Management Information Sheet

Sent on behalf of the Independent Reviewing Service

We write to inform you of key changes that have been made to the format and content of agency reports to initial Child Protection Conferences (ICPCs), and the use of Multi-Agency Chronologies in ICPCs, with the purpose of better enabling parents, family members, and all workers, to understand children's lived and felt experience, particularly the experiences of children who experience longitudinal neglect.

The new Agency Report to CPC with Chronology and use of the Multi-Agency Chronology in Conference are being trialled in a 3-month pilot in Initial Children Protection Conferences throughout Norfolk from w/b 29 May 2023. Please share this information and the attached documents with all DSLs in your setting.

What Do I Need to Know?

• The Conference report format now includes a Chronology for the child
• The Chronology format uses an accessible RAG Red, Amber, Green Rating system to support easier analysis of the significant events in a child's life and the impact of those events for the child.
• The Chronology of significant events will detail strengths and safety, as well as risk and harm for the child.
• The Chronology provided in each agency report for Conference will be merged into one joint Multi-Agency Chronology by the CP Conference Business Support Team prior to Initial Conference.
• The Independent Chair will share the Multi-Agency Chronology with all meeting participants, children, parents, family members and all workers, in the Conference, supporting everyone to explore and understand the child's lived and felt experience; ensuring that root cause issues are clearly identified and understood as well as issues of immediate harm and risk for the child.
• Norfolk Safeguarding Children Partnership has agreed the new report format and the use of Multi-Agency Chronologies in Conference; outcomes of this practice development will be reviewed in 3 months.
• The Agency Report with Chronology will be trialled in Initial Child Protection Conferences for 3 months; there will be additional focused testing of the new practice material in selected review conferences within the trial period. Family members and workers involved in testing the material in Review Child Protection Conferences will be contacted individually about that process.
• A copy of the new format Agency Report to CPC with Chronology and accompanying Practice Guidance note can be found attached to this MI sheet. Both documents will also be attached to the ICPC invite email sent to all Initial CP Conference participants from w/b 29/05/2023, and can also be found on the NSCP website - Agency Report To CPC With Chronology V6 (Initial Conferences only) and Practice Guidance Multi Agency Chronologies V6 (Initial Conferences only)

What Do I Need to Do?

• From w/b 29 May 2023, when your education setting has been invited to an Initial Child Protection Conference, you will be requested to complete the report using the new format form - 'Agency Report to Conference with Chronology'; see attached.
• Prior to writing your report, please read the accompanying Practice Guidance note, see attached and below; this provides full information on how to complete the Chronology which is within the main body of the report. Please note the specific practice points for Education in completing the Chronology.
• Ensure your completed report, including the Chronology, is shared with the child [where appropriate] and their parents prior to Conference.
• Ensure you send the completed report, including chronology, to - cs.bsupport.bowthorpe@norfolk.gov.uk a minimum of 2 full working days prior to ICPC.

Additional practice guidance for education settings:

Education information you may wish to consider when compiling the chronology could include:

• A summary of positive achievements in education including improvements in attendance, increased evidence of safer, positive behaviours, significant milestones in attainment and progress
• A half termly summary of lateness, absence or attendance patterns in Education, not individual dates/time, with the impact summarised.
• Any interventions to address poor school attendance including formal planning and legal proceedings
• Change of school / education provision including children missing education episodes
• Details of any assessments, plans and interventions including for special educational needs or disabilities
• Any episodes of suspensions, internal inclusion, or permanent exclusion
• Any support offered to address behavioural concerns, including any risk management plans
• Any episodes where the child may have gone missing during the school day
• Any relevant meetings with parents or carers regarding the child's education

During the pilot period, support from the Education Safeguarding Team will be available for DSLs as they adopt the Norfolk Safeguarding Children Partnership approach. As practice embeds the Education Safeguarding Team will provide further guidance for education settings in response to learning.

If you have any questions, please contact educationsafeguarding@norfolk.gov.uk