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Contents

1. Background/Introduction
2. Policy
3. Procedures for joint CP and LAC Reviews

1. Background/Introduction

The current practice in Bromley has been that children who become subject to an interim care order, are no longer living in the day to day care of their parents and where the care plan is not rehabilitation in the near future, are removed from child protection plans at the next child protection conference. Frequently the date of the conference is brought forward for this decision to be made.  This practice will remain the same. However if a child becomes subject of an interim care order but pending the outcome of the final hearing, remains in the care of their parents, or extended family with very frequent contact with parents, the child has usually remained on a child protection plan.  From 01 February 2011 it has been agreed that these children will not require a child protection plan in addition to the interim care order and an early conference may be called to end the child protection plan. 

If a child is S.20 and subject to a child protection plan the practice has been for the child to remain subject to a child protection plan unless the care plan is not to rehabilitate the child back to the birth family, and the Local Authority can evidence that the parents are unlikely to request the child should return to their care. From 01 February 2011 those children who are S.20 and where there are also ongoing legal proceedings will not also remain subject of a child protection plan. However if there are no ongoing proceedings, the child will remain subject to a child protection plan unless the care plan is not to rehabilitate the child back to the birth family and there is clear evidence that the parents are unlikely to request the child return to their care.

2. Policy

Where a looked after child remains the subject of a child protection plan it is expected that there will be a single planning and reviewing process, led by the IRO, which meets the requirements of both the 2010 Regulations and guidance and Working Together to Safeguard Children. It is recognised that there are different requirements for the independence of the IRO function compared to the chair of the child protection conference. In addition, it is important to note that the child protection conference is required to be a multi-agency forum while children for the most part want as few external people as possible at a review meeting where they are present. Furthermore, the review meeting should be held at a time and venue that takes into account the wishes of the child. 

However it will not be possible for the IRO to carry out his/her statutory function without considering the child’s safety in the context of the care planning process. In this context the IRO will chair the child protection conference where a looked after child remains subject to a child protection plan. The looked after child’s review, when reviewing the child protection aspects of the plan, should also consider whether the criteria continue to be met for the child to remain the subject of a child protection plan. Significant changes to the care plan can only be made at the looked after child’s review.

In some cases it will be possible for there to be a single meeting which will encompass both the child protection conference and the looked after child review. This is likely to be possible when a child is not of sufficient age and understanding to attend and contribute their views to their review.  However when a child is of sufficient age and understanding then it is important to retain the focus of the looked after child review as the child’s meeting. In these cases the child protection conference and the looked after child review will be held as separate meetings and whenever possible for the two meetings to follow each other. For older children they may also wish to attend the child protection conference and again in such cases a single meeting may be possible.

3. Procedures for joint CP and LAC Reviews

Setting Up

1. LAC admin Support will identify joint CP and LAC children when they are notified of placement.  They will notify the IRO on allocation;
2. Anew letter is now sent out by LAC admin notifying attendees that it is a joint meeting;
3. If a CP conference has occurred within 4 weeks prior to accommodation, the Initial Review will be LAC only and the 3 month review will initiate the joint process. (if the CP conference was an initial, then the 3 month review must keep within CP timescales);
4. If this is a newborn child then the Initial Review will be a Joint CP/LAC review;
5. The IRO will explain to the social worker the type of review and the process of a joint meeting to the social worker when arranging a date for the initial review.  This will include asking the social worker to confirm both sets of attendees with admin support when they send in their booking form;
6. LAC admin support will notify the CP admin for the child/children to amend CF and bring the CP conference forward if required.

The Review

7. The review will address the CP Plan first, then hold the LAC review before coming to a conclusion at the end with the decision to remove the CP Plan (unless special circumstance).

Recording the Review

8. The IRO will record the meeting on the CF LAC report and then cut and paste the summary and the decisions onto the CP report.  The summary and decisions will be the same for both;
9. The IRO must let the CP Admin know the outcome of the Review so the CP data can be dealt with;
10. If, in special circumstances, the child/children remain subject to CP Plans, the date of the next Review will be noted in Admin workload in a different colour and allocated to a CP Chair and CP Admin in case the child/children return home and requires a CP conference;
11. Distribution of decisions for both reports will be in line with the LAC requirements of 5 days;

End