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Contents

1. Recording on Management on ICS
2. How to Record Unborn Child Protection Cases on ICS
3. Example of a Big Map for Unborn ISPCC Case

1. Recording on Management on ICS

Where it is clear that an unborn child is likely to be the subject of an Initial Child Protection Case Conference (ICPCC) prior to birth the following procedures must be adhered to:

• A Contact, Referral and Initial Assessment must be recorded on ICS. The outcome of the Initial Assessment should be a Core Assessment, this is in effect a Pre-Birth Assessment
• Where the Core Assessment indicates ongoing risk confirming the need for a future Initial Child Protection Case Conference a Child’s Child In Need Plan must be generated as the outcome of the Core Assessment
• The purpose of the Plan is to outline the supports to be offered to the family and the mechanisms by which the unborn child’s safety would be monitored
• A Strategy Meeting/Discussion must be generated (manually from the Big Map) on ICS 13 weeks prior to the estimated delivery date (EDD)
• If at this stage the ongoing assessment indicates continued risk to the unborn baby a Section 47 Enquiry must be generated as the outcome of the Strategy Meeting/Discussion. This will generate a further Core Assessment task but the information collected in the earlier Core Assessment can be copied forward and available for the worker to update in the light of any change in circumstances
• Where the S.47 Enquiry substantiates/confirms ongoing risk that is likely to require the formality of a Child Protection Plan a date must be set for an Initial Child Protection Case Conference within 15 days of the date of the (last) Strategy Meeting/Discussion
• The worker will then receive a task to complete the ICPCC Pre-Meeting Report to which the Core Assessment can be copied forward if required. The report must be shared with the family at least 2 working days prior to the ICPCC. Workers are advised to print off an ‘un-finalised’ copy to share with the family and only finalise the report on ICS once corrections have been made

2. How to Record Unborn Child Protection Cases on ICS

Summary:

At the start of the case:

• Contact
• Referral
• Initial Assessment
• Core Assessment
• CIN Plan

Then, for the Pre-Birth ICPCC:

• Strategy Discussion (started 15 days prior to ICPCC date and 13 weeks prior to EDD)
• S.47 & Core Assessment
• ICPCC (15 days after Strategy Discussion)

Detailed Description of ICS Process

At the start of the case:

• Contact
  
  Start the CONTACT RECORD from the Unborn Record’s Personal Tab.  Record the date of notification of the pregnancy / unborn.
  
  Progress to Referral

• Referral
  
  Complete the REFERRAL RECORD.
  
  Progress to Initial Assessment. 
  
  (24 hour timescale to complete and authorise the Contact and the Referral)

• Initial Assessment
  
  Allocated Case Worker completes and finalises Initial Assessment.
  
  Progress to Core Assessment.

• Core Assessment
  
  (This task can be started manually on an open case at any time).
  
  Complete the Core Assessment and progress to a Child in Need / Child’s Plan.

• CIN Plan
  
  Complete and Finalise Part 1 & Part 2 and Finalise Plan Revision.

In Part 1 - explain case circumstances, decisions etc. and that a Pre-Birth ICPCC will be convened because (provide reasons)...

• The purpose of the Plan is to outline the supports to be offered to the family and the mechanisms by which the unborn child’s safety would be monitored

In Part 2 – record any identified needs, outcomes and services. Below is an example of the kind of information that should also be recorded in Part 2 to indicate that Child Protection concerns are present and action will be taken 10 weeks prior to the estimated birth date to decide whether the unborn baby should be subject to a Pre-Birth Child Protection Plan.

Needs	Outcome	Services
Child needs to grow up in a family, free from... and able to meet their developmental needs	There is clarity about both the strengths and areas of concern professionals have regarding the care these parents can offer their unborn child, by 10 weeks prior to the estimated date of birth of the baby.	Them mechanisms by which the child's safety is going to be monitored are...
		The support that will be offered to the family is...
		Manager to give consideration to strategy discussion and Sec 47 investigation week of...
		Allocated SW to update pre-birth assessment by... (this refers to the Core Assessment as part of the S.47)
		If required an ICPCC to be held week of...

Then, for the Pre-Birth ICPCC:

See London Child Protection Procedures Chapter 8 - Child Protection Conferences (Section 8.14, Pre- Birth Conferences)

Timing of the Conference

The pre-birth conference should take place as soon as practical and at least ten weeks before the due date of delivery, so as to allow as much time as possible for planning support for the baby and family; see London Child Protection Procedures - Child Protection Conferences, Section 8.14.12, Timing of Review Conference.

• Strategy Discussion
  
  Team Manager starts the Strategy Discussion task from the Big Map 15 days prior to the agreed Pre-Birth ICPCC date (ICPCC should be at least 10 weeks before the estimated date of delivery).
  
  Progress to S.47 (this will also start a Core Assessment).

• S.47 & Core Assessment
  
  Social Worker complete and finalise both tasks.
  
  S.47 - progress to Initial Child Protection Case Conference
  
  Core Assessment - can be copied forward from Core Assessment that was completed previously and updated as it can also be copied forward into the ICPCC Report as soon as it (the Core) has been authorised by the Team Manager.
  Progress to No Further Action on the Core Assessment.

• ICPCC (15 days after Strategy Discussion)
  
  Social Worker completes Pre-Birth ICPCC Pre-Meeting Report (can copy previous Core Assessments forward if they have been finalised and authorised by the Team Manager).

The Child Protection Conference processes on ICS will continue as long as the unborn/child is subject to a Child Protection Plan. See London Child Protection Procedures - Child Protection Conferences, Section 8.14.12, Timing of Review Conference.

3. Example of a Big Map for Unborn ISPCC Case

Click here to view the Example of a Big Map for Unborn ISPCC Case

End