    • S47 enquiries and police investigative interviews
    • Action following S47 enquiries
  • Chapter 4 - Practice Guidance
    • Communicating with children through the S47 core assessment process
    • S47 enquiries/core assessments and neglect
    • S47 enquiries/core assessments and sexual abuse
    • S47 enquiries/core assessments following serious injuries to infants
    • S47 enquiries/core assessments and disabled children
    • S47 enquiries/core assessments – issues to consider when parents have learning disabilities
    • S47 enquiries/core assessments – black and minority ethnic children and their families
    • S47 enquiries/core assessments – issues to consider in situations of domestic violence
    • S47 enquiries/core assessments – issues to consider in situations of parental substance misuse
    • S47 enquiries/core assessments – issues to consider in situations of parental mental illness
• Chapter 5 - Child Protection Conferences
  • Chapter 5 - Procedures
    • The initial child protection conference
    • Pre-birth Conferences
    • The Review Child Protection Conference
    • The conference process – initial and review conferences
    • Action following the child protection conference
  • Chapter 5 - Practice Guidance
    • Chairing the conference
• Chapter 6 - Implementing Child Protection Plans
  • Chapter 6 - Procedures
    • The core group
    • The child protection plan
  • Chapter 6 - Practice Guidance
    • Plans
    • Family group conferences and child protection plans
    • Interventions
    • Interventions and neglect
    • Interventions and parents with learning disabilities
    • Interventions and child sexual abuse
    • Interventions and domestic violence
• Chapter 7 - Protecting Children in Specific Circumstances
  • Chapter 7 - Procedures
    • Looked after children
    • Children in private foster care
    • Children and young people who display sexually harmful behaviour
    • Children involved in prostitution
    • Child trafficking and exploitation
    • Female genital mutilation
    • Forced Marriage
    • Children moving between local authorities
    • Organised and complex abuse
    • Allegations of Abuse Made Against a Person Who Works with Children
• Chapter 8 - Serious Case Reviews
  • Chapter 8 - Procedures
    • Action following the death of a child
    • Criteria for conducting serious case reviews
    • The purpose of serious case reviews
    • Instigating serious case reviews
    • The serious case review process
    • Individual management reviews
    • The LSCB overview report
    • LSCB action following completion of the overview report
    • Reviewing institutional or complex abuse
  • Chapter 8 - Practice Guidance
    • Questions to assist the decision as to whether or not a case should be the subject of a serious case review in circumstances other than when a child dies
    • Management Review Structure
    • LSCB Overview Report Structure
• Chapter 9 - Strategic Management
  • Training
  • Recruitment and Selection of Staff
  • Supervision and staff management
  • Resolution of Professional Disagreements