Every council in England and Wales has a legal duty to keep a list of the names of children who have a Child Protection Plan to help keep them safe from harm. Children now have a Care and Support Protection Plan [CASPP] when they are in need of safeguarding and protection.
This CASPP will be agreed by parents and professionals. The plan should say what the intended outcomes are for the child, i.e. the future situation everyone is working towards. The plan will say what core group members, including parents, will do to make the plan work, how everyone will know when the plan has been achieved and what to do if things go wrong.
Who knows if a child has a Care and Support Protection Plan?
Information about which children have a plan is only given to staff and agencies that need to know, in order to keep the child safe.
What is a core group?
The core group consists of parents, the child or young person (if possible) and professionals who work directly with the child, such as health visitors and teachers. The core group is led by the child's social worker.
The core group will have regular meetings to:
- Plan and carry out the proportionate assessment
- Develop and improve the CASPP using the information from the assessment
- Make sure the Plan continues to keep the child safe.
How long do children have a CASPP for?
In Conwy children will have a CASPP which is regularly reviewed by a multi-agency conference. Core group members will work with families to make sure they do not have a Plan for longer than they need to.
What is a Child Protection Review Conference?
This is a formal meeting for everyone involved, chaired by an Independent Chair. When a child is given a CASPP, a Child Protection review conference is held regularly. The review makes sure that the Plan continues to keep the child safe. The review will look at whether the original outcomes agreed at the initial Child Protection Conference have been achieved. When they are, the child's Plan may end. If the outcomes have not been achieved then the Plan may continue and be reassessed.
If you would like further information or an explanation of anything about Care and Support Protection Plans, please ask your social worker.