Review Child Protection Conferences
Timescale
The first Review Conference should be held within 3 months of the Initial Child Protection Conference and further
reviews should be held at not more than 6 monthly intervals for as long as a child’s name remains Subject to a
Child Protection Plan. This is to ensure that momentum is maintained in the process of safeguarding the child.
Purpose
The Review requires as much preparation, commitment and management as the initial conference. Every review
should consider explicitly whether the child continues to be at risk of significant harm, and hence continues to
need safeguarding, through adherence to a formal Child Protection Plan. If not, then the child’s may no longer
require a Child Protection Plan.
The purpose of the Review Conference is to:
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Review the safety, health and development of the child against intended outcomes set out in the Child
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Protection Plan;
Ensure that the child continues to be adequately safeguarded; and
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Consider whether the Child Protection Plan should continue or should be changed.
Arrangements for Convening Review Conferences
The key worker will discuss and agree with the Chair who will be invited to the review conference.
Invitations will be sent to:
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All members of the core group, parents/carers, and the child (if of sufficient age and understanding)
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All professionals who were invited to the Initial Child Protection Conference, who will attend if they have
information relevant to the review
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Any other professionals with relevant information.
The date, time, and venue will be confirmed in writing to all those invited at least twenty working days before the
review.
Quoracy of a Review Child Protection Conference
The procedures for a Review Conference to be quorate and for breaching quorum are the same as for Initial
Conferences except it is not always necessary for a Children and Family Services Manager to attend. The
manager should attend when there are concerns about the plan or increased risk to the child. The Chair will
discuss with the manager if it is believed their attendance is required. The minutes of the Review Conference
must clearly record the reasons for breaching the quorum.
The review cannot take place with single agency representation.
Reports to Review Conference
All those invited to the Review Conference must complete the Agency Review Report Form; the Key Worker and
the Admin Coordinators must receive this, 5 working days before the Review Conference.
The Key Worker must update and complete the Planning and Review Record using the information from the
Agency Reports and Core Group Meetings. The Chair must receive this report at least 5 working days before the
Review Conference. The report should include the views of the parents/carers and child. The Chair should be
made aware prior to the meeting of any disagreement with regard to the content or recommendations within the
report.
The report must be shared with the parents/carers and the child, if appropriate, at least 5 days before the review.
Copies of any other assessment undertaken that informs the child protection plan (psychological assessment of
parent/carer/child) must be provided to the Chair at least 5 working days prior to the review.
Child's Participation in a Review Child Protection Conference
All children subject to their age and understanding must be given the opportunity to participate in the Review
Conference either through attendance or by ensuring that their views and wishes are understood.
Procedures for ensuring the participation of the child in the Review Conference are the same as those regarding
Initial Child Protection Conferences.
It should be assumed that the arrangements made for the child’s participation at the previous conference will
necessarily remain the same for the subsequent conference. Arrangements for the participation of the child must
be discussed with the Chair of the conference in advance of the meeting.
As in the case of Initial Child Protection Conferences, attendance of the family and professionals to the Review
Conference should be agreed with the Chair before invitations are sent out.
Structure of the Review Conference
The Chair will ensure that all Review Conferences will be conducted using the following structure:
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Pre-meeting
The Chair will meet briefly with parent/carers/child before the start of the conference to establish their
views about the report and the progress of the Child Protection Plan
Introduction
The Chair will open the meeting and provide a brief explanation of the purpose of the meeting,
introducing all participants
Apologies (including a decision as to who should receive a record of the meeting)
An explanation of ground rules (including issues of confidentiality and the use of appropriate
language)
The Chair will summarise the risk factors identified at the previous conference
Information sharing
Chronology - significant developments/information during the period under review - for example, any
further incidents of significant harm/section 47 enquiries, change in legal status, or other significant
information.
