What is a Child Protection Enquiry?
It’s what we do when we need to make sure that children are OK. Sometimes adults or other young people hurt children or make them feel bad or afraid. This shouldn’t happen – if it happens to you, we’re here to help you and to find out what’s going on.
An enquiry into your safety maybe upsetting and stressful. To help with this, please try and keep the following in mind:
- Everyone involved will try to do their best for you and your family
- It can be helpful to talk to someone you trust who you know is sensible and will not talk to others about your business.
What is a Child Protection Conference?
A child protection conference is a meeting that is held when a social worker, or a teacher, or a health visitor, or a nurse, or the police, or any other professional who knows you, believes you are at risk of significant harm. They may feel that extra support is needed for you or your family to ensure your safety.
What sort of harm?
Harm can take several forms:
Physical – when an adult deliberately hurts a child such as hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning, drowning or suffocating.
Neglect – where a child is not being looked after properly, for example, not getting enough to eat, not going to the dentist or doctors when they need to and/or being left in dangerous situations.
Emotional – This would happen, for instance, when a child is all the time being unfairly blamed for everything, or they are told they are stupid and made to feel unhappy. This can also be when a child sees or hears violent arguing or fighting between adults at home.
Sexual – examples would be where a child has been forced to take part in sexual activities or look at sexual pictures, by an adult or older young person.
The meeting will be chaired by someone called a child protection chair. Their job is to make sure that any decisions reached, or plans made at the child protection conference is done fairly and that everyone, including you, has a chance to have their say.
The purpose of the conference is to make sure that everyone fully understands the worries for you and is clear about the things that are going well.
A Child Protection Conference is not about taking you away from your parents |
Who will attend this meeting?
Children
Children who have some understanding of the worries are able to attend their meeting if they want to. If you want to come to your meeting, you will be able to attend for some or all of the meeting. It is important that people know how you feel about what is happening in your life. You will be offered an advocate who will meet with you to understand your views and who will attend the conference on your behalf or with you. If you do not want an advocate, you could have a family friend or member to come with you. Your Mum and dad or the person who looks after you will come to the conference. Professional people like someone from your school, your school nurse or your doctor will also be invited and should attend.
Parents/Carers
Your Mum and Dad, and any other members of your family involved in your care will be invited to the meeting.
Professionals
Any people working with your family will be invited. Professionals such as the police and GP will also be invited even if they have not directly worked with you or your family.
What happens at the meeting?
If you attend the conference, before the meeting starts, the child protection chair will meet you and will go through with you how the conference will be run.
You can ask any questions that you may have about the meeting and let the child protection chair know if there is any way in which they can support you, to make sure that you can attend and take part in all of the meeting.
The meeting will decide what needs to happen to keep you safe.
How can my views be shared at the Conference?
You may feel worried about talking in front of a lot of people. The Chair will do all they can to help you and will not allow anyone to upset you in the meeting. They will make sure you are treated with respect.
You may like to write down your thoughts and feelings and the Chair could read this for you. The Social Worker or someone else you trust could help you with this. An adult you trust – which may not be your parents/carers – could say something on your behalf or you could use an advocate to speak for you.
What are Advocates and Advocacy?
Advocates are adult professionals who offer children and young people advocacy. They:
- Make sure you have your say and your views are considered by other professionals
- Help you decide what you want to say and how you want to say it.
- Write things down and can attend Child Protection Conferences. They can go with you or on your behalf… whatever you decide, it’s up to you!
- They are independent. They are not part of Children’s Social Care or the Local Council. They work for you!
- Give you information and advice. BUT, they take their instructions from you on how you want your views included.
Dorset’s advocacy service is provided by NYAS – you can find more information by visiting their website here NYAS Children & Young People
Coram Voice are working closely with Action for Children to ensure you continue to get the advocacy or Independent Visitor support you need. Coram Voice don’t want you to have to provide all of your details again so we would like Action for Children to be able to share this information about you, if you agree. There is a form for you to sign to say you are happy for Coram Voice to receive details about you. You can get the form from Action for Children. Your carer, social worker or another adult if you prefer, can help you to get the form from Action for Children.
You can contact Coram Voice via the following:
Freephone: 0808 800 5792
WhatsApp: +44 (0)7758 670369
Text: 07758 670369 send a text and ask for someone to call you back.
Email: help@coramvoice.org.uk
Opening Hours
Coram Voice Advocates will answer your call from
Monday to Friday 9.30am–6pm and Saturday 10am to 4pm.
If you want to speak to someone outside these times and your call is urgent, phone and leave a message and someone will phone you back. Coram will always try to help you straight away and always get back to you within 24 hours.
REMEMBER
You can ask your Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO), social worker or carer to contact Coram Voice if you prefer.
BCP, Coram Voice and Action for Children will do everything they can to make sure that you continue to receive the advocacy or Independent Visitor support you need.
What happens after the meeting?
After the meeting, regular meetings with Children’s Social Care will take place to look at any other help that may be needed for you and your family.
Your social worker and the child protection chair will explain the purpose of these meetings and agree the dates with you and other professionals at the end of the conference.
Can I complain?
You have the right to complain about anything that makes you feel angry, frustrated or upset.
Complaining helps:
- Sort out problems fasters!
- Allows professionals to learn!
- Makes things better for everyone!
How to complain…
If you have a complaint about your social worker or chair of the conference:
- Think about what made you want to complain.
- How did it make you feel?
- How can things be made right and what you would like to happen
If you live in Dorset, you can make a complaint direct on NYAS’s website here NYAS Children & Young People – Make a Complaint. Alternatively, you can call the helpline via 0808 808 1001, or email help@nyas.net
Other useful Information
NSPCC
Tel: 0808 800 5000
Web address: www.nspcc.org.uk
Childline
Tel: 0800 1111
Web address: www.childline.org.uk
