Child In Need Policy. Wykeham Primary School. Updated: November 2015 Presented and Agreed by Governors: February 2016 Review Date: November 2016

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1 Child In Need Policy Updated: November 2015 Presented and Agreed by Governors: February 2016 Review Date: November 2016 Page 1 of 7

2 2015 Drawn up in line with the Brent Local Safeguarding Children Board Multi-Agency Key Contacts Academic Year Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) Alternate Designated Safeguarding Lead Designated Safeguarding Manager Nominated Governor Vice Chairs of Governors Chair of Governor s 2014 to 2015 D Springer G Notay E Sharpe M Farrell N Sullivan C Adams B Amponsah- Abedi Policy Review Dates Review Date Changes made By Whom Date Shared with Staff December 2015 Changes to Contact details and titles of designated staff December 2015 D Springer / CLT Contacts Names and Contact Numbers The LADO function is currently undertaken by the Designated Officers in the Child Protection Team and this team should be contacted as the first point of call for any LADO enquires. If you wish to have a discussion prior to making a referral please contact in order: Andrew Zachariades: , Mobile Nichola Fraser: , Mobile Kiran Box: , Mobile Catherine Marquis: , Mobile Brent Child Protection Administration Team Brent Family Front Door Brent Out of Hours Emergency Care Duty Team Page 2 of 7

3 2015 Contents Page 1 Names and Key Contact Numbers 2 2 Introduction 4 3 Context 4 4 Aims 5 5 Child In Need Process 5 6 The Team Around the child 5 7 Step up/straight to Child In Need 6 8 Step Down from a Child Protection Plan 6 9 Monitoring and Review 6 10 Glossary 7 11 Appendix A: Brent Levels of Need 7 Page 3 of 7

4 Wykeham Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children as we believe that this is of paramount importance. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We uphold the rights of everyone to equality under the law regardless of gender, age, race, belief, ability or disability, sexual orientation or identity. We believe that our core school values of respect, responsibility, tolerance and co-operation and the British values are not mutually exclusive. We focus on ensuring our work is effective in securing these values; challenging children, staff and parents who express opinions contrary to the British values with regard to our duty to prevent extremism and radicalisation. The Brent LSCB was devised to provide guidance to all agencies and professionals working with Children In Need (CIN) as defined by Section 17 (10) of the Children Act A child is a Child in Need if: He/she is unlikely to achieve or maintain, or have the opportunity of achieving or maintaining, a reasonable standard of health or development without the provision for him/her of services by a local authority; His/her health or development is likely to be significantly impaired, or further impaired, without the provision for him/her of such services; or He/she is a disabled child. 2 Introduction 2.1 This policy sets out the framework that professionals must follow in order to provide child focused plans and support for children in need who have complex needs and who meet Level 3 of the Brent Levels of Need (see attached). 2.2 Wykeham School expects that all agencies support the Child in Need process by contributing to planning, implementing and reviewing CIN work. 2.3 This policy supports all professionals to work within a multi-agency framework to improve outcomes for Children In Need. 3 Context 3.1 All work with children and their families should be based upon: Assessment analysis and recommendations. The formation of a team around the child (TAC). Planning appropriate intervention to meet the child and the family s identified needs. Setting up services to meet needs and implement plans. Reviewing the plan and the impact it has made. Page 4 of 7

5 4 Aims This policy ensures that all staff in our school are clear about the actions necessary with regard to Child In Need procedures. Brent Children s Social Care aims to: Create planning and reviewing systems for complex Children In Need cases which are as effective and robust as those for child protection work. Support practitioners in planning interventions and setting up creative packages of support to prevent problems becoming entrenched and requiring statutory intervention. Strengthen the multi-agency team around the child (TAC) approach. Ensure there is a seamless continuum of services for children with additional needs who can be provided for within the CAF framework (Levels 1 and 2); children with more complex needs, who need to be referred to a statutory agency such as Children and Families, Social Care, and those needing more intensive statutory interventions on a child protection or child in care basis. Encourage partnership working between professionals and families. Maximise the use of a range of community-based services to meet identified needs. Enable families to carry out their responsibilities for protecting their children from abuse and neglect. Improve outcomes for children, to prevent the need for more intensive, statutory intervention, and to build lasting improvements, to avoid the need for repeat interventions. 5 Child In Need Process 5.1 Children can become subjects of CIN plans in the following ways by: Being directly referred to Brent Social Care and following assessment, be deemed as requiring a package of support as a Child In Need see (Step Up/Straight to CIN) Following an Initial Child Protection Conference that decides a child protection plan is not required because the concerns do not meet the threshold for establishing a child protection plan (Step Down) Following a Review Child Protection Conference that decides to discontinue the child protection plan because concerns no longer meet the threshold for maintaining the child protection plan (Step Down). 6 The Team Around the Child (TAC) 6.1 The TAC provides the key mechanism for implementing, monitoring and reviewing all CIN plans in Brent. The Team Around the Child includes the designated personnel and senior staff at Wykeham School. 6.2 The purpose of the TAC is to: Bring a formalised structure to the process to ensure that the plan is as robust, measurable and effective as plans made within child protection processes, and that its delivery and impact can be tested through regular review. Ensure a multi-agency approach to the core assessment so that it can be finalised within the 35 day core assessment timescale. If the conference or review members agree that a new or enhanced core assessment is required this can be planned at the first TAC meeting. Page 5 of 7

