1. Statutory Child Protection Procedures

Within the West Midlands, there are nine local areas that collaborate with regards to child safeguarding procedures. With the introduction of Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018, each local area's multi-agency safeguarding arrangements are led by the statutory safeguarding partners/organisations: local authorities, clinical commissioning groups and the police.

• 1.1

  Sharing information
  
• 1.2

  Introduction
  
• 1.3

  Early help
  
• 1.4

  Responding to concerns about a child
  

  • Definitions of abuse and neglect
  • The concept of significant harm
• 1.5

  Referrals
  

  • Pre-birth referrals
  • Current referral arrangements in the Wider West Midlands area
• 1.6

  Assessment
  

  • Pre-birth assessment
  • The assesssment framework
• 1.7

  Immediate protection
  
• 1.8

  Strategy meeting/discussion
  
• 1.9

  Child protection enquiries
  

  • Pre-birth conferences
  • Transfer-in conferences
  • Review conferences
  • Looked after children and child protection conferences
  • Involving the child, their parents and family
  • Managing complaints or disagreements
• 1.10

  Child protection conferences
  
• 1.11

  Implementing child protection plans
  

  • Involving the child, their parents and family
  • Children on child protection plans who go missing
• 1.12

  Discontinuing a child protection plan
  
• 1.13

  Managing professional disagreements
  
• 1.14

  Allegations against staff or volunteers
  
• 1.15

  Organised and complex abuse
  
• 1.16

  Children and families moving across local authority boundaries
  
• 1.17

  Child Death Reviews
  
• 1.18

  Additional guidance
  - Assessments under The Children Act 1989
  - Definitions of abuse and neglect
  - Inter-authority arrangements for child protection enquiries
  - Involving the child, their parents and family
  - Looked after children and child protection conferences
  - Medical evidence
  - Pre-birth procedures
  - Review conferences
  - The assessment framework
  - The concept of significant harm
  - Transfer-in conferences
  - Visually recorded interviews
  - Complaints by children and/or parents
  - Children on child protection plans who go missing
  - Adult with care and support needs
  - West Midlands Joint Protocol - Child Protection Enquiries and Related Criminal Investigations
  - West Midlands Protocol - Protecting Children who Move Across Local Authority Borders
  - Local Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews: Statutory guidance, regional framework and practice guidance
  - Children living or being taken abroad
  - After-school clubs
  
  • 1.18.19

    Pre-Birth Guidance
    

2. Regional Safeguarding Guidance

• 2.1

  Children affected by harm outside of the home (including exploitation, trafficking & gangs)
  
• 2.2

  Radicalisation and violent extremism
  
• 2.3

  Children of parents who misuse substances
  
• 2.4

  Children with disabilities
  
• 2.5

  Online safety: Children exposed to abuse through digital media
  
• 2.6

  Fabricated or Induced Illness
  
• 2.7

  Abuse linked to Faith, Cultural and Religious Beliefs
  - Breast ironing
  - Belief in spirit possession
  
• 2.8

  Bullying
  
• 2.9

  Neglect
  
• 2.10

  Information sharing and confidentiality
  
• 2.11

  Self-harm and suicidal behaviour
  
• 2.12

  Children of parents with mental health problems
  
• 2.13

  Disguised compliance, coercive control and families who are hostile or resistant to change
  
• 2.14

  Persons posing a risk to children
  
• 2.15

  Children from abroad
  
• 2.16

  Children living away from home
  
• 2.17

  Recruitment, supervision and training
  
• 2.18

  Sexual activity in children and young people (including under-age sexual activity)
  
• 2.19

  Children missing from care, home and education
  
• 2.20

  Responding to children and families who are not where they are expected to be
  
• 2.21

  Female genital mutilation
  
• 2.22

  Forced marriage
  
• 2.23

  Honour-based abuse
  
• 2.24

  Domestic abuse
  
• 2.25

  Children who abuse others including child-on-child abuse / harmful sexual behaviour
  
• 2.26

  Injuries in Babies and Children under 2 years of age
  
• 2.27

  Children Missing Education (CME)
  
• 2.28

  Physical abuse
  
• 2.29

  Sexual abuse
  

3. Local Area Specific Safeguarding Information and Procedures