Child protection investigation & assessment

The decision of the Initial Referral Discussion will determine if the investigation will be carried out jointly with the police and social work or by social work. The Investigating workers should carry out enquires and collate information to inform a multi-agency assessment of risk.

There should be ongoing assessment of the risk to the child and appropriate consideration given to the use of emergency protection measures as necessary (Section 15).   There is no single definition of significant harm (Section 2) and the degree of concern or level of risk will remain a complex matter, subject to professional judgment based on an assessment.

The GIRFEC National Practice Model provides shared practice concepts within assessment and planning.  Practitioners should be familiar with the core elements such as the SHANARRI wellbeing indicators, the My World Triangle and the resilience matrix.  Together they support holistic analysis of safety and wellbeing, dimensions of need and the interaction of strengths and concerns.

The ‘My World Triangle’ allows practitioners, together with children, young people and families, to consider -

• How the child or young person is growing and developing; including whether they are suffering or likely to suffer significant harm
• What the child or young person needs and has a right to from the people who look after them
• The impact of the child or young person’s wider world of family, friends, community, and society.

Whatever the nature of concerns, all practitioners will ensure that child protection processes are underpinned by consideration of rights, relationships and resilience of the child and their family/carers.

The report will be prepared by the lead professional and include the details of the social worker, health and police involvement, information from all other involved services and the assessment of significant harm and future risk to the child. The report should be completed within 21 days of initiation of the Child Protection Investigation.

The report should consider the need for compulsory measures and referral to the Children’s Reporter.

The general purpose of a multi agency child protection assessment are –

• Gather, share and analyse such information about a child, family and relevant context as may be necessary for the purpose of determining harm or risk of harm
• To inform planning of action and support necessary to ensure a child’s safety and wellbeing

Effective engagement to reduce risk is more likely within approaches which stress respectful and rights-based communication with children and families, build upon strengths that have been evidenced, address need and risk, and work with the interaction of relationships and factors in the child’s world.

In forming a multi-agency view of risks and strengths and options for supported change, strength-based approaches provide a vehicle for partnership in critical situations. 

Assessment evolves with new information and understanding. Any assessment is at a point in time. Immediate safety is a priority. There are likely to be distinctive stages, moving from initial assessment and prevention of significant harm to comprehensive inter-agency assessment of risk and need in context. Professional judgement and reflection on evidence and analysis is necessary at every stage. Even in urgent circumstances there should be a moment to pause and consider safety and best interests within the available options.

Attention should be paid to professional intuition, however this must be located firmly within an agreed and approved framework and approach. Professional curiosity about how children and families are experiencing their situation from the inside out is critical to effective engagement and formation of an understanding of risk and strengths in the child’s world.

Whatever the specific concern, effective multi-agency assessment, planning and support is ecological. This includes analysis of the interaction of relationships between a child, their family and their wider world and includes consideration of the present and historical context of harm. Other factors may be relevant such as culture, use of technology, the physical location of risks, barriers to understanding or accessing services, and the interface between adversities including key variables like housing, health and income.

Effective multi-agency assessment must be developmental, meaning that it should consider a child’s age, stage and transitional needs moving on to another stage, even if the preoccupation of a child protection assessment is prevention of significant harm. A developmental perspective encompasses attention to the impact of a child’s experience of attachment and of trauma, and the relevance of relationships with significant others such as siblings and non-resident parents upon assessment of risk, strengths and need.

Child protection includes recognition, assessment and reduction of risk of harm from outside the family home where this is relevant. Understanding contextual harm or protective factors involves considering safety, risks and stresses within or faced by a family, especially from the child’s perspective.

Good case recording is essential to informing risk assessment and care planning. It is critical in assisting practitioners to identify any patterns and risks when working with a family. Records may also be used as evidence in court or children’s hearings and could be viewed by the family if they request access to their file.

While a child protection investigation is ongoing and when a child’s name has been placed on South Lanarkshire’s child protection register the Social Worker should visit weekly and record their visits.