Welcome to the professionals pages

Training programme

If a child is in immediate danger please call 999

Barnet Safeguarding Children Partnership provides training for all professionals and volunteers working with children and young people in Barnet. All our training courses are free to access and cover a range of subjects, from introductory safeguarding training to specialist topics. We also host learning events and conferences, including Professional and Young People Forums on particular themes, through the year so please do check back here regularly. 

Individuals should identify their training needs and which courses are appropriate for them through supervision and discussions with their organisation's safeguarding representatives, based upon their job roles and contact with children and young people.  Training should be refreshed every three years in line with your organisation's policies and procedures. 

If you have any feedback on our training offer or would like to request training on a particular topic, we would love to hear from you. Email us at bscp@barnet.gov.uk.

How to book on a course

Training can be booked via the Council wide Learning Management System, The POD.   To view and book on courses please create an account on the system.  If you have any difficulty in creating an account contact childrens.workforce@barnet.gov.uk

The BSCP provides a series of multi-agency safeguarding learning and development opportunities including core courses and our additional specialised courses, as well as briefing sessions and conferences. Training is offered to staff and volunteers who deal with children, young people and/or families within Barnet.

As a helpful overview of the current multi-agency workforce development programme, ahead of your registration on The POD.  please find an overview here /assets/1/multi-agency_programme_2021-22.docx 

E-learning courses

Barnet offers five e-learning safeguarding courses which can be completed in your own time, at your own pace. These courses are:

• Introduction to child protection
• Further child protection
• Introduction to adult/child protection
• Further adult/child protection
• E-safety course.

Read more information about the courses here; they are suitable for all multi-agency professionals working with children and young people in Barnet, including the voluntary, community and faith sector, and take 1-2 hours to complete. To sign up, email childrens.workforce@barnet.gov.uk with the name of the course you would like to complete.

Research in Practice work with organisations to support evidence-informed practice with children, young people and families and have a wealth of resources and webinars available across a range of safeguarding and child protection topics. Barnet Council subscribe to this resource and have kindly agreed to open it up to partners. If you have a Barnet.gov.uk email address you can create an account on the site; if you are a partner agency or work in any of our integrated teams, you can request a free account here.

MindEd mental health e-learning resources are available for people who volunteer, work or are studying to work with infants, children or teenagers. Learning is applicable across health, social care, education, criminal justice and community settings.

Network newsletter

We are launching a BSCP network newsletter to share information with anyone working with children and young people in Barnet. It will be a monthly newsletter with information about our latest training and events, resources you might find helpful and more.

If you’d like to sign up to this newsletter, please email BSCP@Barnet.gov.uk.

We will only contact you with Barnet Safeguarding Children Partnership news and you will be able to opt out at any time.

Reporting a concern about a child

If a child is in immediate danger please call 999

The MASH is there to acts a single ‘front door’ for children in need of additional support and/or protection. Co-located within the MASH is a partnership of professionals from a range of agencies including the police, health, education, children’s social care, early help, substance misuse, housing, probation and domestic violence services.

The professionals will work together to share and analyse information held on multiple client data systems to build a picture of the child’s history, current circumstances, support systems, needs and risks. This means that proportionate and timely decisions can be made about the type and level of services children need to safeguard their welfare, meet their needs and improve their outcomes, ensuring that children receive the right help first time.

Barnet MASH ensures that:

• All safeguarding referrals are dealt with in a timely and effective manner to ensure the immediate protection of children
• Decisions are timely, sound and based on high quality multi-agency information sharing arrangements
• All agencies have the confidence to share information safely and securely
• Risk is identified through robust analysis of a wide range of historical and current information and concerns
• Children, young people and their families are referred to the right services first time and as early in the life of the problem as possible
• Professional agencies working with children and their families have access to information that is proportionate and relevant to their involvement in a child’s life
• Allocation of resources for children and families is timely, coherent and transparent
• Professionals have rapid access to qualified and experienced social work professionals for safeguarding advice, information and guidance on access to local resources
• The service is well understood and accessible to those that need it
• Our partnership arrangements are built upon to improve access and promote seamless delivery throughout the borough.

How to contact the MASH:

Email: MASH@barnet.gov.uk 

Telephone: 020 8359 4066 (out of hours contact the emergency duty team on 020 8359 2000)

Online referral: link here

Address: MASH

London Borough of Barnet
2 Bristol Avenue
Colindale
London
NW9 4EW

We ask that professionals who are making referrals to the MASH, where appropriate, discuss intended referrals about children with the adults who hold parental responsibility for them prior to making a referral. Professionals should include in the referral whether they have spoken to the child and parents about the referral they are making.

Together, we can tackle child abuse.

