Involving children and families in the child protection process

Children’s right to participation is on par with their right to protection and the provision of conditions favourable to their development. Rights are important anywhere and anytime but paying attention to them may become particularly urgent in a setting where children have been exposed to an increased risk of harm.

• Whenever possible children and young people must have the opportunity to be involved in all decisions affecting their lives. Their right to protection and participation are enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, predominately in Article 12
• It is important that the principles of working in partnership with children and their families/carers are at the forefront in child protection.
• Child protection investigations should always be carried out in such a way as to minimise distress to the child, and to ensure that families are treated sensitively and with respect
• Children want to be respected, their views to be heard, to have stable relationships with professionals built on trust and for consistent support provided for their individual needs. This should guide the behaviour of professionals
• Anyone working with children should involve them at every stage of the child protection process, see and speak to the child; listen to what they say, take their views seriously; and work with them collaboratively when deciding how to support their needs
• Child protection investigations need to be conducted taking cognisance of the fact that children may fear reprisals if they disclose, i.e., grooming/coercion.
• The social worker should explain the purpose and outcome of the investigation to children (having regard to age and understanding) and be prepared to answer questions openly, unless to do so would affect the safety and welfare of the child.

• The social worker has the prime responsibility to engage with family members/carers

• Parents and those with parental responsibility should be informed at the earliest opportunity of concerns, unless to do so would place the child at risk of significant harm or undermine a criminal investigation

• Good communication should be maintained with parents throughout the investigation, concerns should be shared with them in a way that doesn’t judge them or blame them and allows them the opportunity to reflect, learn and bring about the change needed to keep their children safe

A parents/carers attendance direct or indirect in meetings should take into consideration -

• Parents must be invited and encouraged to participate in all child protection meetings unless it is likely to prejudice the welfare of the child
• Parents should be supported to enable them to participate by timely preparation and information, such as leaflets, being provided about the process and their role
• Where available Advocates should be facilitated to support parents
• A meeting with the Chair prior to the meeting should take place
• Those parents for whom English is not a first language must be offered and provided with an interpreter, if required. A family member should not be expected to act as an interpreter of spoken or signed language

A child’s attendance direct or indirect in meetings should take into consideration –

• the child’s understanding of the process
• their expressed implicit/explicit wish to attend
• the impact of the meeting on the child
• any barriers which would impede the child’s attendance and how they will need to be overcome (e.g., Learning disability, hearing impairment, English not first language)
• The child should be offered the opportunity to contribute to all child protection meetings concerning them, either directly or indirectly
• The social worker, other professional or independent advocate (the person with the most significant relationship with the child) should prepare the child for attendance at the meeting, either by assisting them to prepare a report or identifying points the child wishes to make
• Where an assessment concludes that it would be inappropriate for the child to attend a meeting arrangement should be made to ensure the child’s views, wishes and feelings are conveyed to the meeting
• If the decision is reached that the child should attend the Chair should meet with them individually prior to the meeting and explain how the meeting will be conducted, whether they should attend in full or in part, if the child wishes to be supported by a parent/carer/social worker/advocate or other person of choice
• Where it is agreed that a child’s attendance at meetings should be managed indirectly prior arrangements must be made by the social worker to ensure the child is comfortable with the type of communication agreed, i.e., pre-meeting with chair, virtual via tablet/phone, written report by child/ advocate or person of the child’s choice.