6 Involve the parents, and children/young people if appropriate, in finalising the core assessment and devising the plan. Ensure that the need for a Family Group Conference is fully considered as part of the plan, as a way of empowering families and providing supplementary support. Establish a plan for the child, record on the CIN Plan format, that will be SMART and that will underpin parental and family responsibility for keeping their children safe from harm, abuse and neglect. Draw on a range of community resources to ensure services can be set up to meet identified needs. 7 Step Up / Straight to Child In Need 7.1 When a child is referred to Brent Social Care as a Level 3 (see appendix A) an assessment will be carried out by Brent Social Care. This assessment will entail seeking the views of the child, family members and agencies already involved with the child or their family. 7.2 Following this assessment the social work manager will identify whether the case is sufficiently complex to require ongoing support through a Child in Need plan (CIN). 7.3 When a CIN plan is warranted the social worker or their manager will chair a meeting of relevant professionals and the parents/carer within 10 working days following the completion of the core assessment. This meeting will develop the CIN plan and establish who will form the TAC. The child in need plan will be circulated to all members of the TAC and the family no later than 5 working days following the initial TAC meeting. 7.4 To implement the CIN plan a TAC must be formed. Parents/carers must be engaged as part of the TAC to safeguard and promote the welfare of their children. 7.5 For cases where there is an existing TAC, for example following the completion of a Common Assessment (CAF) the existing professionals should review membership of the TAC with professionals being included or removed as appropriate to the plan. 8 Step Down from a Child Protection Plan 8.1 The threshold for a child protection plan is whether the child is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm and hence requires safeguarding from harm through adherence to a formal child protection plan. 8.2 A child protection plan may be discontinued in circumstances where there is concern about parenting or where all outcomes in the child protection plan have not been achieved but the residual concerns do not constitute significant harm. 8.3 An Initial Child Protection Conference (ICPC) may decide that the concerns about the child do not meet the threshold for a child protection plan but a CIN plan is required. 8.4 The Review Child Protection Conference (RCPC) / ICPC will develop the CIN plan. 8.5 The Chair will establish members of the TAC and set a date for the TAC to meet within 10 days of the conference. 8.6 The initial TAC will be chaired by the social worker or their manager. 9 Monitoring and Review Page 6 of 7

7 9.1 All members of the TAC are responsible for ensuring that agreed services are delivered. The plan will be progressed through meetings of the TAC, which will have a similar role to core groups within child protection work. 9.2 The social work manager will chair the initial TAC meeting and must set dates for the subsequent review. 9.3 The social work manager is responsible for deciding whether to step the plan down to universal services or to instigate child protection/care planning processes when necessary. 9.4 All CIN plans must be reviewed by the TAC every 3 months although they could be reviewed earlier if TAC members consider this is required. 9.5 The review will be chaired by the social worker unless otherwise directed by the social work manager. 9.6 All CIN cases open longer than 10 months will be reviewed by the Head of the Locality and Disabled Children s Service. If the Head of Service is concerned about any aspect of the work, including drift a social work manager will be asked to chair the next review and report back. 9.7 Any professional who is concerned that the CIN plan is not safeguarding the child and a higher level of intervention is required is responsible for bringing this to the attention of the social worker and or the social work manager. 9.8 If any member of the TAC is concerned that a professional is not working to support the CIN plan they should discuss with their Manager who will consider if it is necessary to invoke the escalation procedure located on Brent s Local Safeguarding Children Board website. 10 Glossary CP ICPC RCPC CIN Child Protection Initial Child Protection Conference Review Child Protection Conference Child In Need Page 7 of 7