5.03 Strategy Discussion
5.3.1 Wherever there is reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm, there should be a Strategy Discussion. This should take place in all instances, including those where the Manger and Social Worker have made a decision in supervision. The Social Care Service Manager should convene the Strategy Discussion within 24 hours of it coming to notice that a child may be at risk of significant harm. Its timing will depend on the degree of perceived risk to the child.
5.3.2 The Social Care Service Manager and a member of the Police Child Abuse Investigation team will attend the Strategy Discussion. If it is to be a meeting, then once the time is arranged, the referrer – if a professional – should be invited to attend.
5.3.3 A Consultant Paediatrician should be invited in more serious cases and all child sexual abuse cases. In all cases where there is likely to be the need for medical examination a Consultant Paediatrician should be consulted, and arrangements for the medical examination agreed.
5.3.4 Attendance of other involved professionals especially Health and Education, should always be considered. A list of those invited as well as those attending should be recorded in the record of the meeting.
5.3.5 A Strategy Discussion is not a substitute for a Child Protection Conference. Its purpose is to address the following issues:-
• Share information and establish the facts about the circumstances giving rise to the concerns
• Decide whether Section 47 enquiries should be initiated or continued
• Plan how enquiries should be handled, and by whom
• Decide if there is a need for medical assessment or treatment
• Decide whether an investigative interview should be carried out
• Identify sources of risk and assess the levels of risk
• Decide what action is needed immediately to safeguard the child and any other children and/or provide interim services and support
• Determine what information about the Strategy Discussion will be shared with the family, unless such information sharing may place a child at risk of significant harm or jeopardise police investigations into any alleged offence.
5.3.6 Relevant matters will include:
• Agreeing who should be interviewed, by whom, for what purpose and when
• Deciding the timing and handling of interviews with alleged victims, their families and witnesses (the way in which interviews are conducted can play a significant part in minimising any distress caused to children, thus increasing the likelihood of maintaining constructive working relations with families)
• Considering if a criminal offence may have been committed against a child (this can have important implications for the collection and preservation of evidence)
• Considering how the race, ethnicity, religion and culture of the child and family should be taken into account and whether an interpreter is needed
• Considering how any disability of the child and any member of the family should be taken into account and how the process of making enquiries can be adapted to ensure their full participation
• Considering the needs of other children who may be affected (e.g siblings and other children in contact with alleged abusers)
• Consideration should be given on the impact of the gender, race and religion of professionals involved in making the enquiries
• Agreeing a plan for enquiries – what further information is needed about the child and family and how it should be obtained, and agreeing the timescales
• Consider nominally booking a time for an Initial Child Protection Conference with the relevant Administration Coordinator – Independent Reviewing Officer Team.
5.3.7 Any information shared, all decisions reached, and the basis for those decisions should be clearly recorded by all parties to the discussion.
5.3.8 Significant harm to children gives rise to both child welfare concerns and legal concerns, and Section 47 enquiries may run concurrently with the Police investigations concerning possible associated crime(s). The Police have a duty to carry out investigations into allegations of crime, and the obtaining of clear strong evidence is in the best interests of a child.
5.3.9 If a decision is made to initiate Section 47 enquiries, it is the responsibility of the Social Care Manager involved in the Strategy Discussion to ensure that the Specialist Support Unit is contacted (Emergency Duty Team out of hours) immediately to obtain information with regard to the North Yorkshire Child Protection Register. This will normally be carried out by a Social Worker.
