Chairs will –

• have significant experience in child protection practice
• have sufficient authority, skill and experience to carry out the functions of the chair
• be able to challenge all contributing services on progress
• be from social work services and hold an appropriate social work qualification
• be able to access suitable training and peer support

Some areas provide a measure of independence within the chairing of CPPMs by ensuring that those acting in this role have no direct involvement in supervisory function in relation to any practitioner in the case. As far as possible, the same person should chair initial and review CPPMs. 

The chair’s role

This includes –

• agreeing who to invite and ensuring that all persons invited to the CPPM understand its purpose, functions and the relevance of their particular contribution
• meeting with parents/carers to explain the nature of the meeting, and possible outcomes
• ensuring that the parents/carers and child’s views are taken into account
• confirming the identity and role of the lead professional at the meeting
• facilitating information-sharing, analysis and consensus about the risks and protective factors
• facilitating decisions and determining the way forward as necessary
• ensuring consideration of referral to Principal Reporter
• where a child’s name is placed on the Register, outlining decisions that will help shape the initial Child Protection Plan (to be developed at the first Core Group meeting), identifying the lead professional (if not already appointed), and advising parents/ carers about local dispute resolution processes
• facilitating the identification of a Core Group of staff responsible for implementing and monitoring the Child Protection Plan
• agreeing review dates which keep to national timescales
• following up on actions and responsibilities when these have not been met
• ensuring that arrangements are made for any practitioner forming part of the Core Group who was not present at the CPPM to be informed immediately about the outcome of the CPPM and the decisions made. A copy of the Child Protection Plan must be sent to them

There must be a sufficient number of multi-disciplinary professionals contributing to the information sharing and analysis to enable safe decisions and effective planning. 

Minimum participation would be expected from children’s social work, police (as relevant), health, education and early learning and childcare.  Parents/Carers should be prepared and supported to attend.

Inquorate

Where a CPPM is inquorate it should not ordinarily proceed and in such circumstances the Chair must ensure that either -

• an existing interim safety plan is produced or
• the existing plan is reviewed with the professionals and the family members that do attend, to safeguard the welfare of the child or children

Another early CPPM date must be immediately arranged and held within 10 working days.

In exceptional circumstances the Chair may decide to proceed despite lack of agency representation.  This would be appropriate where a child has not had relevant contact with all key agencies (eg pre-birth CPPM) or sufficient information is available and delay is likely to be harmful to the child.  Where an inquorate CPPM is held the Chair must ensure that the reasons for preceding with the CPPM, and any arrangements to safeguard the child in the meantime, are noted in the CPPM record (Minute). 

Two consecutive inquorate CPPM’s must not be held.  Inquorate CPPM’s cannot remove a child protection plan or remove the child’s name from the child protection register.