Introduction

1. Introduction • The London Safeguarding Children Board has taken the decision to revise the current London Child Protection Procedures to make them more: • Accessible and user friendly • Focussed on the response by all agencies and the public to children and young people in London. • The revision is based on: • Thinking from the Munro review of child protection • Lessons from national and local serious case reviews (SCRs) • Working Together consultation draft 2012

2. The LCPP Editorial Board • The revision is being led by a multi-agency editorial board, with representation from a wide range of London agencies and networks: • Steve Liddicott • Cathy Blair • Alan Wood • Amana Gordon • Wynand McDonald • Alice Peatling • Matt Beavis • Briony Ladbury • Steven Chandler • Ian Dean • London social care ADs (Joint Chair) • London social care ADs (Joint Chair) • Association of London Directors of Children’s Services • London Child Protection Managers • London LSCBs • London LSCBs • London Mental Health Trusts • NHS London • Metropolitan Police Service • London Safeguarding Children Board

3. Key principles of the revision • To ensure consistency of good practice across London. • To set out core procedures that are ‘must do’s’ • To retain and update good practice guidance • To ensure that the revision provides accessibility and ease of use for all disciplines • To ensure that the content of the chapters is as succinct as possible

4. The process • The London SCB editorial board have commissioned Tri.x to work with them to: • Restructure the chapters in the current procedures • Consider separating essential procedure (to become Part A) from practice guidance and protocols (Part B) • Update the content of the chapters and supplementary procedures • Consult widely across London in relation to the proposed changes. • Step 1: Core procedural elements (potential Part A) to be circulated in the New Year for a three month consultation. • Step 2: Receive feedback and revise as necessary. • Step 3: Review and revise guidance elements (potential Part B) and consult.

5. The proposed structure: • PART A: Core Procedures • Responding to Concerns of Abuse and Neglect. • Referral and Assessment. • Child Protection Enquiries. • Child Protection Conferences. • Implementation of Child Protection Plans. • Children and Families moving across Local Authority boundaries • Allegations Against Staff

6. The proposed structure: • PART B: Practice Guidance • This part of the manual will require: • Reorganisation and subdivision possibly based on themes as opposed to alphabetical order. • Procedural elements in this part of the manual will be moved to be consistent with the new structure as necessary • A separate place for local protocols and frameworks

7. Impact of Working Together Given the ongoing delays in publication of the revised Working Together to Safeguard Children, we are currently unable to launch the Procedures for full consultation. However, consistency across the capital is seen a core requirement to reduce the need for retraining staff and to support cross borough working, interdisciplinary working and best practice. This is particularly important in London given the large numbers of staff and agencies working across borough boundaries. The Editorial Board will therefore be consulting on two key proposals until the end of January 2013…

8. Jan 2013 consultation points The London CPP Editorial Board would propose that: 1) Procedure should be separated from guidance 2) Even if Working Together removes statutory timescales, the London CP Procedures should retain minimum standards / timescales / review points for: • Convening a strategy meeting / discussion; • Seeing a child in the context of an enquiry; • Holding a child protection conference; • Holding a core group; • Reviewing a child protection plan. See www.londonscb.gov.uk for further consultation details.