12.14 Information for a Conference

The Child Protection Conference Report should include:

• A chronology , ideally including a genogram, of significant events, agency and professional contact;
• The child's current and past state of developmental needs;
• Dates when the child was seen by the Lead Social Worker during the Section 47 Enquiry, whether the child was seen alone and if not, who was present and for what reason;
• The capacity of the parents and other family members to ensure the child is kept safe from harm and to respond to the child's developmental needs within their wider family and environment;
• The family history and and current family circumstances;
• The expressed views, wishes and  feelings of the child, parents and other family members;
  • An analysis of the  information gathered to reach a judgment on whether the child is suffering, or is likely to suffer significant harm and consider how best to safeguard and meet  their developmental needs;
  • An outline Plan detailing how the child’s identified needs will be met;and
• The Local Authority's recommendation to the Conference

The Child Protection Conference Report should be shared in person, with parents and older children to the extent that it is believed to be in their interests, at least three working days in advance of Initial Conferences, and five working days before Review Conferences, to enable any factual inaccuracies to be identified, discussed, amended as necessary and areas of disagreement noted. Where necessary, the Reports should be translated into the relevant language or medium.

The Child Protection Conference Report should consider all children in the household.

The Report will be sent out after the Conference, to all Conference invitees.

It is the responsibility of all  agencies invited to the Conference to provide, and make available to those attending, a written report in advance of the Conference.

Where any agency representatives are unable to attend the Conference they must ensure that a written report is made available to the Conference, through the Chair and, if possible, that a well-briefed colleague attends in their place.

Where the agency has information to share but is unable to do so in the presence of a parent or family member, discussion should take place with the Conference Chair prior to the Conference regarding how this should be managed within the Conference - see Exclusion of Family Members from a Conference Procedure.

Caution should be exercised when sharing information with families in cases of fabricated or induced illness.

All written reports will be attached to, or incorporated in, the Conference Record.

Children and family members should be helped in advance to consider what they wish to convey to the Conference, how they wish to do so and what help and support they will require e.g. they may choose to communicate in writing, audio, or with the support of an advocate. Families may benefit from advice on the length of their submission, to enable proper consideration within the time constraints of the Conference.

Children and family member’s submissions will be attached to, or incorporated in, the Conference Record at the discretion of the Chair.