Flow chart 1: Action taken when a child with Child Sexual
Exploitation concerns is referred to local authority Children’s
Social Care Services.
CHILD’S CASE IS REFERRED TO LOCAL AUTHORITY
ASSESSMENT TEAM USING CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION
RISK ASSESSMENT TOOL or INFORMATION REPORT.
CSE HUB INFORMED
Children’s Social Care and the CSE Hub make a decision
within 1 working day of next steps
Assessment required
Section 17 or section 47 of the Children
Act 1989
No further LA
Children’s Social
Care
involvement at
this stage.
Concerns about child’s immediate safety
See flow chart 2 on immediate
protection
See flow chart 3 on
assessment and
flow chart 4 on
strategy
discussion
Feedback to
referrer on next
course of action
Feedback to
referrer on next
course of action
Case to be
referred by
the CSE hub
for universal
and targeted
services
Flow Chart 1: Response to a referral.
Once the referral of CSE has been received by the local authority via contact
point, the information is passed onto the CSE hub.
Within one working day of a referral being received the CSE hub Manager will:






Screen the referral and discuss at the daily multi agency CSE hub meeting
and make a decision about the type of response that is required from
Children’s Social Care.
The response could be one of the following:
1. The child requires immediate protection and urgent action is
required:
2. The child is in need, and should be assessed under section 17 of
the Children Act 1989 (to be carried out by area team or Hub Social
Worker)
3. There is reasonable cause to suspect that the child is suffering , or
likely to suffer significant harm, and whether enquires must be made
and the child assessed under section 47 of the Children Act 1989.
(to be carried out by the area team)
At the CSE hub meeting decisions will be made in relation to whether the
child is medium or high risk which means the case is an open case by the
hub and the child is “hub managed”. This means the case will be open to
CSC, Police and Voluntary sector.
Referrals that are categorised as low will be referred to universal services
for preventative work.
Where there are no concerns of CSE, but other concerns, a referral will be
made to the area teams for an assessment.
Feedback will be given to the referrer.
Flow Chart 2: Immediate protection Child at risk of Child Sexual
Exploitation
Decision made by an agency with statutory child protection powers (the
police, the local authority (LA) or the CSE hub Manager that emergency
action may be necessary to safeguard a child.
Immediate strategy discussion between LA Children’s Social Care, the CSE
Hub police health and other agencies as appropriate, where involved.
Consideration for paediatric medical
Immediate strategy discussion makes decision about:
1.
2.
3.
Immediate safeguard action: and
Information giving, especially to parents
Relevant agency seeks legal advice and
outcome recorded
Relevant agency (taking emergency action) sees children and outcome
recorded. Shared with the CSE hub.
No emergency
action required
Appropriate
emergency action
taken
With family and
other
professionals,
agree plan for
ensuring child’s
future safety and
welfare and
record decisions,
and act on it.
Plan shared with
the CSE hub.
Review risk
assessment
Child in need
See flow chart 3
Strategy
discussion and
section 47
enquires initiated
See flow chart 4
Flow Chart 2:
Exploitation
Immediate protection Child at Risk of Child Sexual
Where there is a risk to the life of a child of likelihood of serious immediate harm,
local authority social workers, the police or NSPCC must use their statutory child
protection powers to act immediately to secure the safety of the child.
If the child is “hub managed”, or the reasons for immediate protection are
related to child sexual exploitation, the CSE hub needs to be aware of the
situation immediately.
(Please refer to page 28 of the Working Together 2013)
Multi- agency working
Planned emergency action will normally take place following an immediate
strategy discussion. Social workers, the police, CSE hub or NSPCC should:




Initiate a strategy discussion to discuss planned emergency action. Where
a single agency has to act immediately, the CSE hub needs to be
information and a strategy discussion should take place as soon as
possible after action has been taken.
Where medicals and video interviews are carried out, Social workers to be
present at both of these.
See the child.
Fill in a CSE risk assessment.
Flow Chart 3: Action taken for an assessment of a child under
the Children Act 1989 where the child is at risk of Child Sexual
Exploitation.
Assessment completed in line with local protocol; and
completion of CSE risk assessment tool. A timely
assessment based on the needs of the child within 45
working days of the point of referral in LA Children’s
Social Care will be undertaken.
No LA Children’s Social
Care support required.
Risk assessment tool
forwarded to CSE hub
for next steps
Feedback
to referrer
Child in need
Assessment led by social worker, other
professionals contribute
No actual or likely
significant harm
Social worker discusses
next steps including
review/decision points
with child, family and
colleagues and CSE hub
Actual or likely
significant harm
See flow
chart 4
Increased CSE
concerns of
significant harm
Assessment continues; services provided if appropriate
Social worker with family/other professional agrees next steps within 45 working days
Children in Need (CIN) plan or Child Protection (CP) plan or step down plan i.e TAC.
Coordinates provision of appropriate services.
N.B CSE risk assessment and level of risk to be reviewed at every meeting the
timescales for accessing the frequency of visiting and reviewing child in need
is the same as for children who are subject to CP plans. i.e CSE meetings to be
held every 6 weeks.
Review plan and outcome for child and when appropriate refer to nonstatutory services e.g ‘step down’ or refer for section 47 enquiries or
close the case. All recommendations for case closure to be
discussed and agreed with CSE hub prior to closure and put in
writing.
Flow Chart 3 : Action taken for an assessment of a child under the Children
Act 1989 where the child is at risk of Child Sexual Exploitation
(Please refer to page 30-32 of the Working Together 2013)
Assessment is completed within 45 days along with a CSE risk assessment.
Should the findings of the assessment be child in need, child protection, the child
needs to:1. be seen every 4 weeks
2. CSE meetings need to take place every 6 weeks (these will be the
same as core groups or CIN meetings.
If the level of risk increases for the child, the CSE hub needs an updated risk
assessment of the concerns.
If the level of risk decreases for the a “hub managed child”, and the local
authority are wishing to close the case, the Social Worker must inform the CSE
hub for agreement 6 weeks prior to closure. The CSE hub will hold a 6 weekly
multi agency meeting and agree or disagree with closure of cases whilst
considering the risk. Should case closure be agreed the child will no longer be
“hub managed”.
Flow Chart 4: Action following a strategy discussion regarding
child at risk of Child Sexual Exploitation
No further LA
Children’s Social
Care involvement at
this stage, but refer
to CSE hub and
other services may
be required. i.e
voluntary CSE
services
Strategy discussion is convened by
LA children’s social care to decide
whether to initiate section 47
enquires. Decisions are recorded
Police investigate
possible crime
Decision to initiate section
47
Decision to complete
assessment under section
17 of the Children Act 1989.
See flow chart 3
Social worker leads assessment under section 47 of the
Children Act 1989 and other professionals contribute.
Assessments follow local protocol based on the needs of
the child within 45 working days of the point of referral.
Concerns about child not substantiated
but child is a child in need. Information
shared with CSE hub
Concern substantiated but child not likely to
suffer significant harm. Information shared with
CSE hub.
With family and other professionals,
agree plan for ensuring child’s future
safety and welfare and recorded and
act on decisions
Agree whether child protection conference is
necessary and record decisions and CSE hub
informed
Concerns substantiated, child likely to suffer
significant harm
Yes
No
Social worker completes
assessment
Social work manager convenes child protection conference
within 15 working days of the strategy discussion, CSE
hub informed and invited
Decisions made and recorded at child protection
conference
Child likely to suffer significant harm
Child is subject of child protection plan;
outline child protection plan prepared;
core group established .
Child becomes a “hub managed child”
CSE risk assessment tool and level of risk
to be reviewed at every CP meeting
With family and other
professionals, agree plan for
ensuring child’s future
safety and welfare and
record and act on decisions
plan shared with CSE hub
Child not likely to suffer significant
harm
Further decisions made about ongoing assessment and service
provision according to agreed plan
See flow chart 3
Flow Chart 4 : Action following a strategy discussion regarding child at risk
of Child Sexual Exploitation
The process is followed in line with working together pages 33-41. Social worker
must:


Inform the CSE hub of the strategy discussion, or the CSE hub inform the
area team of the strategy discussion.
Information is passed both ways, to the CSE hub and to the area teams.
Members of the CSE hub are invited to meetings and able to input into the
plan for the child.