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Contents

1. Holding a Strategy Discussion
2. When a Strategy Meeting should be held 
3. Who should be Involved 
4. Timescales  
5. Purpose of Strategy Discussion/ Strategy Meeting  
6. Recording of Strategy Discussion/Strategy Meeting  

1. Holding a Strategy Discussion

The Department of Services to Children and Young People must hold a Strategy Discussion whenever there is any indication that a child has suffered or is likely to suffer Significant Harm. 

This may be following a referral or at any time if concerns about Significant Harm to a child emerge.

2. When the Strategy Discussion should be held

The Strategy discussion may take place at a meeting or by other means such as a telephone call, depending on the severity of the suspected abuse and the urgency required to respond to it. In complex circumstances, such as those listed below, a strategy meeting should be considered:

• Where there has been an allegation made about a professional, carer or volunteer or anyone professionally involved with the child
• Where there are suspicions of organised or multiple abuse
• Where concerns relate to fabricated or induced illness or are in any way considered to be complex
• Where concerns relate to an unborn child
• Where concerns relate to significant harm to a child caused by another child (separate meetings should be held in relation to each child)
• Where there is uncertainty about whether the threshold criteria for investigations are met

Professional judgement will need to be exercised in deciding whether a strategy meeting requires an independent chair from the Safeguarding and Reviewing Unit. This will depend on the complexity of the suspected abuse and will normally be required for cases where organisational abuse is suspected, or where allegations involve a professional who works with children.

Usually, the Strategy Meeting should be held at the local Department of Services to Children and Young People offices, but can be convened elsewhere if appropriate. For example, if the child is an in-patient in hospital, the Strategy Meeting may be held at the hospital, to maximise input from hospital staff.

3. Who should be Involved?

The Strategy Discussion/ Strategy Meeting should involve at a minimum the Department of Services to Children and Young People, the Police, the referring agency and other agencies involved with the family as appropriate (for example education and health).

Where parents or adults in the household are experiencing problems such as domestic abuse, substance misuse or mental illness, it will also be important to consider involving the relevant adult services professionals.

If the child is a hospital patient (in-patient or out-patient) or receiving services from a child development team, the medical consultant responsible for the child’s health should be involved, as should the senior ward nurse where the child is an in-patient. Where a medical examination may be necessary, or has taken place, a senior doctor from those providing services should also be involved.

In the case of a pre-birth Strategy Meeting, this should involve the midwifery service. 

Where required, a legal adviser should be invited.

Consideration should also be given to the need to seek advice from or invite a professional with expertise in the particular type of suspected Significant Harm.

Those participating should be able to contribute to the discussions of the available information and to make decisions on behalf of their own agency. 

4. Timescales

The Strategy Discussion/Strategy Meeting should take place as promptly as possible after receipt of referral, particularly in the situations listed below. The urgency of the situation, however, may dictate that the Strategy Discussion takes place soon after the referral is received. When arranging a strategy discussion a balance must be achieved between the need for a prompt meeting and ensuring the availability of key professionals whose information and knowledge are crucial to the quality of the decision making.

• For allegations/concerns indicating a serious risk to the child (e.g. serious physical injury or serious neglect), the Strategy Discussion/Strategy Meeting should be held on the same day as the receipt of the referral
• For allegations of penetrative sexual abuse, the Strategy Discussion/Strategy Meeting should be held on the same day as the receipt of the referral if this is required to ensure forensic evidence
• Where emergency action is or has been taken, the Strategy Discussion/Strategy Meeting must be held within one working day
• Where the concerns are particularly complex e.g. organised abuse, the Strategy Meeting must be held within a maximum of 5 working days, but sooner if there is a need to provide immediate protection to a child

5. Purpose of Strategy Discussion/Strategy Meeting

The purpose of the Strategy Discussion/Strategy Meeting is to establish if a Section 47 Enquiry is required and, if so, to develop a plan of action for the Enquiry.

More than one Strategy Discussion/Strategy Meeting may be necessary.

The Strategy Discussion/Strategy Meeting should be used to:

• Share available information
• Agree when the child will be seen alone by the Lead Social Worker (unless inappropriate for the child)
• Agree how the child’s wishes and feelings should be ascertained, whether any particular factors such as the child’s race, ethnicity, language, disability or any other special needs should be taken into account and whether an interpreter will be required for the child and/or the family
• Consider the needs of any other children who may be affected
• Decide if a Section 47 Enquiry should be undertaken and if so, which children should be included
• Plan the Section 47 Enquiry (if one is to be undertaken), including the need for further information, the need for and timing of medical assessments and/or treatment, and who will carry out what actions, by when and for what purpose
• Agree what action is required immediately and in the short term to safeguard the child and/or provide interim services and support, including the care arrangements for the child/children and whether urgent actions are required to remove the child from the risk of harm or to remove the alleged perpetrator from the child’s home. Where a child is in hospital, this should include how to secure the safe discharge of the child
• Agree a contingency plan if the child cannot be located
• Agree the conduct and timing of any criminal investigation, including who should be interviewed, by whom, for what purpose and when and the need to carry out the interviews in accordance with Achieving Best Evidence guidance
• Agree the arrangements for obtaining consents to interviews and assessments of the child (if the assessment is to take place during the course of court proceedings, the court’s prior consent must be obtained)
• Agree how the child and family will be supported during the process
• Decide whether a Core Assessment should be initiated or continued if it has already begun and if so, agree a plan for this and any further information and assessment that are required
• Determine what information from the Strategy Discussion/Strategy Meeting will be shared with the family, unless such information sharing may place a child at increased risk of harm or jeopardise any criminal investigation. If urgent action is necessary, a decision will need to be taken about informing or consulting parents and child(ren), obtaining consents, taking legal action, accompanying the child and notifying parent.
• Determine if legal action is required
• Identify the need for a press strategy, if relevant
• Agree timescales for all the above and responsibilities for required actions
• In cases where information indicates a history of violence and threatening behaviour by the parents towards professionals, consider the risks to the child/children and to staff, determine a strategy for managing the risk and agree joint action as appropriate
• Agree the need for further Strategy Discussions and/or Strategy Meetings

The plan for the Section 47 Enquiry should reflect the requirement to convene an Initial Child Protection Conference within 15 working days of the Strategy Discussion/Strategy Meeting.

Any decision made after a Strategy Discussion or Strategy Meeting that further child protection action by Department of Services to Children and Young People and/or the Police is not necessary as there is insufficient evidence of risk of significant harm to the child may only be made providing it is agreed by the Department of Services to Children and Young People manager and the Supervising Officer, Child & Public Protection Unit, West Yorkshire Police and the reasons recorded.

6. Recording of a Strategy Discussion/Strategy Meeting

At the conclusion of the Strategy Discussion or Strategy Meeting, a list of action points, timescales, agreed roles and responsibilities and an agreed mechanism for reviewing completion of the action points must be recorded. 

For telephone discussions, a copy of the notes authorised by the manager should be sent to all participants.

For meetings, the Chair will ensure that all participants have a record of the decision and recommendations at the end of the meeting. A copy of the full notes will be circulated to all those invited to the meeting as soon as possible.

Notes of Strategy Meetings will be held in the Safeguarding Children Unit and retained for 75 years in the case of registered children or, in the case of non-registered children, until the youngest child reaches 18, except where the subject is a carer or professional, in which case the notes will be retained for 5 years (note: advice is being sought about this) from the end of the investigation.

End