What is a child protection conference?
Kent Social Services and the police, together with professionals from other agencies, will assess the information from any child protection enquiries. If this indicates that a child or young person is at risk of significant harm, a child protection conference will be arranged.
The purpose of the child protection conference is to enable those professionals most involved with the child and family, and the family themselves, to assess all relevant information and to plan how best to safeguard the child and promote his or her welfare. It will make judgements about the likelihood of future significant harm to the child.
Kent’s Children's Social Services is responsible for arranging and chairing the conference. All child protection conferences will be conducted in accordance with the requirements of Module 8 of the Kent & Medway Safeguarding Children Procedures 2007.
Parents or carers will normally be invited to attend the conference unless any of the criteria listed in Module 8 of the Safeguarding Children Procedures apply. Positive consideration will also be given to enabling older children to participate in the conference if they wish to do so.
All professional contributors to the conference are expected to provide a written report of their involvement with the child and family.
After considering the available information and reports, the conference will decide whether the child is at continuing risk of significant harm and if so, recommend a Child Protection Plan. The plan will be agreed with the family and will be reviewed regularly at child protection review conferences.
Guidance leaflets on CP enquiries, assessments and conferences for parents, carers and young people can be found in the KSCB Resources and Library section.
Child Protection Conference report templates can be accessed below:
Report Templates for Initial Conference:
Report Templates for Review Conference:
Parents and carers also have the option to complete a Child Protection Conference Report: