between police child protection officers and social work specialists in protecting children has been undermined. 2.4 At a recent BASW London meeting there was agreement that strategy discussions were commonly by phone and that a strategy meeting of police, social workers and other relevant professionals now rarely took place. A system of monitoring a child’s safety through child protection conferences at 6 monthly intervals, with core groups that do not include police, will not protect children from harm. The strategy meeting is an essential multi agency forum for analysis and collation of facts and decision- making about the investigative process and protective action. The effectiveness of a conference depends on the quality of the section 47 investigation informing it. 2.5 The abolition of the child protection register has been a severe blow to social workers and the most important protocol for the protection of children has been taken away from them. Working Together (2006: 5.60) states that a section 47 is a core assessment, thus shifting the protective process away from joint investigation with police to assessment of the child and family needs. This has diverted social workers away from the task of intervening to protect children and away from joint work to assess risk posed by perpetrators. 2.6 It is very difficult to social workers in the protection of children when the systems of protection have been so destroyed. Initial training 3.1 The year degree and two year masters degree are the right format and level for initial social work training and the courses must remain generic. Although recent inquiries highlight the lack of specialist child protection
between police child protection officers and social work specialists in protecting children has been undermined. 2.4 At a recent BASW London meeting there was agreement that strategy discussions were commonly by phone and that a strategy meeting of police, social workers and other relevant professionals now rarely took place. A system of monitoring a child’s safety through child protection conferences at 6 monthly intervals, with core groups that do not include police, will not protect children from harm. The strategy meeting is an essential multi agency forum for analysis and collation of facts and decision- making about the investigative process and protective action. The effectiveness of a conference depends on the quality of the section 47 investigation informing it. 2.5 The abolition of the child protection register has been a severe blow to social workers and the most important protocol for the protection of children has been taken away from them. Working Together (2006: 5.60) states that a section 47 is a core assessment, thus shifting the protective process away from joint investigation with police to assessment of the child and family needs. This has diverted social workers away from the task of intervening to protect children and away from joint work to assess risk posed by perpetrators. 2.6 It is very difficult to social workers in the protection of children when the systems of protection have been so destroyed. Initial training 3.1 The year degree and two year masters degree are the right format and level for initial social work training and the courses must remain generic. Although recent inquiries highlight the lack of specialist child protection
training-of-children-and-families-social-workers-inquiry.docx