This guidance is for anyone who has a concern about a child or young person in Coventry, or families who may need help and support and who are looking to understand the support that is available, and what they can expect from agencies.
Working Together 2023 [https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6849a7b67cba25f610c7db3f/Working_together_to_safeguard_children_2023_-_statutory_guidance.pdf] is the guidance that highlights how agencies must support children, young people and families, it defines safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children as:
- Protecting children from maltreatment.
- Preventing impairment of children’s health or development.
- Ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care.
- Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.
Read a children and young people’s version of Working Together 2023. [http://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/681b42043f1c73824ee3e4f0/Children_and_young_person_guide_to_working_together_to_safeguard_children.pdf]
Understanding how we work will help you to be clear about what to expect from partner agencies in Coventry where there are concerns about the welfare or safeguarding of a child, or where you may need support a child, young person or family.
How will cases be managed once they are referred to Coventry Children’s Services?
Effective support for Children and Families in Coventry sets out comprehensive guidance about how concerns regarding the welfare or safeguarding of a child will be managed once they are referred to Children’s Services.
| Level | Support | Examples | How to access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universal | This is support that all or many children and families receive | Schools Dentists GPs Community football clubs |
Please speak to a professional that you are working with, eg teacher, midwife, health visitor or GP or you may find details online |
| Early help | This is some extra help, maybe delivered by an agency who is already supporting the child, young person or family. |
Support with getting your child to attend school. |
Please speak to a professional that you are working with e.g. teacher, health visitor or GP. Support at this level is voluntary and families must consent to gain support |
| Targeted early help |
This is where children, young people and families may be facing more difficult or complicated issues that require support from a number of agencies. In these situations, everyone works together. |
The child, young person or family may have multiple needs which require help from agencies, such as:
|
Children, young people and families may be referred by a practitioner who is working with your family. Support at this level is voluntary and families must consent to gain support. If practitioners are unable to gain parental consent but believe the family requires further support, a discussion should be held with their agencies safeguarding lead. |
| Statutory intervention |
If someone is worried about a child’s safety or well-being, they should contact Coventry Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub. |
Support in this category means that:
|
If you are concerned about a child or young person in Coventry, you can contact the following services: Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub 024 7678 8555 Out of office hours 024 7683 2222 Unless it would put the child at increased risk of harm the family/carers should be made aware of the referral prior to it being submitted. When submitting a MARF you will be asked to confirm that a discussion has taken place with the family or why doing so would increase the risk to the child. If practitioners have not spoken to the family prior to referral and to do so will not put the child at risk of harm you will be asked to make the family aware before the referral is processed. |
Early help
The best way to help you and your family get through difficulties and stop more problems from happening is by helping as soon as possible. ‘Early Help’ is what we call it when different services work together to provide help and support as soon as they can. These different services include healthcare and education, and many other areas too such as housing and community support services. Remember that there are lots of people who can help you and your family, and they want to do this as soon as possible.
Practitioners who work as part of the early help system, which might include health, community services, schools, the police and Children’s Services, collaborate to find out who needs help and how they can be supported; this is done through an Early Help Assessment. The assessment will involve you, your family, and all the practitioners working with you. The assessment should think about what each family member needs and how their needs affect the needs of other family members.
The goal of assessment is to understand any deeper issues that might affect your well-being over time, as well as more immediate problems. By thinking about good things as well as difficulties, the assessment helps create a plan of action. It explains what support you and your family need to prevent problems from getting worse, and it makes sure everyone understands what steps to take.
The pathway into Early Help in Coventry [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/earlyhelp] is simple, you can call, complete an online form or walk into any of the eight Family Hubs in the city [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/familyhubs].
Early help is a voluntary process, and you should always be asked to agree to any referral and to your information being shared with other agencies.
Childrenâs Social Care
If someone is worried about a child’s safety or wellbeing and thinks a child could be at immediate risk of harm, they should contact the local Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH). You should be informed of any referral to MASH unless it is considered this could put a child/ren at further risk. The parents and/or carers should be made aware of the concerns and the referral, unless it puts the child at increased risk of harm, prior to the referral being made.