• All children have a right to be safe and should be protected from all forms of abuse and neglect
• Anything you notice can help a child at risk. We all have a role to play in protecting children and young people from child abuse and neglect
• Last year nearly 400,000 children in England were supported because someone noticed they needed help
• To help protect a child or young person look out for changes in their Appearance, Behaviour and Communication (A B C)
• It’s up to all of us to keep children safe. Many people do not act because they’re worried about being wrong. You don’t have to be absolutely certain; if you’re concerned a child is being abused or their safety is at risk, speak to someone
• Report it anonymously to your local council, NSPCC or the police who can provide the support a child may need
• Information is gathered from many sources, and your report forms part of a bigger picture. Reporting your concerns to your local council, NSPCC, or the police, could provide the missing piece of information that is needed to keep a child safe.

Child abuse. If you think it, report it. Contact Barnet MASH www.barnet.gov.uk/mash.

To find out more about child abuse campaign visit: gov.uk/tacklechildabuse

Barnet continuum of support

If a child is in immediate danger please call 999

Most children and young people have basic needs that are met well by their parents, wider family, support networks and universal services such as health, children’s centres and schools.

Children and young people with additional needs may benefit from access to early help services or targeted services, and for some children with more complex needs access to specialist help may be required and where a safeguarding risk is evident children will need to be referred to Children’s Social Care to safeguard and promote their welfare.

In Barnet, we want to ensure that children and young people are at the centre of all we do. This document is intended to support professionals working with children, young people and their families to consider their needs and any risks to their welfare in the context of the range of support that is available to help, support and protect them so that our responses are both timely and proportionate.

The document does not intend to replace professional judgement on how best to meet children, young people and family’s needs, but serves as a guide for professionals from which dialogue and decisions can be generated about what is in children and young people’s best interests.

Please click here for the full document.

We will be updating and refreshing this document so please do not print but instead use the online version. 

MASH protocol and safeguarding handbook

MASH protocol

Here you can find the Barnet MASH Protocol 2018.

Safeguarding handbook

The Children and Young People’s Safeguarding Handbook has been developed by Barnet Safeguarding Children’s Partnership (BSCP) to assist professionals working within the London Borough of Barnet in navigating the diverse range of services for children and families with support needs.

Barnet is committed to the principle that the most effective way of improving outcomes and life chances for all children, young people and families is through the provision of high quality, accessible universal services. While there are times when specialist expertise is required, most needs for the majority of children can be met in universal settings such as children’s centres, schools and GP surgeries.

This guide provides information as to how the Safeguarding Partnership works together to promote coordinated services delivery for children and families living in the borough.

Our primary aim is that there should be ‘no wrong door’ for seeking additional support for children.

The guide is split into two main sections:

1. Information on the path a child might take through services and how professionals can support this, with a particular focus on safeguarding and education, as well as multi-agency guidance on working with children and families.

2. A reference guide on how to access resources available to support children and young people and families in Barnet.

Our aim is to continually develop and improve the on-line guide, responding to the needs of partners. Therefore if you have any suggestions please do contact the Safeguarding Partnership Business Unit via BSCP@Barnet.gov.uk. 

We hope you find the guide useful. Please click here for the handbook.

Early help

If a child is in immediate danger please call 999

Early help hubs and activities

Barnet Family Services deliver early help across the 0-19 age range. We operate from three geographical areas or ‘hubs’, which enable us to be closer to where families live, and to work more closely with other community-based settings and organisations.

Early help for children, young people and families

We provide help and support to children, young people and their families from before birth up to the age of 19 (or 25 if they have special educations needs or a disability).

All families face challenges and sometimes need support. Early Help is about providing this support as soon as possible to tackle difficulties for children, young people and families before they become more serious. We work with the whole family and the child is at the centre of all we do.

Every family has strengths and Early Help can work with you to build on these. We can involve a range of professionals that will work together so you only have to give your information once.

What early help and support is available

Together with our partners, we provide a range of services to meet the educational, social and emotional needs of children, young people and families in Barnet.

For example, we can offer support if:

• you are concerned about your child's behaviour
• you would like support in developing parenting skills
• you are worried about your family finances
• you would like to improve your physical and mental health
• you or your child want to develop new friends and have new experiences
• you would like to improve family relationships
• you are experiencing domestic abuse or parental conflict
• you are concerned about your child’s involvement in crime or anti-social behaviour
• you are a carer or your child is a young carer
• you are worried about your child’s disability or special educational need
• you are concerned about the effects of drugs or alcohol on the family
• you need help or advice finding childcare.

We will work together with you and other professionals to ensure that you get the right service at the right time.

Getting early help and support

There are different ways you can get help, depending on what you and your family need.

Some activities you can book on to in advance or just turn up. This is what we call ‘Universal’ services. They include

• children’s centre activities, such as stay & play
• youth activities including gym, dance, drama, music and the Duke of Edinburgh Award
• information and advice drop-ins and
• help finding childcare.

Universal plus interventions are aimed at children and families, where a multi-agency, Early Help Assessment is not required, but where just a brief number of 1 to 1, group parenting or youth sessions can be offered. The referrals for Universal Plus work can be made by either a professional or by a self-referral via the Universal Plus Form directly to the 0-19 hubs.

