Information for Workers

Protocols

Additional procedures, protocols and local guidance to support the Core Procedures are continuing to be developed and adopted by the South West Safeguarding and Child Protection Group (SWCPP) and the LSCB Procedures Sub-group.

In the meantime, please refer to the existing protocols provided through these pages.

Swindon Protocols

• Children living away from home.
• Children & young people who sexually abuse other children.
• Children who experience domestic violence. (Updated July 2007)
• Visits by children to special hospitals and Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust - Children Visiting Parents in Psychiatric Hospitals/Units.
• Arrangements for medical examinations of children in cases of suspected abuse.
• Children missing from Local Authority care.
• Adult mental health – implications for child protection.
• DoH Child Protection Guidance.
• Additional CP procedures for disabled children
• Multi-faith communities

New guidance can be found on the SWCPP in the Further Guidance section on the following topics, previously covered within the Wiltshire and Swindon Child Protection Procedures:

• Allegations Against Staff (a major, standalone section)
• Children and Prostitution
• Fabricated Illness
• Serious Case Reviews
• Sharing Information About Children
• Substance Misuse
• Sudden Unexpected Deaths (currently out for consultation)
• Working with mothers and their unborn babies where there are concerns for the welfare of the unborn child (currently out for consultation)

Additional new guidance has been included in the SWCPP covering:

• Complex Cases
• Disabled Children & Child Protection
• Female Genital Mutilation
• Forced Marriage
• Private Fostering
• Sexually Active Young People

There is further information in the SWCPP Appendices on topics including:

• Capacity
• Child's Voice
• Dealing with Neglect
• Parental Responsibility
• Signs & Symptoms of Possible Child Abuse

National Protocols and Guidance

You may also wish to refer to DfES publication Information Sharing: Practitioners' Guide, (updated October 2008), which can be dowloaded from the Every Child Matters Web Site.

A Protocol for Managing Serious Incidents agreed by the Department for Education and Skills, the Department of Health, the Commission for Social Care Inspection, the Healthcare Commission and Ofsted can also be downloaded from the Every Child Matters Web Site. This protocol has been created to deal with cases involving abuse or serious concerns about the welfare of children - primarily in institutional settings or settings that fall outside existing registration, regulatory or inspection arrangements - where there is a need for management and coordination at a regional or cross-regional level due to the complexity of the issues raised, or the number of agencies involved.

November 2008