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1.2.1 Referrals of Children in Need

RELEVANT CHILDREN'S SERVICES CHAPTERS

See guidance contained in Initial and Core Assessment Guidance and the Assessment Framework.

LONDON CHILD PROTECTION PROCEDURES

If there are Child Protection concerns, this Chapter should be read in conjunction with the following London Child Protection Procedures:

Section 6.10, Quick Referral Flowchart

Section 4, Recognition and Response

Section 6, Referral and Assessment

Section 7, Child Protection Enquiries

N.B. Section 6 contains procedures relating to receiving a referral, initial assessments and pre-birth assessments.

For Children in Specific Circumstances e.g. bullying or domestic violence, see Section 5, Children in Specific Circumstances.


Contents

See Flowchart: Contained in Initial and Core Assessments: Guidance.

  1. Timescales
  2. Initial Screening
  3. Comprehensive Screening
  4. Disposal of Referrals

1. Timescales

The procedures set out in this Chapter will be undertaken within 1 working day. 


2. Initial Screening

A Contact Record must be completed at this stage.

Where the Education and Children's Services is contacted about a child, it will be necessary to undertake an Initial Screening to establish whether the child appears to be a Child in Need. 

This decision will be reached by means of an Initial Screening, taking account of the Department’s Children in Need eligibility criteria, contained in the ‘Access to Services’ leaflet. 

A check must be completed to ascertain whether the child is the subject of a Child Protection Plan.If the Department does not know the child, or if the child’s case is closed, the Initial Screening will be undertaken by an Initial Screening Officer.  If the child is an open case, the allocated social worker (or Duty Social Worker) will undertake the Initial Screening. 

If the child appears to be a Child in Need, the matter must be passed to the (Duty) Social Worker for more comprehensive screening (See Section 3, Comprehensive Screening).

If the child does not appear to be a Child in Need, advice, information and/or re-direction to another agency may be appropriate.

Referrers should have an opportunity to discuss their concerns with a qualified social worker.

Referrers should be asked specifically if they hold any information about difficulties being experienced by the family/household due to domestic abuse, mental illness, substance misuse, and/or learning difficulties.


3. Comprehensive Screening

A Referral Information Record must be completed during this process.

Once it has been established that a child appears to be a Child in Need, a more comprehensive screening will be necessary, this must be undertaken by the (Duty) Social Worker.

Children in Specific Circumstances

Disabled Children: If the child appears to be a Disabled Child, the Disabled Children’s Team should be consulted and the case may be transferred to them or a joint assessment may be appropriate.  See Disabled Children Transition Protocols

Domestic Violence:  If there are concerns regarding Domestic Violence within the child’s family, see Domestic Violence Protocol

Mental Health: If the child and/or the child’s parent(s) appear to have mental health needs, see Mental Health (CHMT) Protocol.

Intentionally Homeless Children/Families: If the child and/or child’s parent(s) appear to be intentionally homeless, see Intentionally Homeless Children and Families Protocol.

Travellers, Gypsies and Unauthorised Camping:  If the child and/or family appear to be Travellers, Gypsies or are unauthorised campers, see Travellers, Gypsies and Unauthorised Camping Protocol.

The purpose of this comprehensive screening is to establish whether it is appropriate to start an Initial Assessment.

This process should establish:

  1. The nature of the concern;
  2. How and why it has arisen;
  3. What the child’s needs appear to be;
  4. Whether the concern involves Significant Harm;
  5. Whether there is any need for urgent action to protect the child or any children in the household.

This process will involve:

  • Discussion with the referrer;
  • Consideration of any existing records including the Child Protection Register;
  • Involving other agencies as necessary.

If there are indications that a child may be at risk of Significant Harm, the manager may authorise whatever actions are necessary to protect the child or others in the household from Significant Harm, which may result in the immediate provision of services. 

If there is suspicion that a crime may have been committed including sexual or physical assault or Neglect, the Police must be notified immediately.

Personal information about non-professional referrers should not be disclosed to the parents or other agencies without the referrer’s consent.

The parent’s consent should usually be sought before discussing a referral with other agencies unless this may place the child at risk of significant harm, in which case the manager should authorise the discussion of the referral with other agencies without parental knowledge or consent.  The authorisation should be recorded with reasons.

A CAF Form is not a referral form although it may be used to support a referral or a specialist assessment.


4. Disposal of Referrals

The disposal of a Referral, which must be authorised by the manager, may be:

  1. That the child appears to be a child in need with a High Priority Need (see ‘Access to Services’ leaflet), and an Initial Assessment will be started immediately;
  2. That the child appears to be a child in need with a Medium Priority Need (see ‘Access to Services’ leaflet), and an Initial Assessment will be started;
  3. That the child appears to be a child in need with a Low Priority Need (see ‘Access to Services’ leaflet), with the provision of information, advice, sign-posting to another agency and/or no further action.

End