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Social Work analysis – Identifies the relationship between the child’s needs, the care provided by the
parents and the wider family and environmental factors
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Parents and child views
Discussion
Summary of shared information
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Assessment and analysis of risk to each child to determine if the children are at continuing risk of
significant harm and continue to be in need of a Child Protection Plan - If the child is judged to be at
continuing risk of significant harm then their name will remain Subject to a Child Protection Plan
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Child Protection Plan - The appropriateness of the Child Protection Plan to address risk factors and
needs, identifying any problems with the Plan;
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The identification of key worker, Core Group and date for the first Core Group
Agree date, time, venue and attendance at Review Conference
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Set a date for the next Review Conference.
Chair meets with child, parents/carers to debrief and go through the decision and recommendations as
necessary
If a child remains Subject to a Child Protection Plan the conference must consider whether the category of abuse
should remain the same or be changed. The Chair will make the decision about category of risk. Review
Conference to make recommendations if needed (for example, any changes in membership of the core group,
any changes to the child protection plan, any specialist assessments, or any changes to the contingency plan).
If a child's no longer requires a Child Protection Plan and the conference believe that children in need services
should be provided, the conference will consider whether the child has additional need of services, subject to the
consent of the child’s parents.
The Chair will write a letter to the parents and, if appropriate, the child detailing the reasons for the child no
longer requiring a Child Protection Plan. This will be sent with the record of the Review Conference.
If potential future risk factors are identified (e.g., an alleged abuser returning to the family home), the conference
will make recommendations with regard to a contingency plan.
Decision Making
The decision-making process regarding the need for the child continuing to require a Child Protection Plan should
be based on the views of all agencies represented at the Review Conference, and should also take into account
any written contributions made by a professional not in attendance. The decision regarding whether the child
continues to require a Child Protection Plan rests with the professionals, although families will be invited to
express a view.
The question to be addressed is whether the child is at continuing risk of significant harm. A child’s name may be
deemed to no longer require a Child Protection Plan:
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It is judged that the child is no longer at continuing risk of significant harm (e.g. the risk of harm has
been reduced by action taken through the Child Protection Plan; the child and family’s circumstances
have changed; or reassessment of the child and family indicates that a Child Protection Plan is not
necessary). In these circumstances, only a Child Protection Review Conference can decide that the
child no longer needs a Child Protection Plan
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The child and family have moved permanently to another local authority area
The child has reached 18 years of age, has died, or has permanently left the UK.
Where a consensus decision regarding registration cannot be reached, the Chair will decide whether the child
should continue to be in need of a Child Protection Plan, giving reasons for their decision. Any disagreement with
the Chair’s decision will be recorded in the record of the meeting.
In circumstances where a decision regarding deregistration is made by the conference but where the Chair
believes the decision is likely to significantly impact upon the safety and welfare of the child, the Chair has a
responsibility to override the decision. In such cases the child will remain Subject to a Child Protection Plan.
In such circumstances the Chair must clearly record the reasons for their decision and the dissent of
professionals and must notify the chair of the CYSCB Professional Practice Monitoring Group (PPMG).
If the Chair of the Review Conference has concerns about the functioning of the Core Group or its capacity to
produce an effective Child Protection Plan then this should be put in writing to the Service Manager and copied to
the relevant Group Manager who will provide a written response addressing the issues raised by the Chair. A
copy should also be sent to the chairperson of the CYSCB Professional Practice Monitoring Group (PPMG).
Action Following a Review Conference
It is the key worker’s responsibility to ensure that parents/main carers and children understand the outcomes of a
Review Conference. However it is expected that the Chair and the Social Worker will meet with the child (where
appropriate) and family immediately following the conference to discuss the decision and (where appropriate) the
Child Protection Plan.
Concerns about the Outcome
If any agency representative has concerns regarding the process or outcome of the conference, these should be
submitted in writing to the PPMG Chair who will attempt to resolve the issue, refer the matter to the conference
Chair’s line manager, and/or initiate the complaints procedure.
Notification of the Outcome of Review Conferences
The Chair will inform relevant agencies within one working day of the following:
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The outcome of the review conference with regard to registration
Any changes in category of registration; and
The date of the next review.