Child protection planning meetings (CPPM)

When a child protection investigation has been undertaken and indicates that a child is potentially at risk of significant harm a multi professional Child Protection Planning Meeting (CPPM) should be convened.  The purpose of the CPPM is to ensure information is proportionately shared in order that a collective multi professional assessment of risk can be undertaken and a plan agreed to minimise the risk of harm to the child.

The CPPM must decide whether the child is at risk of significant harm and requires a co-ordinated, multi-disciplinary Child Protection Plan.  If the CPPM decides that a Child Protection Plan is required, the child’s name must be added to the Child Protection Register

Who is responsible for convening the meeting?

Social Work Services will convene and chair the CPPM. The meeting will be chaired by an Education and Families Manager.

Invites and Timescales for convening a CPPM

Where possible, participants should be given a minimum of five days’ notice of the decision to convene a CPPM.  In some situations, it will not be possible to give five days’ notice due to the nature of the concern and the perceived risk.

Invites to CPPMs will be sent electronically where partner agencies have secure email addresses.

Who should attend

The CPPM meeting is multi-disciplinary and must include representation from the core agencies of Social Work, Health, Police, Education and any other agencies currently working with the child and their family.

It is the responsibility of the lead professional and senior social worker to ensure that invites are sent out, but they should consult with the Chair to ensure that all relevant persons are invited.

Consideration should be given to inviting the following –

• The child
• Parents, carers and family members including all those with parental responsibility.
• Support person or advocate for the child and/or family.
• Social worker and other social work practitioners essential to the formation of the plan
• Police - should continue to be involved if there is continuing police involvement in the case
• Foster Carers - carers may require to be supported to attend
• Early learning and child care staff or most appropriate education professional
• Primary and acute health professionals, or child and adolescent mental health services if appropriate
• Adult mental health services/addiction services where appropriate
• Third sector organisations supporting children and families
• Housing/support workers
• Representative of the Armed Forces, in cases where there is a service connection
• On occasion a Children’s Reporter may be invited to attend, although their legal position means they can only act as an observer and cannot be involved

Reports should be produced to ensure that relevant, accurate and sufficient information is effectively shared with the CPPM participants, where it is proportionate to do so, to support good decision making. The chair can decide what reports are necessary to ensure all information is relevant.

Reports should include all relevant information and an inter-agency chronology completed by the lead professional. They should also include information pertaining to significant adults in the child’s life and provide a clear overview of the risks, vulnerabilities, and protective factors, as well as the child’s views. Other children in the household or extended family should also be considered.

Invitees have responsibility to share the content of their report(s) with the child and family in an accessible, comprehensive way. Prior to the CPPM consideration needs to be given as to the most appropriate means of sharing reports with the child and family and where it should be done. 

A comprehensive risk assessment may not be achievable within the timescales for the first CPPM or the first core group. Therefore, the child protection plan agreed at the CPPM will be provisional until a comprehensive risk assessment can be undertaken.

Restricted access information is information that cannot be shared freely with the child or parent/carer, or anyone supporting them.  The information will be shared with the other participants at the CPPM where it is proportionate to do so.  Such information may not be shared with any other person without the explicit permission of the provider.  If it is necessary to have a part of the CPPM without parents present for this reason, the Chair will prepare them for this and explain the reasons why this has to occur.

Restricted information incudes –

• sub judice information which could compromise legal proceedings
• information from a third party that could identify them if shared
• information about an individual that may not be known to others, even close family members such as medical history and intelligence reports
• information, that if shared, could place any individual(s) at risk, such as home address, school which is unknown to an ex-partner

All participants at the CPPM with significant involvement with the child and family have a responsibility to contribute a view of the level of risk, the need for a child protection plan and the decision as to whether or not to place the child’s name on the child protection register.

Where there is no consensus, the chair will use their professional judgement to make the final decision, based on an analysis of inter agency information and discussion.

Risk indicators have been revised and updated and are now separated into two categories as follows –

The CPPM must consider whether a referral to the Principal Reporter may be necessary, if this has not already been done. Compulsory measures of supervision may be required to meet the child’s needs for protection, guidance, treatment or to ensure compliance, a referral to the Principal Reporter should be actioned straight away. A referral to the Principal Reporter should include relevant and proportionate information, including –

• The reason for the referral
• Where possible including the child’s plan and full assessment of risk and need