The referral will be looked at by a social worker, and you will be contacted to discuss any concerns that have been shared with the MASH so that they can obtain your views and understand what support you feel you may require. The MASH has workers from key agencies who are responsible for safeguarding children in Coventry, co-located in one building. MASH may offer you advice, signpost you to local organisations or offer support to your family through Early Help.
A decision may be made for a Children and Family Assessment to be completed; this will be completed by a qualified social worker. This assessment can take up to 45 working days and may include a range of information gathered from other people that work with or support your family such as teachers, health professionals and anyone else working with your family. The decision of the assessment will be informed by all of the necessary people sharing information and working together with you, using expertise to determine what support you may require based on what they’ve learnt about your situation. Decisions will always be made with children’s best interests at the centre and take into consideration your current circumstances.
Child in Need (Section 17)
Once a Child and Family Assessment has been completed, it may be necessary to consider a plan. This is known as a Child in Need plan, and you will be part of the decision-making process about whether this is the right thing for your family. A child in need plan is voluntary and you will be asked to consent to the plan. The plan will set out what areas of life you need support with, what the desired outcome is you want to move towards, what actions need to be taken to achieve the outcome and who will lead actions and when it should be completed.
You and your family will work with a social worker to develop the plan that’s right for you. The plan will last for as long as is necessary to see the situation improve and the desired outcomes achieved. It might be that after a period of time when improvements are seen, that the plan moves into the Early Help service area that was described above.
Currently, in Coventry Child in Need (Section 17) assessments are undertaken by Social Workers. Working Together 2023 does allow other professionals to undertake Child in Need or Section 17 enquiries and work is underway looking at which other professionals may have the skills. This will be monitored by the Implementation Subgroup of Coventry Safeguarding Children's Partnership.
Child Protection (Section 47)
In some circumstances where a child or children are at risk or are currently experiencing significant harm, local authorities have a duty to make enquiries. The local authority should hold a Strategy Discussion to enable it to decide, with other agencies, whether it must initiate enquiries under Section 47 of the Children Act 1989. It is important that children are appropriately safeguarded, protected from harm and grow up in safe environments that allow them to grow, develop, and achieve their potential.
A Section 47 enquiry is undertaken by a qualified Social Worker under Section 47 of the Children Act 1989. The Lead Practitioner should always be a social worker for child protection enquiries. The enquiry is initiated to decide whether, and what type of, action is required to safeguard and promote the welfare of a child who is suspected of suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm.
During these enquiries you should expect the social worker to see the child who is at the centre of the enquiry, to ascertain their wishes and feelings; assess their understanding of their situation; assess their relationships and circumstances more broadly and understand the child’s experiences and interactions with others. There may be times when Section 47 enquiries are completed jointly with the police, on these occasions the Social Worker and police would want to see your child.
As a parent or carer, it should be explained to you what the purpose, process and potential outcome of the enquiries is. You should be prepared to answer questions openly and support the Social Worker to understand your family history and the wider social and environmental factors that might impact on you and your child.
The police, health practitioners, teachers and school staff as well as other relevant practitioners should help the local authority in undertaking its enquiries. Once the Social Worker has gathered the information, they will analyse the findings of the Assessment and any evidence about what interventions are likely to be most effective with other relevant practitioners, to determine the child's needs and the level of risk or harm faced by the child to inform what help should be provided and act to provide that help.
Communication: What to expect?
As outlined in Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023 [https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6849a7b67cba25f610c7db3f/Working_together_to_safeguard_children_2023_-_statutory_guidance.pdf] families need to understand what is happening, what they can expect from the help and support provided by Coventry agencies, what is expected of them and be supported and empowered to say what they think. It is only by working with parents and carers that agencies have the best chance of making and sustaining changes that achieve better outcomes for children and families.
To achieve positive working relationships Coventry endeavours for all professionals to ensure that before making a referral, they fully inform families about referrals and help them to understand what information about them is being shared and why. There are some exceptions, for example when speaking to the family and/or carer, it could place the child at an increased risk of harm.
