07.0 The Central Children's Database

• 7.01 The purpose of the Database
• 7.03 Checking the Central Children's Database
• 7.04 Changes to the Central Children's Database
• 7.09 Children who are subject to Child Protection Plans who go missing
• 7.10 Children for whom there are other outstanding Child Protection Concerns
   

7.01 The purpose of the Central Children's Database

7.1.1 The purpose of the Central Children's Database (CCD) is to:

• Provide a record of all children in the area who are considered to be at continuing risk of significant harm and for whom there is a Child Protection Plan currently being implemented.
• Provide a central point of speedy enquiry, available 24 hours a day, for professional staff who are concerned that a child may be at risk of significant harm, and want to know whether the child is the subject of a Child Protection Plan or is the subject of a Care Order, Supervision Order or Interim Care Order.
• Aid diagnosis of a sequence of injuries or events which might not otherwise be considered related or seen as a pattern of repeated abuse, by keeping a record of enquiries
• Prompt a referral to Social Care when two enquiries are made about a family
• Aid good communication and co-ordination between agencies
• Enable the collection and analysis of information locally and nationally to inform policy development and strategic planning

7.1.2 The contents of the Database remain confidential other than to legitimate enquirers (e.g. staff of Safeguarding Children Board member agencies). Enquirers will be phoned back with the relevant information and advice, in order to check their identity.

7.1.3 The Central Children's Database is kept on behalf of the Safeguarding Children Board.

7.1.4 The Central Children's Database contains the following information:

• Name, Date of Birth and address of each child in the family.
• Name, Date of Birth and address of each parent/carer
• Name and telephone number of the key worker
• Name of family GP
• Name of schools attended
• Category of Child Protection Plan
• Date of Child Protection Plan and brief summary of concerns
• Dates of Child Protection Conferences held and planned and a brief description of any relevant offences, e.g, Schedule One Offences

7.02 Authorised Users

7.2.1 The Central Children's Database can be checked by an authorised user from an agency represented on the North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Board if they have a concern about a child of a child protection nature.

7.03 Checking the Central Children's Database

7.3.1 The Database can be accessed by contacting the Central Children's Database Administrator on 01609 774298 . Outside hours calls are automatically put through to the Emergency Duty Team. Any decision to begin a Section 47 enquiry should result in the CCD Administrator being contacted to seek information on the Central Children's Database

7.3.2 The professional making the enquiry will be asked to provide names, Date of Birth, and address of all family members if at all possible and details of the concern giving rise to the enquiry. They will also be asked for their name, professional role and a contact telephone number (in order that the results of the Database check can be given and authenticity checked).

7.3.3 The CCD Administrator will carry out the following searches:-

• Check the Central Children's Database
• Check for previous entry
• Search Social Care information system for current involvement and previous child protection concerns
• Search records of previous Database checks
• Check adults against Schedule One offender and sex offender lists held in the Specialist Support Unit

7.3.4 The caller will be given the results of this search. If the check is about a child currently on the Central Children's Database, the caller must share their concerns with the appropriate key worker. This is also the case if the enquiry is regarding a child who lives in the same address as a child already subject to a Child Protection Plan. In both cases the CCD Administrator will contact the key worker to inform them of the enquiry.

7.3.5 All checks to the Database are recorded and maintained by the CCD Administrator.

7.3.6 A check to the Database is not a ‘referral’ to Social Care and so will not, ordinarily, lead to any action by Social Care.

7.3.7 Information is passed on to the appropriate social work team if a second or subsequent check is made on a particular family. The Social Care Manager will then decide if further action is required.

7.3.8 The person making the check will be advised to contact the appropriate social work team in serious cases and that the CCD Administrator may follow this up. Checks to the Database can be made at any time.

7.04 Changes to the Central Children's Database

7.4.1 It is essential that the CCD is kept up to date and accurate and the CCD Administrator will ensure changes are made as soon as is practically possible after information is received and following a Child Protection Conference.

7.4.2 It is the responsibility of professionals from any agency that is a part of the Safeguarding Children Board to inform the key worker of any change to a family’s circumstances. It is the responsibility of the key worker to inform the following of any changes in circumstances within a household where a child is subject to a Child Protection Plan at the earliest possible opportunity:

• The CCD Administrator
• The Core Group members, and
• Other appropriate agencies

7.4.3 It is also the responsibility of the key worker to ensure the appropriate paper work is completed to enable changes to a Social Care information system to take place.

7.05 Change of Key Worker

7.5.1 It is the responsibility of the appropriate social work Service Manager to inform the CCD Administrator, the Core Group and other appropriate agencies of a change in key worker.

7.06 Change of address within the county

7.6.1 It is the responsibility of the original social work Service Manager to arrange a transfer to the new appropriate social work Service Manager and to ensure adequate interim arrangements are in place. It may be appropriate to reconvene a Child Protection Conference to formalise the transfer of the Child Protection Plan.

7.07 Change of address out of the county

7.7.1 The CCD Administrator should be informed as soon as is possible when a child or family on the CCD moves to an address outside the county. The CCD Administrator will inform the equivalent in the new authority without delay, initially by telephone and subsequently by letter.

7.7.2 The key worker will also inform the appropriate social work team in the new area of their arrival and confirm this in writing. The child’s name will remain on the North Yorkshire CCD until a formal hand over of responsibility, usually at a “receiving in” Child Protection Conference has occurred.

7.08 Child who moves into this county

7.8.1 Once notified of the arrival of a child who has been subject to a Child Protection Plan in another local authority, the CCD Administrator will:-

• Include the children’s names on our Central Children's Database on a temporary basis
• Inform the appropriate social work Service Manager in North Yorkshire, and
• Inform the original local authority of the children’s inclusion on our CCD.

7.8.2 A “receiving in” Child Protection Conference will be arranged as soon as is practical in order to facilitate a formal transfer of case responsibility and to confirm or otherwise the need for a Child Protection Plan in North Yorkshire.

7.09 Children who are subject to Child Protection Plans who go missing

7.9.1 When the key worker becomes aware that the whereabouts of a child who is subject to Child Protection Plan are unknown, the relevant Social Care Manager and the Central Children's Database Administrator must be informed immediately.

7.9.2 The key worker should make enquiries initially via the Core Group to locate the child. Contact may be made with relatives, neighbours and any other known contacts of the family. If local enquiries are not successful, the Core Group should come to a view about the level of the child’s vulnerability and the steps that should be taken to locate the child. The health visitor and school nurse should use their own procedures to attempt to locate the child; and the key worker should contact the Family Health Service Association, the Department of Social Security, the Education Department, the Housing Department and the Police. The Department of Social Security should check its own local records and, if this proves unsuccessful, the Child Benefit Centre.

7.9.3 Contact with the Child Benefit Centre should only be made by the local Social Security Office (DHSS Circular LASSL (80) 4: ‘Child Abuse – Central Register Systems’ describes these arrangements.

7.9.4 If there is a possibility that the child may be removed from the UK, the Police may issue an ‘All Ports Warning’ in an effort to locate the child before s/he leaves the country (under the Child Abduction Act 1984).

7.9.5 Such warnings will only be issued if the concerns have been acted on promptly. Local Authority solicitors may be able to assist with this process.

7.9.6 The CCD Administrator should consider writing to inform all other Administrators to be alert for the child arriving in their area.

7.9.7 The CCD Administrator keeps a record of information received about children who are subject to Child Protection Plans who go missing from other areas. This record is checked when an enquiry is made of the Central Children's Database.

7.10 Children for whom there are other outstanding Child Protection concerns

7.10.1 Particular consideration needs to be given to appropriate legal interventions where it appears that his/her family may remove a child for whom there are outstanding child protection concerns from the UK in order to evade the involvement of agencies that have a responsibility to safeguard the child.

7.10.2 Where there are concerns about an expected child, local hospital and community midwifery services should be informed, in addition to midwifery services in any area where the family has connections