CHILD PROTECTION REFORM PROGRAMME -LOCAL ENGAGEMENT

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CHILD PROTECTION REFORM PROGRAMME-LOCAL
ENGAGEMENT

• September 2003

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OBJECTIVES FOR TODAY

• Raise Awareness of
• The audit and review of child protection
• The child protection reform programme
• The delivery action team- who we are and what we
  plan to do
• Consult on
• National standards
• Local support and engagement

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"IT'S EVERYONE'S JOB TO MAKE SURE I'M
ALRIGHT"REVIEW AND AUDIT OF CHILD PROTECTION IN
SCOTLAND
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Inspection
Listening to children, parents and the public
Statistics
Child Protection Review Components
Consultation
Child Deaths (LAC)
Lessons from elsewhere
Literature Review
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It's everyone's job to make sure I'm alright
Conclusions

• Many examples of children being protected
  helped
• Well motivated and committed staff, but
• Many children living in conditions and under
  threats which are not tolerable
• Children, parents, the public some
  professionals too often don't have confidence in
  the system

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Conclusions (contd)

• Children their families don't always get the
  help they need when they need it
• Some children remain unprotected
• Occasionally disclosure of abuse makes matters
  worse for a child
• Duplication of effort energies diverted into
  meeting system requirements
• Agencies not always able to respond effectively
  to some problems

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CHILD PROTECTION SUMMITFEBRUARY 2003

• Hear a summary of the findings of the audit and
  review
• Consider an outline programme for the 3 year
  programme of work we are now embarking on
• Encourage people to answer the question on what
  they and the Executive could do to make things
  better.

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CHILD PROTECTION SUMMIT
"If the system goes on failing to protect
children, then we will not protect the
system" Jack McConnell
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CHILD PROTECTION REFORM PROGRAMME
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5 POINT ACTION PLAN

• 3 year programme of sustained activity to reform
  the system
• Bringing into the Executive a team of
  professionals to help deliver this
• A new multi-agency inspections programme
• Children's Charter
• Additional funding for helplines

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Standards and working practices
CPC review
List of adults unsuitable to work with
children
Delivery Action Team Projects
Multi-agency guidance
Multi-disciplinary inspection
Children's Charter
Research
Awareness raising users
Training and support for front line
Awareness raising - providers
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Assessment information sharing
Review of Children's hearings system
Connecting across / underpinning team projects
Review of teacher training
Parenting Framework
Early years' strategy
Vulnerable Witness Bill
Safer recruitment
ChildLine ParentLine
Fast track social work training
Managed Clinical Networks
Identification of older children at risk-
Education
Workforce planning
Domestic abuse national group
Substance Misuse
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GOAL OF REFORM PROGRAMME

• To improve protection of children at risk of
  neglect and abuse and reduce the numbers of
  children who need protection.

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OBJECTIVES OF REFORM PROGRAMME To Provide

• Better early support to children families to
  prevent those children requiring protection at a
  later stage
• Better direct help to children in need of
  protection
• Effective continuing support to children
  families to prevent child protection concern
  reoccurring

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KEY OUTPUTS OF REFORM PROGRAMME

• Improved identification of children at risk
• Better quality of direct child protection work
• Better access to child protection support and
  services

• Enhanced early intervention and support for
  families
• Stronger community role
• Increased public confidence in the child
  protection system

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Workplan (year 1)

• Children's Charter
• Child protection standards to support the Charter
• Proposals to monitor improvement and delivery
• Role remit of Child Protection Committees

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Where are we now?

• The appointed team is now operational
• A Steering Group has been convened to oversee the
  delivery of the programme

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Outcome

• "Our aim is to deliver world class services for
  our children. That means a commitment not just to
  investment but also to reform - to cut through
  bureaucracy, simplify funding and ensure services
  are flexible and focused on the needs of
  children, young people and their
  families." Partnership Agreement, May 2003

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CHILD PROTECTIONACTION TEAM
Catherine Rainey- Programme Manager Stella
Perrott- Catherine Fox Belinda Cook Ross
Drummond Helen Hammond Martin Kettle Fiona
McManus Jennifer Stark
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WHAT WE ARE NOT

• Watch dog
• Crack team
• Experts- although we do bring expertise
• An inspectorate
• About to impose another layer of bureaucracy

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WHAT WE WILL DO

• Be a catalyst for change
• Provide a link to other work
• Deliver aspects of the programme
• Lead on the standards

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HOW WE WILL DO IT

• Lead on the writing of national standards
• Help implement those standards
• Engage locally across Scotland
• Establish a "virtual community"

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Any Questions?
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National Standards

• Objective 1
• To develop standards which reflect best practice
  namely
• the prevention of future or further harm
• strengthening community and family support
• building trust with young people and their
  families
• working in the child's best interests
• the provision of help as and when it is needed,
  quickly and reliably
• children and their families are treated with
  respect

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National Standards

• Objective 2
• Standards are set that
• are achievable (with effort)
• reflect the needs of Scotland's diverse
  population and children with special needs
• are assessable/measurable and capable of being
  developed into a self assessment tool
• set out minimum expectations but with scope for
  identifying and promoting better practice
• ensure the best use of existing resources

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National Standards

• Objective 3
• The standards carry the support of
• The Steering Group
• The agencies and professionals responsible for
  their implementation
• Inspectorates
• Children and their families

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What Will Standards Cover?

• Universal access to and help from public services
• The response children and parents can expect
• The response members of the community can expect
• How enquiries or investigations will be conducted
• Assessment, planning and decision making
  processes
• Meeting the needs of children and their families
• The future protection of children
• Accountability, recording and information sharing
• Complaints and redress

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Who Are They For?

• Children and Their Families
• All staff who work with children in the Child
  Protection system
• All staff who come in contact with children

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The Standards Process

• Blank Standards
• Sheet Complete

20 80
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Reviewed a Range of Standards

• Social Work
• Health
• Education
• Youth Justice
• Multi-Agency Training and Development

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Strengths Identified

• Clearly Written
• Accessible for Children
• Useable by Professionals
• Explicit
• Set of Principles
• Legislation
• Glossary of Terms

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Proposed Model

• What will be done
• The standard
• Why it will be done
• Rationale
• How it will be done
• Criteria

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Programme for today
Workshop A Coffee Workshop B Feedback
Evaluation
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Workshops
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What next?
Second week in October- Standards drafted Third
Week in October- Consultation week. Completion of
Standards- Dec 2003 Implementation of the final
standards The beginning of a process
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www.scotland.gov.uk/childprotection CPRP_at_scotland.
gsi.gov.uk
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OBJECTIVES FOR TODAY

• Raise Awareness of
• The audit and review of child protection
• The child protection reform programme
• The delivery action team- who we are and what we
  plan to do
• Consult on
• National standards
• Local support and engagement