Once a referral is received, communication with children and families is key and agencies will seek to ensure that this considers any needs such as language barriers, disability and communication method.
A decision will be made in relation to a referral outcome within 1 working day and parents will be advised of the referral outcome unless MASH is unable to contact parents, in this circumstance a letter is sent advising them of the referral.
Following MASH’s involvement, it may be determined that a Children & Family Assessment will be completed with a family. If this is the case, a child or children should be seen within 5 working days of the referral.
Once a Children & Family Assessment has been completed the allocated social worker should share this with the family within 5 working days of it being approved. An outcome of the Children & Family Assessment could be support to be offered within a Child in Need Plan (CIN), if this is the case the first meeting should be held within 10 working days.
All meeting minutes and subsequent plans, including Child in Need plans. need to be recorded and distributed to family members and professionals within 10 days of the meeting occurring.
All Children’s Services staff should ensure that all recordings of the child/young person, including assessments, are written in a straightforward way which explains any acronyms and is free of jargon. Recordings should be accessible and therefore understandable to the child and/or young person and parents.
Information sharing
Wherever possible practitioners should have a conversation with you about the needs of your family and make you aware of their intention to make a referral. In Coventry there is a desire to empower and enable families to find solutions, to build their own networks and for families to make changes, build resilience and most of all to remain together
There are some exceptions when there is a need to protect children and young people. For example, if having a conversation with the family, it would place the child, or another child, or someone else, or you the referrer, at increased risk of suffering harm. Also, discussing concerns with the family might undermine the investigation of a serious crime.
When deciding what information to share, practitioners will consider the 7 golden rules of information sharing:
- Remember that the Data Protection Act 2018 [https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2018/12/contents] and Human Rights Law are not barriers to justified information sharing, but provide a framework to ensure that personal information about living individuals is shared appropriately.
- Be open and honest with the individual (and/or their family where appropriate) from the outset about why, what, how and with whom information will, or could be shared, and seek their agreement, unless it is unsafe or inappropriate to do so.
- Seek advice from other practitioners if you are in any doubt about sharing the information concerned, without disclosing the identity of the individual where possible.
- Share with informed consent where appropriate and, where possible, respect the wishes of those who do not consent to share confidential information. You may still share information without consent if, in your judgement, there is good reason to do so, such as where safety may be at risk. You will need to base your judgement on the facts of the case. When you are sharing or requesting personal information from someone, be certain of the basis upon which you are doing so. Where you have consent, be mindful that an individual might not expect information to be shared.
- Consider safety and well-being: Make your information sharing decision after considering the safety and well-being of the individual and others who may be affected by their actions.
- Necessary, proportionate, relevant, adequate, accurate, timely and secure: Ensure that the information you share is necessary for the purpose for which you are sharing it, is shared only with those individuals who need to have it, is accurate and up to date, is shared in a timely fashion, and is shared securely.
- Keep a record of your decision and the reasons for it – whether it is to share information or not. If you decide to share, then record what you have shared, with whom and for what purpose.
Coventry Safeguarding Childrenâs Partnership
Coventry Safeguarding Children’s Partnership (CSCP) is made up of senior representatives from West Midlands Police, Coventry Children’s Services and Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board, as well as a range of other agencies from the statutory, community and voluntary sector. The purpose of Coventry Safeguarding Children’s Partnership is to ensure that there is an effective join up locally to protect children and young people from abuse, neglect and exploitation.
Read full details of how Coventry Safeguarding Children’s Partnership operates. [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/file/43931/cscp-arrangements-2024]
Every year Coventry Safeguarding Children’s Partnership is required to publish a yearly report [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/file/43480/coventry-cscp-yearly-report-2023-2024] detailing what it has learnt during the year and the impact of partnership activities.
Coventry Safeguarding Children’s Partnership has created an Information Sharing agreement [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/file/41075/information-sharing-agreement-2023] which outlines how agencies can seek and share information when responding to concerns about children.
