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Contents

1. Introduction
2. Undertaking Home Visits
3. Home Monitoring Visits Where Children are not Seen
4. Proposed Strategies: Action to be Taken if a Child is not seen by Social Worker within 4 weeks
5. Action to be Taken if a Child is not Seen for 6 Weeks by any Agency
6. Recording Home Visits

1. Introduction

The following procedures are minimum standards in ensuring that children who are subject to a Child Protection Plan are properly visited and monitored.

The London Child Protection Procedures target for minimum standards on home visiting of children with a Child Protection Plan is 6 weekly. Southwark has set a minimum requirement for reaching this standard by ensuring that home visits are undertaken to see all such children every calendar month unless the Child Protection Plan requires more frequent monitoring. Social workers are required to follow the home monitoring visiting patterns laid out in the Child Protection Plan if this requires more than one visit in any one calendar month.

There is also an expectation that children are to be seen by a member of the Core Group every 10 working days, e.g. School, Nursery, Health Visitor.

It is the Lead Social Worker’s responsibility to ensure all children with a Child Protection Plan should be visited within their homes as part of the continued monitoring and assessment of risk. During such visit, the child should be seen and spoken to alone (dependent on age).

2. Undertaking Home Visits

Social workers should be clear with the family regarding the purpose of the visit.

Social workers must ensure children’s bedrooms are seen at least once between each Child Protection Conference.

With parental agreement, children should be seen alone by the Lead Social Worker to ascertain their views. Consideration to the use of an interpreter for talking with children where English is not the first language should be addressed as part of the Child Protection Plan.

Babies should be seen awake as a minimum once every calendar month; a Core Group member should see the baby every 10 working days.

Following any social work visit, the Child Protection Home Visiting Report should be completed for all children who have a Child Protection Plan - see Section 6, Recording of Home Visits.

3. Home Monitoring Visits Where Children are not Seen

If a home visit to a child with a Child Protection Plan is undertaken and the child is not seen the Lead Social Worker should discuss this with his or her practice manager or team manager within 24 hours. The practice manager/team manager should set a timeframe for a further visit to be undertaken within 5 working days either by the Lead Social Worker or a duty worker.

If a child is still not seen after the further visit is undertaken, the Lead Social Worker should discuss this again with a practice manager or team manager within 24 hours.

The Lead Social Worker should undertake checks with other agencies to establish if the child has been seen during the last two weeks whilst attending school or nursery, or whether any other professional during the course of his or her duties has seen the child.

The Lead Social Worker, practice manager or duty social worker should attempt to make contact with the family directly or through any other agency and ensure that a visit is undertaken within 24 hours of the last visit.

If the Lead Social Worker has difficulty obtaining direct access to the child, the relevant Service Manager/Child Protection Manager should be informed as well as other Core Group Members.

In these circumstances formal agreement must be reached that a member of another agency carry out the face to face contact, or that a Child Protection Review Conference is called. Such a decision must be recorded and authorised by managers of the agencies concerned.

4. Proposed Strategies: Action to be Taken if a Child is not Seen by a Social Worker within 4 Weeks

If a child is not seen by a Lead Social Worker during a period of 4 weeks, the practice manager or team manager must make contact with the family either by telephone or letter within 3 working days to set up a meeting with the parent within 3 working days of the telephone contact or letter being sent.

The Lead Social Worker and practice manager should meet with the parent and discuss the importance of social work visits to monitor any child with a Child Protection Plan. A written agreement should be drawn up regarding future home monitoring visits by social work staff.

The Lead Social Worker should inform the Core Group of the difficulties in obtaining direct access to the child or children.

5. Action to be Taken if a Child is not Seen for 6 Weeks by any Agency

Where the child has not been seen for 6 weeks by any agency involved with the family, a Core Group meeting should be set up, chaired by a practice manager or team manager to discuss an action plan for seeing the family. If necessary, alternative strategies should be put in place to establish the best opportunity to engage with the family, for example through a teacher or health visitor, if this brings a solution to seeing the child.

The Lead Social Worker should also discuss this action plan with the Conference Chair who is responsible for chairing the Child Protection Review Conference for the particular child.

6. Recording Home Visits

The Lead Social Worker must maintain a complete and up to date signed Child Protection Home Visiting Report on the child’s electronic record to include as a minimum:

• Time and date of every home visit stating who was present, confirming the Lead Social Worker spoke with the child or providing a clear reason why not.
• Any information gained or observations made during the visit relevant to the identified risks to the child. If the view about the risks has worsened greatly this should be discussed with a manager as soon as possible.
• Circumstances of all family members
• Specific information about key subjects such as sleeping arrangements
• Factual reports of the child’s presentation and behaviour
• Any new incidents or injuries which must be subject to full Child Protection Enquiries

End