CHILD PROTECTION
CASE CONFERENCES
The Case Conference is a non-statutory
meeting organised by the social work
services to consult with other agencies
to collate information about the child
and family. The Child Protection Case
Conference has a specific role
regarding the protection of children.
The purpose is to allow the participants
to pool their knowledge of the child’s
health, development and functioning
and the carer’s capacity to ensure the
safety and well being of the child and
assess risk.
The case conference is central to child
protection procedures.
Its function is to:
1. Bring together all the information from
people working with the child.
2. Using this information to analyse and
then to assess the measures needed
to be taken by the various agencies
in order to protect the child.
3. If it is considered necessary to put a
child protection plan in place then
the child will be registered on the
child protection register.
4. There will also be a decision made
regarding referral to the Children’s
Reporter.
Working Together to Protect Children in the Highlands Working Together to Protect Children in the Highlands
Working Together to Protect Children in the Highlands Working Together to Protect Children in the Highlands
Working Together to Protect Children in the Highlands Working Together to Protect Children in the Highlands
Working Together to Protect Children in the Highlands Working Together to Protect Children in the Highlands
You will be asked to write a report for
the Case Conference. This should arrive
at least 2 days before the date. At the
Case Conference you will be expected
to speak to your report.
The case conference may start with a
‘protected period’ – this allows
agencies to share information that is
confidential or has not been shared as
yet with the parents – this period should
NOT be used to share information that
should be shared with parents, any
request for a protected period must be
justified to the Chair.
At the end of the case conference,
once all the information has been
shared, you will be asked for your
professional opinion regarding the
registration of the child and the
category to be used. In order to do this
you will have to consider if the threshold
for registration has been reached and,
with reference to the definitions, the
category that should be used. If the
child’s name is registered, a planning
meeting will take place after the case
conference and you will be expected
to attend and contribute to the plan if
appropriate.
This first case conference is referred to
as an initial case conference. A review
case conference refers to any
subsequent one.
WHO ATTENDS?
Parents/carers and children are invited
to attend child protection case
conferences, in addition the following
people will be invited:
The child’s social worker; senior social
worker or team manager; police; health
professionals including health visitor,
school nurse, community paediatrician,
GP; Designated person for child
protection from the child’s school, head
teacher, guidance teacher, class
teacher; Reporter to the Children’s
Panel (observe only); Procurator Fiscal;
Highland Council legal services; other
appropriate people as identified by the
senior social worker/team manager.
Physical Injury
Actual or attempted physical injury to a
child, including the administration of
toxic substances, where there is
knowledge or reasonable suspicion that
the injury was inflicted or knowingly not
prevented.
Sexual Abuse
Any child may be deemed to have
been sexually abused when any
person(s), by design or neglect, exploits
the child, directly or indirectly, in any
activity to lead to sexual arousal or
other forms of gratification of that
person or any other person(s) including
organised networks. This definition holds
whether or not there has been genital
contact or whether or not the child is
said to have initiated, or consented to,
the behaviour.
Emotional Abuse
Failure to provide for the child’s basic
emotional needs such as to have a
severe effect on the behaviour and
development of the child.
This can occur where as a result of
behaviour by the care-giver(s) children
appear to be rejected, denigrated or
scapegoated: inappropriately punished;
engage in uncharacteristic anti-social
behaviour or put in a state of terror or
extreme anxiety by the use of threats or
practices designed to intimidate them;
isolate or are isolated from the group,
and do not form friendships.
DEFINITIONS
Significant Harm
The concept of significant harm is a
complicated matter, and depends on
professional judgement based on
assessing the child’s and family’s
circumstances. Significant harm can be
as a result of a specific incident, a series
of incidents or as a result of many
concerns, which have arisen over a
period of time. It is essential when
considering whether there is significant
harm, that the child’s needs and
circumstances come first, rather that the
view of the alleged abusive behaviour.