CP procedures | Children's Policy & Practice Hub

Child protection (CP) involves the statutory intervention into a child‘s life because there is reason to believe they are suffering or at risk of suffering significant harm. This is defined as harm arising from ill treatment or impairment of health and development due to neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse or emotional abuse, and includes impairment suffered as a consequence of seeing or hearing the ill treatment of another.

Child protection processes are set out in the statutory guidance Working together to safeguard children.

A CP conference is a multi-agency meeting held whenever there are concerns a child may be suffering or at risk of suffering significant harm.

The purpose of conferences is to share information and reach a decision on whether the threshold of significant harm has been reached and whether the child should be subject to a child protection plan.

Details of procedures for CP conferences are set out in the London safeguarding children procedures.

Social work practitioners, CPOs and minute takers should all be aware of the local Conference procedures and Conference invitation checklist that set out the procedures for organising and conducting conferences.

Chairs and minute takers should also follow the MOSAIC child protection guidance on recording the outcomes of conferences.

Children should be consulted prior to each CP conference and given an opportunity to complete their consultation form so that their views are available to the conference.

CP consultation 4-10

CP consultation 11+

Parents attending case conferences should have access to the support of an advocate and should be given the CP advocacy leaflet explaining this.

The Top Tips presentation provides some pointers for social workers on how to prepare for conferences.