Comment, compliment or complaint
We aim to work together with you, and we hope that you will be happy with your experience of working with us. However, should you wish to comment, compliment or complain you can:
- Write to the Complaints team at Customer Service Centre, Broadgate House
- Phone Customer Services on 08085 834 333
- E-mail the Complaints team at CLYPCustomerrelations@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:CLYPCustomerrelations@coventry.gov.uk]
- Talk to a Children’s Rights Officer who will help you make your complaint. Children’s Rights Officers make regular visits to the children’s homes in Coventry, or you ring them on 0800 0272 118
- Fill in our online form Children, young people and adults - have your say - Have your say - Coventry City Council [https://myaccount.coventry.gov.uk/service/Children_and_young_people___have_your_say]
Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
Some disabled children and young people with more complex needs may require a higher level of support via the Children’s Disability Team. This will be determined at the point of referral. The Children’s Disability Team undertake assessments as outlined in this document.
The Coventry SEND Local Offer [https://letstalk.coventry.gov.uk/coventry-send-local-offer] sets out services and activities available to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
Where an Education, Health and Care Needs assessment is being undertaken, Children’s Services will contribute to this assessment.
Children in mental health inpatient settings
Where a child or young person is admitted to a mental health facility a referral should be made to Children’s Services.
Children’s Services will undertake an assessment under Section 17 as outlined in this document unless it is suspected that a child may be suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm. In these circumstances, Children’s Services will carry out child protection enquiries and an assessment, under Section 47.
Children in the Youth Justice system
The Youth Justice Service is a multi-agency team who work with children and young people with the aim of reducing the number of children and young people entering the criminal justice system, reducing offending and re-offending.
The Youth Justice Service is responsible for the supervision of children and young people subject to pre-Court interventions and Court Orders; however, preventative work is a priority.
The Youth Justice Service will work alongside Children’s Social Care, to complete holistic assessments that are mandated by the Youth Justice Board, namely: Asset Plus Assessment & the Prevention and Diversion Assessment Tool.
Children considered at risk of exploitation and harm outside the home
Where children are referred to Children Social Care and there is an identified contextual risk or exploitation, a Child Exploitation Indicator Tool will be completed alongside the referral by the lead professional. Where the overarching concerns is that of exploitation, the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub will determine whether the child will be directly referred to the specific multi-agency exploitation team, Horizon. Where significant exploitation concerns are identified, this will lead to a Multi-Agency Child Exploitation Meeting that will take place alongside an assessment under Section 17 or Section 47.
Asylum-seeking children
When unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people, and there is no dispute around age, are referred to Children’s Social Care either because they have arrived in Coventry or through the National Transfer Scheme they will automatically be determined as children in our care. The Throughcare Service will undertake a needs assessment and the first review will take place within 20 working days and be chaired by an Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO).
Children at risk of Female Genital Mutilation
The World Health Organisation defines Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) as: ‘all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genital organs for non-medical reasons.’ Professionals have a duty to report ‘known’ cases of FGM in under 18’s which they identify in the course of their professional work to the police.
When a referral is received, the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub will determine the next steps under Section 47. See the West Midlands FGM procedure here: Female Genital Mutilation [https://westmids-coventry.trixonline.co.uk/chapter/female-genital-mutilation]
Young carers
A young carer is a person under 18 who provides or intends to provide care for another person. A young carer is a child or young person up to the age of 18 whose life is affected by being a carer for someone with a:
- Disability
- Long-term illness
- Mental health problem
- Problem with drugs or alcohol
When the need for a young carers assessment has been identified, a decision should be made about the most appropriate person to lead an assessment.
Read more information about young carers and young adult carers [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/carers-support/young-carers-young-adult-carers].
Unborn children where there are concerns
Where a referral is received for an unborn child, the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub will determine the next best steps and whether this should progress to a Social Care Assessment.
For more information regarding responding to pre-birth concerns please see the West Midlands Policy [http://westmids-coventry.trixonline.co.uk/chapter/pre-birth].
