Minutes:
The LSCB received the six monthly report providing an update on the Child Protection Conferencing process in Bracknell Forest during the period April to September 2015.
It was noted that during the period covered by the report 122 child protection conferences covering 236 children had taken place. Of these 35 had been initial conferences and 87 review conferences. 54 children had become subject to a child protection plan and 82 had ceased to be subject to a child protection plan. Neglect continued to be the most prevalent reason for implementing a Child Protection Plan. At the end of September 2015, 5 children had been subject to a Child Protection Plan for in excess of 24 months and it was agreed that the category that these plans fell into would be identified.
The Conference and Review Team was undertaking an audit of those children subject to repeat Child Protection Plans. Which would complement the audit work currently being progressed by the LSCB. Early results of this work indicate that parental disguised compliance was an underlying feature of these cases. A full analysis of this work would be brought to a future meeting of the LSCB’s Learning and Improvement Sub-group. (Action: Heather Brown)
It was suggested that the Pan Berkshire Strategic Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) could be an appropriate place for an initial discussion of how concerns about those children identified as being at risk of CSE were managed. The question as to the use of Child Protection Plans would be central to a review that would consider relevant legislation, statutory guidance and emerging best practice. (Action: Jonathan Picken/Karen Roberts)
It was noted that participation of children and parents at child protection conferences continued to be positive. The Children’s Social Care function had launched an opt-out pilot scheme for advocacy for all children subject to Child Protection Plans and it was hoped that this would increase children’s participation rates further.
The LSCB acknowledged that multi-agency participation at conferences was improving and the audit tool used by Child Protection Chairs was being reviewed to ensure that information was gathered more consistently. The following points were raised in relation to agency participation at Child Protection Conferences:
· Statistics for the Probation Service needed to be broken down so that attendance by both the Community Rehabilitation Company and the Probation Service was shown
· It was not clear whether it was being recorded when an agency did not have to provide a report
· The Clinical Commissioning Group requested that they be notified of instances when GPs produced a complex medical statement but did not go on to attend the Conference
· It was agreed that the participation template would be circulated for comment to John Ennis, Debbie Hartrick and Eugene Jones. (Action: Heather Brown)
It was agreed that consideration of how those attending child protection conferences and core groups could be trained and prepared for their role would be explored further by the Training Sub-group. (Action: Emma Anderton)
It was suggested that the template completed by GPs was used across the whole of the Clinical Commissioning Group’s area could be strengthened but any proposed changes to this could have implications for colleagues in other areas. It was requested that the Clinical Commissioning Group be included when the revised template was consulted on.
The LSCB noted the report.