Child protection register and movement of children on the register

The child protection register

South Lanarkshire Council is responsible for maintaining a central child protection register for all children who are the subject of an inter-agency child protection plan. This includes unborn babies. The register has no legal status. This is an administrative system for alerting practitioners that there is sufficient professional concern about a child to warrant an inter-agency Child Protection Plan. The decision to place a child’s name on the register should be taken following multiagency assessment and a Child Protection Planning Meeting.

The register should be maintained by social work services. It is a distinct record and must have 24 hour access for the purposes of child protection. South Lanarkshire Council has local guidance for practitioners making an enquiry to the register, including criteria for when this should be done and by whom.

Criteria for registration

A child may be placed on the register if there are reasonable grounds to believe or suspect that a child has suffered or will suffer significant harm from abuse or neglect, and that a Child Protection Plan is needed to protect and support the child.

Social work services should ensure the child’s name and details are entered on the register, as well as record the areas of concern identified by the CPPM. Social work services should inform the child’s parents or carers verbally about the information held on the register and who has access to it.

Police Scotland Vulnerable Persons Database (iVPD) - Police Scotland has developed a child protection flag for its interim Vulnerable Persons Database (iVPD). This alerts police call-handling staff and police officers attending incidents (whether physical or not) that there has been sufficient previous professional concern about a child to warrant placing them on the child protection register. It also provides contact details for social work services.

Removing a child's name from the register

If the core group working with the child and family assess the risk of significant harm to the child has been sufficiently reduced and the child or young person is no longer in need of a Child Protection Plan, the can recommend to the review CPPM that the child’s name should be from the child protection register.

The decision to remove a child’s name will be made at a review CPPM at which all the relevant agencies are represented, as well as the child and their family. When a child’s name is removed from the register, the child and their family must be informed.

The CPPM must consider what support the child and family may require following de-registration and consideration should be given as to whether a different lead professional should be appointed. The CPPM will amend the child’s plan to reflect the revised assessment of need and agree what support is necessary to meet the child’s need.

Movement of children on the register and missing children

Geographical moves are a time of increased stress and risk for children and families. CPPMs must be held to ensure proper transfer of information and responsibilities when a Child Protection Plan is in place. Only a review CPPM can de-register a child from the child protection register.

Temporary registration

When families move between local authority areas social work services will notify the receiving authority immediately. A written notification must follow. The receiving local authority should immediately place the child’s name on their local register. Where possible, social work services should advise how long the child is expected to stay in the area. Social work services should immediately inform the receiving authority that the temporary registration is no longer required. Information pertinent to keeping a child safe must be shared.

Arrangements must be agreed for the monitoring, supervision and implementation of the child protection plan. If agreement cannot be reached about arrangements, senior managers should be involved to negotiate a resolution that prioritises the child’s safety.

Permanent move

Where it is known that a child and/or their family are moving permanently to another local authority area, social work services will notify the receiving local authority immediately, then follow up the notification in writing. The core group must assess the change in circumstances and if it is felt that risk has reduced, a review CPPM should be arranged to consider the need for ongoing registration, or if appropriate, deregistration. In such circumstances an appropriate member of staff should attend from the receiving authority.

If the risk is on-going or even increased by the move, the receiving local authority is responsible for convening the transfer CPPM. This should be held within the timescales of the receiving local authority but a maximum of 21 working days. Until the transfer meeting, an interim safety plan must be agreed between the two local authorities.

At the transfer CPPM, the minimum requirement for participation will be the social worker and manager and the receiving local authority social worker and their manager, as well as representatives from appropriate services including health and education.

Movement within Scotland

Where a child and their family move from one Scottish authority to another and the child has a Child Protection Plan, social work services must ensure that the relevant child’s records are made available to the receiving authority for the purposes of the assessment of current and future risk and need. Where a child was on the child protection register previously in another area, the receiving authority should request the child’s file from the previous authority.

Missing children on the register

The person(s) accountable for the register (keeper of the register – Social Work Service Manager) will be responsible for attempting to trace a registered child whose whereabouts become unknown, including notifications and alerts to other areas and services.