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Child Protection Conferences

This webpage explains Child Protection Conferences  including information on who is able to attend and what will likely be discussed, as well as information regarding child protection plans and their function.

Child Protection Conferences

A Child Protection Conference brings together family members, the child (where appropriate), and professionals involved with the family to make decisions about a child’s future safety, health and development. The Conference is designed to look at all the relevant information and circumstances to determine how best to safeguard the child and promote their welfare.

The meeting is usually attended by family and professionals who know the child and family and can provide relevant information. This could include the child’s health visitor, teacher, doctor, other health and education workers and specialist police officers. There are other people who may be invited to attend because they have specialist information or knowledge relevant to the child.

There will be a discussion about whether or not the child is at risk of “significant harm” and whether the child should become subject to a ‘Child Protection plan’ or a Child In Need plan. If it is decided that a child protection plan is necessary, the child’s name will be placed on the child protection register – please delete this as registers don’t exist anymore.

Guidance on Child Protection Conferences is contained in Working Together to Safeguard Children(Chapter 1, page 46).

Further information on Child Protection Conferences:

Child Protection Plans

A Child Protection Plan should:

  • assess the likelihood of the child suffering harm and look at ways that the child can be protected;
  • decide upon short and long term aims to reduce the likelihood of harm to the child and to protect the child’s welfare;
  • clarify people’s responsibilities and actions to be taken; and
  • outline ways of monitoring and evaluating progress.

A child will no longer be under a Plan:

  • when it is judged that the child is no longer continuing to or believed to be suffering significant harm;
  • where the child and family have moved permanently to another Local Authority area – the new Local Authority should arrange a Child Protection Conference within 15 days of being notified of the move;
  • when the child has reached 18 years old – the Local Authority should conduct a review around the time of the child’s 18th birthday when the plan can be ended;
  • if the child has died; or
  • if the child has permanently left the UK.

Click on Child Protection for further information on child protection planning.