Being Part of a Core Group Jacqui Westbury – CP Chair/IRO Team Manager Kate Lawson - Safeguarding Nurse Specialist

Aims The aim of this session is to Give you an idea of what is required of you as a core group member. Why your role is so vitally important in a child life. To answer any of the questions you may have regarding being part of a core group....there will be no question to silly so please do ask!

You are critical!! Being part of a core group is a critical role because: - you are part of a group that will strive towards making positive changes for a child who has been identified as at risk, or likely to be at risk of significant harm. Your contributions, commitment and enthusiasm could be in part, the difference between enabling a parent to keep their child in their care or aiding a child to be removed to get them safe. Of course the main work needs to be by the parents.. But your role should not be underestimated with regards to it importance.

Why do we need a core group? Core group members are identified at a child protection conference when it has been decided that a child needs to be on child protection planning. The core group consists of the parents and professionals responsible for implementing the child protection plan. Where appropriate the child will also attend. Its working in partnership with families, sharing and owning information. It is important for all members of the core group to know that the plan made at the child protection conference is NOT all encompassing and is a skeleton plan, outlining key safeguarding matter by the network. Additional outcomes and actions to improve the life of the child can be identified in core group meetings. The child protection plan is the working tool to be used by the core group to reduce or prevent the risk of significant harm to the child.

The child protection plan... The child protection plan will set out: Key specific, achievable, child-focused outcomes intended to safeguard and promote the welfare of the child Actions By Whom By When Contingency plan to be considered and recorded The core group adds to this and ‘puts the meat on the bones’......

.... The meat on the bones E.G, When and in what situations the child will be seen by the child’s Lead Social Worker, both alone and with other family members or care givers presentLead Social Worker Describe the identified developmental needs of the child, and what therapeutic services are required Include specific, achievable, child-focused outcomes intended to safeguard and promote the welfare of the child Include realistic strategies and specific actions to achieve the planned outcomes Include a Contingency Plan to be followed if circumstances change significantly and require prompt action Clearly identify roles and responsibilities of professionals and family members, including the nature and frequency of contact by professionals with children and family members Lay down points at which progress will be reviewed, and the means by which progress will be judged; and Set out clearly the roles and responsibilities of those professionals with routine contact with the child - e.g. health visitors, GP’s and teachers - as well as those professionals providing specialist or targeted support to the child and family. At each core group meeting the members also identify if tasks have been achieved and the evidence for this.

The overall aims of the Child Protection Plan: To ensure the child is safe and prevent him or her from suffering further harm by supporting the strengths, addressing the vulnerabilities and risk factors and helping meet the child’s unmet needs To promote the child’s welfare, health and development; and Provided it is in the best interests of the child, to support the family and wider family members to safeguard and promote the welfare of their child.

The process of the core group: - The Initial Core Group Meeting must be held within 10 working days of the ICPC. The date will be set at the ICPC at the same time as arranging for the RCPC date. A Senior Practitioner/Team manager should chair the initial meeting and a minute taker will be available. The date of the next meeting will be set at the initial core group meeting. They are at least every 6 weeks. After the meeting minutes will be completed/approved and distributed. Then in-between core groups the actions identified need to be worked on.

Purpose of a core group The Core Groups task through the Child Protection Plan is to reduce the risks, or prevent the occurrence of further Significant Harm to the child, and safeguard the child’s well being to the point where the child no longer require a child protection planSignificant Harm The Core Group achieves this by: Producing an agreed, detailed Child Protection Plan Ensuring actions are undertaken to deliver the Child Protection Plan Completing an assessment of the family Meeting regularly to monitor progress Providing a report for the Child Protection Review Conference Requesting a new Conference if the plans cannot be achieved or need to be significantly altered

The Roles and Responsibilities of Core Group Members Although the Lead Social Worker has the lead role for children subject to child protection planning, all members of the Core Group are jointly responsible for the formulation and implementation of the Child Protection Plan, refining the plan as needed, and monitoring progress against the planned outcomes set out in the plan.

The specific responsibilities of individual Core Group members are to: Accept that the child’s needs remain paramount and maintain a child- centred focus Contribute to the multi-agency assessments Make suggestions or approaches, if appropriate, for the involvement of other specifically skilled professional or agency seen as relevant to its completion Attend and participate in Core Group meetings or other relevant meetings. Core Group members must give adequate notice if unable to attend Core Group meetings or arrange a substitute colleague to attend if possible. If not, then along with their apologies, they must provide a summary of their involvement with the family since the last Core Group meeting

The specific responsibilities of individual Core Group members continued..... Carry out agreed tasks in accordance with their own agency functions and alert the Lead Social Worker if this is not achieved Provide specialist advice which will inform the Child Protection Plan Provide the Lead Social Worker with written reports as requested Communicate regularly with the Lead Social Worker about the progress of their part of the agreed Child Protection Plan Inform the Lead Social Worker of any change in circumstances relevant to the Child Protection Plan Alert the Lead Social Worker to the need to convene either a Core Group meeting or to reconvene the Review Conference earlyReview Conference Help identify unmet need.

Failure to Achieve the Desired Outcomes of the Plan There always has to be the possibility that intervention, monitoring or further assessment will reach the conclusion that the situation is not safe and the child will need to be removed in order to protect them from harm. In these circumstances, and/or where there is a failure to obtain or retain the cooperation of the parents or child in working on the plan or changed or unforeseen circumstances, this must be brought immediately to the attention of the Lead Social Worker. The Lead Social Worker must inform his or her manager and, in consultation with other agencies and the Chair of the Child Protection Conference, a decision will be made as to the need for any immediate protective action and/or a Section 47 Enquiry and/or reconvened Child Protection Conference to be considered.Section 47 Enquiry

Disputes! If there are concerns that there are difficulties implementing the Plan as a result of disagreement among professionals or a Core Group member not carrying out his or her responsibilities, this must be addressed by discussion between Core Group members and, if required, the involvement of relevant managers and/or designated professionals within agencies.

Please remember... When working collaboratively with families and professionals you really can make a difference to a child's life and one of the vehicles to achieve this positive difference is to be a core group member.

Questions