Children with specific communication needs
All children have different communication needs, time and consideration must be given to understanding how children best communicate and working with others to overcome any barriers in communicating with children. Even when children have very limited communication with only a hand, sign or even eye pointing movement that indicates yes and another to indicate no, this does not mean that the child cannot understand or is able to communicate what has happened to them. All children have the ability to communicate, and it is up to professionals to identify how.
Throughout any assessment process, communication is key. All steps must be taken to avoid confusion. Participation in all forms of planning meetings and post assessment must be encouraged and facilitated. Where there are communication impairments or learning difficulties, particular attention should be paid to the communications needs of the child to ascertain the child’s perception of events and his or her wishes and feelings. Practitioners should be aware of non-verbal communication systems and should know how to contact suitable interpreters and facilitators. Very young children and many disabled children effectively communicate their needs through their behaviour. It is therefore very important to maximise the use of observation and reports from those in contact with the child. Practitioners must not make assumptions about the inability of a disabled child to give credible evidence, or to withstand the rigors of the Court processes where these are required.
Children in hospital
Hospitals should be child-friendly, safe and healthy places for children; children under 16 should not be cared for in an adult ward. Any concerns about significant harm to a child within a hospital or health-based setting must be referred to Children’s Services.
When a child has been in hospital for three months or more, the hospital must notify Children’s Services who will carry out a statutory assessment and decide whether services are required under the Children Act 1989.
Discharge from hospital should be planned particularly where professionals have concerns about a possible child protection issue, including a holding strategy meeting and ensuring a multiagency action plan is in place to safeguard the child where there are concerns about significant harm. This must be agreed and recorded before the child leaves hospital. Particular attention is required in the discharge planning of newborns from neonatal intensive care units, as these babies are at high risk of re-admission to hospital. All children should have a properly co-ordinated programme of follow-up, and co-ordinated input of services in place.
Children with parents in custody
The Prison Service undertakes a child safeguarding enquiry with Children’s Services for all newly sentenced prisoners and will identify prisoners who present an ongoing risk to children from within custody. The Prison will decide on the level of contact, if any, they will allow between a prisoner and a child based on a child contact risk assessment and will prohibit or restrict a prisoner’s contact with a child where necessary.
The Probation Service will share information with children’s social care about supervised individuals who have contact with children or who pose a known risk and will also request information by making child safeguarding enquiries. Information exchange between probation and children’s social care helps both agencies develop a better understanding of the children and families they work with and ensure risk assessments are accurate and well informed.
Children returning home from care
Where the decision is made for a child or young person to return home from care a social work assessment will be undertaken as part of the care planning process. We will always work towards successful reunification for children through the following steps:
- assessment of risk and protective factors
- robust decision making around potential plan for reunification
- views of parents and their network, voice of the child, goal-setting, support plans and safety planning
- planning for reunification and returning home
- ongoing support to maintain a successful transition
The Independent Reviewing Officer will be notified of the outcome of the assessment in relation to the above and a review will be convened to consider the plan.
Kinship care/family arrangements (not approved foster care)
This includes private family arrangements in which a close family member who does not hold parental responsibility raises the child, the local authority has had no major role in making the arrangement for the child, and the Family Court has not made an order in respect to the care of the child. It also includes situations where a child under the age of 16 is being provided with accommodation for less than 28 days by an individual in their own home who is not a close relative, and where a 16- or 17-year-old is being provided with accommodation by an individual who is not a close relative in their own home.
In private family arrangements, where the local authority have had no role in making the arrangement, any concerns for the child should be referred through in the usual way. If children’s social care is already working with the family and the parent makes a private family arrangement, the child will be supported under a child in need plan/child protection plan. However, oversight and legal advice will be obtained where children’s services would intervene if the child were removed from the kinship care arrangement by the parent.
Private fostering arrangements
Private Fostering arrangements in which someone who is not a close relative of the child looks after the child for 28 days or more (as per section 66(1)(a) and (b) of the Children Act 1989) [https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/41/section/66]. In these circumstances, a Private Fostering Assessment will be completed by children’s social care. This statutory assessment is to ascertain the carer’s suitability to care for the child and must also consider the child’s needs to ensure the carers are able to provide suitable day-to-day care of the child.