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Recommendations: 18 - 35 | 36
- 45 | 46 - 55 | 56 - 63
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This section brings together the recommendations that are to be
found in the Report. The way in which local authorities name committees
and officers can vary. For ease of reference, the recommendations
are expressed in the terms of the Local Authorities Personal Social
Services Act 1970. To the left of each recommendation is an indication
of the timescale for action:
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1 means the recommendation should be implemented within
three months.
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2 means the recommendation should be implemented within
six months.
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3 means the recommendation should be implemented within
two years.
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Of the 108 recommendations in this Report, 46 are under '1' and
a further 36 are under '2'. This means that some 82 of the recommendations
could be acted upon within six months.
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The paragraph numbers that follow the recommendations are cross-references
to the paragraphs in this Report in which they can be found.
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Recommendations: 18 - 35
| 36 - 45 | 46 - 55 | 56
- 63
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Recommendation 18 When communication with a child is necessary
for the purposes of safeguarding and promoting that child's welfare,
and the first language of that child is not English, an interpreter
must be used. In cases where the use of an interpreter is dispensed
with, the reasons for so doing must be recorded in the child's notes/case
file. (paragraph 6.25)
Timescale for action 1 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 19 Managers of duty teams must devise and
operate a system which enables them immediately to establish how
many children have been referred to their team, what action is required
to be taken for each child, who is responsible for taking that action,
and when that action must be completed. (paragraph 4.4)
Timescale for action 1 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 20 Directors of social services must ensure
that staff in their children and families' intake teams are experienced
in working with children and families, and that they have received
appropriate training. (paragraph 4.16)
Timescale for action 2 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 21 When a professional makes a referral
to social services concerning the well-being of a child, the fact
of that referral must be confirmed in writing by the referrer within
48 hours. (paragraph 4.59)
Timescale for action 1 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 22 If social services place a child in
temporary accommodation, an assessment must be made of the suitability
of that accommodation and the results of that assessment must be
recorded on the child's case file. If the accommodation is unsuitable,
this should be reported to a senior officer. (paragraph 4.77)
Timescale for action 1 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 23 If social services place a child in
accommodation in another local authority area, they must notify
that local authority's social services department of the placement.
Unless specifically agreed in writing at team manager level by both
authorities or above, the placing authority must retain responsibility
for the child concerned. (paragraph 4.82)
Timescale for action 1 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 24 Where, during the course of an assessment,
social services establish that a child of school age is not attending
school, they must alert the education authorities and satisfy themselves
that, in the interim, the child is subject to adequate daycare arrangements.
(paragraph 4.43)
Timescale for action 1 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 25 All social services assessments of children
and families, and any action plans drawn up as a result, must be
approved in writing by a manager. Before giving such approval, the
manager must ensure that the child and the child's carer have been
seen and spoken to. (paragraph 4.52)
Timescale for action 1 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 26 Directors of social services must ensure
that no case involving a vulnerable child is closed until the child
and the child's carer have been seen and spoken to, and a plan for
the ongoing promotion and safeguarding of the child's welfare has
been agreed. (paragraph 4.83)
Timescale for action 1 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 27 Chief executives and lead members of
local authorities with social services responsibilities must ensure
that children's services are explicitly included in their authority's
list of priorities and operational plans. (paragraph 5.4)
Timescale for action 2 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 28 The Department of Health should require
chief executives of local authorities with social services responsibilities
to prepare a position statement on the true picture of the current
strengths and weaknesses of their 'front door' duty systems for
children and families. This must be accompanied by an action plan
setting out the timescales for remedying any weaknesses identified.
(paragraph 5.9)
Timescale for action 2 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 29 Directors of social services must devise
and implement a system which provides them with the following information
about the work of the duty teams for which they are responsible:
Timescale for action 2 See table at top of page
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• number of children referred to the teams;
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• number of those children who have been assessed as requiring
a service;
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• number of those children who have been provided with the
service that they require;
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• number of children referred who have identified needs
which have yet to be met. (paragraph 5.24)
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Recommendation 30 Directors of social services must ensure
that senior managers inspect, at least once every three months,
a random selection of case files and supervision notes. (paragraph
5.27)
Timescale for action 1 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 31 Directors of social services must ensure
that all staff who work with children have received appropriate
vocational training, receive a thorough induction in local procedures
and are obliged to participate in regular continuing training so
as to ensure that their practice is kept up to date. (paragraph
5.30)
Timescale for action 2 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 32 Local authority chief executives must
ensure that only one electronic database system is used by all those
working in children and families' services for the recording of
information. This should be the same system in use across the council,
or at least compatible with it, so as to facilitate the sharing
of information, as appropriate. (paragraph 5.46)
Timescale for action 3 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 33 Local authorities with responsibility
for safeguarding children should establish and advertise a 24-hour
free telephone referral number for use by members of the public
who wish to report concerns about a child. A pilot study should
be undertaken to evaluate the feasibility of electronically recording
calls to such a number. (paragraph 5.71)
Timescale for action 3 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 34 Social workers must not undertake home
visits without being clear about the purpose of the visit, the information
to be gathered during the course of it, and the steps to be taken
if no one is at home. No visits should be undertaken without the
social worker concerned checking the information known about the
child by other child protection agencies. All visits must be written
up on the case file. (paragraphs 5.108 and 6.606)
Timescale for action 2 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 35 Directors of social services must ensure
that children who are the subject of allegations of deliberate harm
are seen and spoken to within 24 hours of the allegation being communicated
to social services. If this timescale is not met, the reason for
the failure must be recorded on the case file. (paragraph 5.27)
Timescale for action 1 See table at top of page
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Recommendations: 18 - 35
| 36 - 45 | 46 - 55 | 56
- 63
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Recommendation 36 No emergency action on a case concerning
an allegation of deliberate harm to a child should be taken without
first obtaining legal advice. Local authorities must ensure that
such legal advice is available 24 hours a day. (paragraph 5.128)
Timescale for action 1 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 37 The training of social workers must
equip them with the confidence to question the opinion of professionals
in other agencies when conducting their own assessment of the needs
of the child. (paragraph 5.138)
Timescale for action 2 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 38 Directors of social services must ensure
that the transfer of responsibility of a case between local authority
social services departments is always recorded on the case file
of each authority, and is confirmed in writing by the authority
to which responsibility for the case has been transferred. (paragraph
5.52)
Timescale for action 1 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 39 All front-line staff within local authorities
must be trained to pass all calls about the safety of children through
to the appropriate duty team without delay, having first recorded
the name of the child, his or her address, and the nature of the
concern. If the call cannot be put through immediately, further
details from the referrer must be sought (including their name,
address and contact number). The information must then be passed
verbally and in writing to the duty team within the hour. (paragraph
5.69)
Timescale for action 1 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 40 Directors of social services must ensure
that no case that has been opened in response to allegations of
deliberate harm to a child is closed until the following steps have
been taken:
Timescale for action 1 See table at top of page
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• The child has been spoken to alone.
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• The child's carers have been seen and spoken to.
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• The accommodation in which the child is to live has been
visited.
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• The views of all the professionals involved have been
sought and considered.
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• A plan for the promotion and safeguarding of the child's
welfare has been agreed. (paragraph 5.187)
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Recommendation 41 Chief executives of local authorities
with social services responsibilities must make arrangements for
senior managers and councillors to regularly visit intake teams
in their children's services department, and to report their findings
to the chief executive and social services committee. (paragraph
5.193)
Timescale for action 2 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 42 Directors of social services must ensure
that where the procedures of a social services department stipulate
requirements for the transfer of a case between teams within the
department, systems are in place to detect when such a transfer
does not take place as required. (paragraph 6.7)
Timescale for action 1 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 43 No social worker shall undertake section
47 inquiries unless he or she has been trained to do so. Directors
of social services must undertake an audit of staff currently carrying
out section 47 inquiries to identify gaps in training and experience.
These must be addressed immediately. (paragraph 6.1)
Timescale for action 2 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 44 When staff are temporarily promoted
to fill vacancies, directors of social services must subject such
arrangements to six- monthly reviews and record the outcome. (paragraph
6.29)
Timescale for action 1 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 45 Directors of social services must ensure
that the work of staff working directly with children is regularly
supervised. This must include the supervisor reading, reviewing
and signing the case file at regular intervals. (paragraph 6.59)
Timescale for action 1 See table at top of page
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Recommendations: 18 - 35
| 36 - 45 | 46 - 55 | 56
- 63
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Recommendation 46 Directors of social services must ensure
that the roles and responsibilities of child protection advisers
(and those employed in similar posts) are clearly understood by
all those working within children's services. (paragraph 6.7)
Timescale for action 1 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 47 The chief executive of each local authority
with social services responsibilities must ensure that specialist
services are available to respond to the needs of children and families
24 hours a day, seven days a week. The safeguarding of children
should not be part of the responsibilities of general out- of- office-hours
teams. (paragraph 6.181)
Timescale for action 3 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 48 Directors of social services must ensure
that when children and families are referred to other agencies for
additional services, that referral is only made with the agreement
of the allocated social worker and/or their manager. The purpose
of the referral must be recorded contemporaneously on the case file.
