Protection and Action to be taken

There may be a requirement to implement a number of differing processes at an operational level to identify and safeguard the children involved and determine the necessary appropriate actions and interventions and this will be determined by Children’s Social Care once information is available in respect of all the children involved.

This may involve arranging a Strategy Meeting as a matter of urgency (where possible within 5 working days of receipt of the referral) to share information and assess the need for action to be taken for all the children collectively involved in the initial presenting concerns and, in particular, whether a criminal investigation should take place and determine if S47 enquires should be undertaken.  The Strategy Meeting will be chaired by a Service Manager in Children’s Services. The Designated Officer (LADO) should be informed if relevant.

It may be determined that it is not necessary to hold a collective strategy meeting to consider all children involved and that it is more appropriate for individual strategy meetings to take place for individual children, again the decision will be made by Children’s Social Care.

If determined it is not necessary to hold a strategy meeting to collectively discuss all children, it may be appropriate to convene an Operational Complex Abuse Safeguarding Meeting, this will not replace individual strategy discussions for children but will provide an opportunity for a broader multi-agency discussion to share information and intelligence.

In all instances, the appropriate representative from Children’s Services, Durham Constabulary and Health should attend the meeting. The meeting will also involve, where appropriate, senior staff from education, youth justice and other agencies as required and, where necessary, ensure coordination across local authority boundaries. The referrer may also be involved, if deemed appropriate.

The Strategy Discussions (whether collective or individual) must:

• • Assess the information known to date
  • Decide what further information is required at this stage
  • Arrange for its gathering
  • Establish whether and to what extent complex abuse has been uncovered
  • Undertake an initial mapping exercise to determine the scale of the investigation and possible individuals implicated
  • Consider any immediate protective action required

A strategic decision will need to be made by senior managers from the involved agencies as to whether the social work input into the enquiries/investigation can be managed in the conventional way or whether a specialist approach is required for example from a dedicated team outside the service, for example Barnardo’s or NSPCC. This will usually depend on the number, geographical spread and age range of potential interviewees, as well as whether those implicated are foster carers or employees of any member agency.

Having considered and discussed the information, if in their view the suspicion is confirmed, the chair of the strategy meeting must inform:

·       Assistant Director of Children’s Services

·       Senior safeguarding managers of relevant agencies of the referral

·       Darlington Safeguarding Partnership Business Manager

·       Strategic Management Group

Where the Strategy Discussion confirms that the investigation will relate to organised and complex abuse, it will appoint a multi-agency Strategic Management Group (see paragraph  5 - The Strategic Management Group) to oversee the process. 

Operational Complex Abuse Safeguarding Meeting

The Operational Complex Abuse Safeguarding Meeting does not replace collective/individual strategy discussions for children but will provide an opportunity for a broader multi-agency discussion to share information and intelligence about each of the young children along with the identification of other ‘up and coming children’ within peer groups. 

Appropriate representatives from Children’s Services, Durham Constabulary and Health should attend the meeting alongside, where appropriate, senior staff from education, youth justice and other agencies as required. The referrer may also be involved, if deemed appropriate.