If Social Services decide that a child is likely to suffer significant harm
(more serious harm which could be physical, neglect or sexual abuse) then they
will call a Child Protection Conference with all those agencies that may be
involved with the child: police, GP, Heath Visitor, hospital, school and others.
The parents are invited but have no vote in the eventual decision. The agencies
will be asked to make a decision whether to put each child on the Register of
Children at Risk of Harm, and on what basis. Then a Care Plan must be drawn up,
to set out the terms for further investigation, support and assessment, and to
report back to a Child Protection Review Conference after a fixed period time,
which may be three or six months.
Child Protection Conferences are regulated by law. Each Local Authority has
its own procedures. They must allow a parent to bring a friend, or a solicitor,
to the Conference, and to make sufficient representations about the plan that
should be adopted.