(paragraph 6.263)
Timescale for action 1 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 49 When a professional from another agency
expresses concern to social services about their handling of a particular
case, the file must be read and reviewed, the professional concerned
must be met and spoken to, and the outcome of this discussion must
be recorded on the case file. (paragraph 6.289)
Timescale for action 1 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 50 Directors of social services must ensure
that when staff are absent from work, systems are in place to ensure
that post, emails and telephone contacts are checked and actioned
as necessary. (paragraph 6.318)
Timescale for action 1 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 51 Directors of social services must ensure
that all strategy meetings and discussions involve the following
three basic steps:
Timescale for action 1 See table at top of page
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• A list of action points must be drawn up, each with an
agreed timescale and the identity of the person responsible for
carrying it out.
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• A clear record of the discussion or meeting must be circulated
to all those present and all those with responsibility for an action
point.
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• A mechanism for reviewing completion of the agreed actions
must be specified. The date upon which the first such review is
to take place is to be agreed and documented. (paragraph 6.575)
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Recommendation 52 Directors of social services must ensure
that no case is allocated to a social worker unless and until his
or her manager ensures that he or she has the necessary training,
experience and time to deal with it properly. (paragraph 6.581)
Timescale for action 2 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 53 When allocating a case to a social worker,
the manager must ensure that the social worker is clear as to what
has been allocated, what action is required and how that action
will be reviewed and supervised. (paragraph 6.586)
Timescale for action 1 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 54 Directors of social services must ensure
that all cases of children assessed as needing a service have an
allocated social worker. In cases where this proves to be impossible,
arrangements must be made to maintain contact with the child. The
number, nature and reasons for such unallocated cases must be reported
to the social services committee on a monthly basis. (paragraph
6.589)
Timescale for action 2 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 55 Directors of social services must ensure
that only those cases in which a social worker is actively engaged
in work with a child and the child's family are deemed to be 'allocated'.
(paragraph 6.590)
Timescale for action 1 See table at top of page
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Recommendations: 18 - 35
| 36 - 45 | 46 - 55 | 56
- 63
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Recommendation 56 Directors of social services must ensure
that no child known to social services who is an inpatient in a
hospital and about whom there are child protection concerns is allowed
to be taken home until it has been established by social services
that the home environment is safe, the concerns of the medical staff
have been fully addressed, and there is a social work plan in place
for the ongoing promotion and safeguarding of that child's welfare.
(paragraph 6.594)
Timescale for action 1 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 57 Directors of social services must ensure
that social work staff are made aware of how to access effectively
information concerning vulnerable children which may be held in
other countries. (paragraph 6.619)
Timescale for action 2 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 58 Directors of social services must ensure
that every child's case file includes, on the inside of the front
cover, a properly maintained chronology. (paragraph 6.629)
Timescale for action 1 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 59 Directors of social services must ensure
that staff working with vulnerable children and families are provided
with up-to-date procedures, protocols and guidance. Such practice
guidance must be located in a single-source document. The work should
be monitored so as to ensure procedures are followed. (paragraph
8.7)
Timescale for action 2 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 60 Directors of social services must ensure
that hospital social workers working with children and families
are line managed by the children and families' section of their
social services department. (paragraph 8.19)
Timescale for action 2 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 61 Directors of social services must ensure
that hospital social workers participate in all hospital meetings
concerned with the safeguarding of children. (paragraph 8.27)
Timescale for action 1 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 62 Where hospital-based social work staff
come into contact with children from other local authority areas,
the directors of social services of their employing authorities
must ensure that they work to a single set of guidance agreed by
all the authorities concerned. (paragraph 8.53)
Timescale for action 2 See table at top of page
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Recommendation 63 Hospital social workers must always respond
promptly to any referral of suspected deliberate harm to a child.
They must see and talk to the child, to the child's carer and to
those responsible for the care of the child in hospital, while avoiding
the risk of appearing to coach the child. (paragraph 8.100)
Timescale for action 1 See table at top of page
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