This checklist/top tips provides guidance for multi-agency practitioners. This has been written to assist in practice when undertaking strategy discussions.
It is informed by:
The key aims are to ensure that whenever there is reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm there should be a strategy discussion involving local authority children’s social care (including the residential or fostering service, if the child is looked-after), the police, health, and other bodies such as the referring agency.
This might take the form of a multi-agency meeting or phone calls and more than one discussion may be necessary. A strategy discussion can take place following a referral or at any other time, including during the assessment process and when new information is received on an already open case.
(Working Together to Safeguard Children: A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children 2023).
The following guidance is for all practitioners attending the meeting or discussion.
Children Social Work Services (CSWS)
The purpose of the meeting is to determine child’s/children’s welfare and plan rapid future action if reasonable cause to suspect child/children are suffering or likely to suffer significant harm.
For the meeting or discussion:
- have all the relevant individuals been invited to the meeting/discussion this should include the referrer (if a professional), school, nursery, Youth Justice Service, Probation etc
- ensure that all children in the household are discussed
- ensure that non-resident parents are considered
- history is relevant; however, the analysis of current risk needs to be the focus of discussion
- consider if the discussion focussed on the child/children/unborn baby? Is the discussion focussed on the impact of the risk on them?
- consider if a wide range of evidence wil be included in the discussion – including any information shared by family, friends etc;
- if there is any information that is unclear/uncertain – how will this information be obtained and by who?
- never assume information has already been shared
- child centred practice should be always considered, children are best looked after within their families where it is safe to do so unless compulsory intervention is necessary
- respect opinions, knowledge, and skills of multi -agency partners-constructive challenge is essential
- if safety measures are required – ensure this is detailed in the strategy discussion/meeting, who will be involved and when will it be reviewed?
- if the risk is domestic violence and abuse have we considered a referral to MARAC (Multi-agency risk assessment conference), have we considered a referral for Clare’s Law, has a DASH (Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Honour Based Violence and Abuse) risk assessment been completed who will action this?
- if the risk is domestic violence and abuse, are we considering the child/children as victims in their own right? (Children affected by domestic abuse will be automatically treated as victims regardless of whether they are present during violent incidents).
- share thinking and proposed recommendations with other involved practitioners
- jointly challenge, comment, and deliberate before reaching conclusions
- consider what multi-agency family help is necessary to reduce significant harm?
- will a further strategy discussion be required? Do you require further information before deciding?
- if further information is required, how will this be obtained and recorded?
- what immediate/short-term action is required to support the child/children-who will do what by when?
- is legal action required?
- what information should be shared with child/children, and family-would it jeopardise police investigation or place child/children at risk of harm?
- record and share agreed decisions
- follow up to make sure actions get done
- ensure there is a clear analysis of risk
- share the record of the meeting with professionals and actions that have been agreed including the timescales and whether any follow up is required by whom and in what periods.
- be clear what is to be shared with parent/carer/child and record this clearly. If information is not to be shared a clear rationale into this decision should be recorded.
- is a LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer) referral required? Who will make the referral?
Health practitioners
For the meeting or discussion:
- ensure consideration of a child protection medical is discussed
- ensure if required referral to SARC (Sexual Assault Referral Centre) is considered and made
- ensure appropriate treatment and follow up of health concerns
- are further tests required before reaching an outcome?
- as the health practitioner you may need to request, and co-ordinate required assessments
- do we need to speak to other services YAS (Yorkshire Ambulance Service /CYPMHS (Children Young People Mental Health Services)?
- share relevant information and provide an analysis of risk
- provide a view on the actions and next steps required
- offer appropriate challenge and questions if required
- jointly challenge, comment, and deliberate before reaching conclusions
Police
For the meeting or discussion:
- help other organisations and agencies understand the reasons for concerns about the child’s safety and welfare by sharing information and analysis
- decide whether police investigations reveal grounds for instigating criminal proceedings
- make available to other practitioners any other relevant information gathered or known to inform discussions about the child’s welfare and significant adults connected to the child/children
- where appropriate discuss the ABE (Achieving Best Evidence) guidance on interviewing victims and witnesses, and guidance on using special measures, where a decision has been made to undertake a joint interview of the child as part of the criminal investigation
- share relevant information held regarding DASH (Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Honour Based Violence and Abuse);reports, referrals to MARAC (Multi-agency risk assessment conference)and whether Clare’s Law is appropriate;
- in relation to domestic abuse provide options available to safeguard the victim i.e. stalking protection orders (SPOs), Domestic Violence Protection Notice (DVPN) or Domestic Violence Protection Order (DVPO)
- share information with professionals regarding known risks i.e. mental health, alcohol and drug misuse, violence, and risks to professionals;
- be clear in a criminal investigation what information can and cannot be shared with child/parent/carers
- jointly challenge, comment, and deliberate before reaching conclusions
Education
For the meeting or discussion:
- share relevant information about the specific risk but also wider knowledge you may have of the family
- share emerging themes, patterns of abuse. What do we know so far?
- history is relevant; however, the analysis of current risk needs to be the focus of discussion
- share professional observations of the presentation and behaviour of the child/children and the impact of harm/risk
- jointly challenge, comment, and deliberate before reaching conclusions
- what follow up with the children can be offered?
- what support will be offered to the family?
- share information re: school attendance and engagement/ parental/ carer involvement
- if a child is home educated - who else do, we need to contact?
- are we sharing the voice of the child/parent/carer?
Other practitioners
If you’re working with a family, where a concern has been identified suggesting that children or young people are experiencing or at risk of experiencing significant harm, you may be invited to contribute to a strategy discussion, co-ordinated by Children’s Social Work Service. Your contribution could be key to the co-ordination of a robust safety plan, to ensure all children are safe.
Your role in strategy discussions should be to:
- share relevant information and provide an analysis of risks
- provide a brief history of your involvement with the family. History is relevant; however, the analysis of current risk will be the main focus of discussion
- provide a picture of the current situation, from our agency perspective. Does your agency have any information regarding family issues associated with mental health, alcohol and drug misuse, violence, and risks to professionals
- share your agency’s observations of the presentation and behaviour of the child/children and the potential impact of any harm or risk
- share information on emerging themes or patterns of abuse that you are aware of. Adding to the picture of what is known now
- encourage partners in the meeting to consider the voice of the child/parent/carer
- provide a view from your agency on the actions and next steps which will help keep children safe
- jointly challenge, commenting and deliberating before the discussion reaches a conclusion
- offer a view on what follow up with the children or wider family your agency can offer