When you have a range of needs, it is likely that we may need to work together with other professionals. If this is the case an Early Help request will need to be completed. You can do this yourself or ask a professional to do it on your behalf. This is what we call ‘Targeted Early Help’.

Once we have received a request:

• you will be contacted to discuss your request
• an Early Help Assessment may be completed with you. This will usually involve more discussions between you and (if you agree) other members of your family and relevant professionals to think about how you can best be supported
• this support will be coordinated by a Lead Professional who will be your main point of contact.

Child protection and child in need

If a child is in immediate danger please call 999

Child protection

If a child is suffering or may be at risk of suffering, significant harm:

• Section 47 enquiries may be undertaken to investigate their circumstances and ensure they are provided with immediate protection, if needed.
• A Child Protection Conference may be convened to share information about the children and analyse their parent’s capacity to safely care for them within the context of wider family support and their environment.
• A Child Protection Plan will be made for children who need a multi-agency team of professionals to ensure that they are safe, protected from harm and their lived experience improves. This Plan will be reviewed regularly to ensure progress is being made.

Child in need

Children in need may be assessed under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989, in relation to their special educational needs, disabilities, as a carer, or because they have committed a crime. Where an assessment takes place, it will be carried out by a social worker. The process for assessment should also be used for children whose parents are in prison and for asylum seeking children.

A child in need assessment can lead to the development of a Multi-Agency Child in Need Plan which will ensure the children are provided with the support they need to improve their outcomes within agreed timescales. This Plan will be reviewed regularly to ensure progress is being made, if it is not a Child Protection Plan may be necessary.

For more information about thresholds of need and interventions/support available, please see the Barnet continuum of need.

LADO

If a child is in immediate danger please call 999

The LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer) is the point of contact in the Council for anyone who has concerns/allegations about an individual working with children.

The LADO helps co-ordinate information-sharing with the right people and will also monitor and track any investigation, with the aim to resolve any allegations as quickly as possible.

If you suspect that a paid or unpaid worker, volunteer or person in a position of trust working with children, has harmed, may harm or failed to protect a child or young person You must tell Barnet’s Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) via MASH on 020 8359 4066.

Voluntary, community and faith sector

Voluntary, community and faith sector (VCFS) organisation make a huge contribution to supporting and improving the lives of children and young people in Barnet and have a crucial role to play in safeguarding.

As Barnet Safeguarding Children Partnership we want to support VCFS organisations to fulfil their safeguarding duties and to improve practice in the local area.

All VCFS organisations in Barnet can access our training offer free of charge and we aim to continue improving the resources we share with the sector including through this website. 

We have a VCFS Safeguarding Subgroup with representatives from local organisations including Young Barnet Foundation, Community Barnet, Unitas Youthzone, Youth Realities and many more. 

The Subgroup has recently agreed a new strategy which sets three goals for 2020-23:

• Lead the sector in safeguarding
• Support and improve practice 
• Keep children safe. 

Watch this space for more resources and support for VCFS organisations, and do get in touch with us if you have any questions or suggestions for help we can help. We'd love to hear from you at BSCP@Barnet.gov.uk. 

Helpful resources

Charity Commission guidance about the safeguarding responsibilities of organisations

Government portal to support charities with safeguarding referrals

NSPCC advice about safeguarding, including support for faith organisations

NCVO safeguarding resources

Social Care Institute for Excellence guidance about charities and safeguarding

London child protection procedures which all voluntary organisations providing services to children and young people must follow

Community Barnet safeguarding resources

Young Barnet Foundation's member offer, which includes safeguarding support

Vulnerable adolescents

If a child is in immediate danger please call 999

Safeguarding children and young people from the psychological and physical harm caused by sexual and criminal exploitation is a core priority for Barnet Safeguarding Children Partnership. To enable the Partnership to effectively support our children we  have launched the following documents:

• Vulnerable Adolescent Strategy
• Vulnerable Adolescent Protocol
• Missing Protocol
• Vulnerable Adolescent Report 2018-20
• Vulnerable Adolescent multi-agency audit briefing

If you require further information please contact us at BSCP@Barnet.gov.uk.

Child Sexual Exploitation

The revised pan-London Child Sexual Exploitation Operating Protocol was released in June 2017 and included many helpful revisions. There is a clearer focus that managing and responding to child sexual exploitation (CSE) requires a multiagency response and that the risk of working with vulnerable adolescents should be a shared responsibility across partnerships.

The new protocol outlines the importance of ensuring that all professionals have a greater awareness that children who are subject to CSE, gangs and serious youth violence are very often themselves extremely vulnerable and should be recognised as victims of abuse, which is often hidden. All interventions should adopt a child-centred approach that reflects the individual child's needs.

In response to the new protocol and recent inspection, Barnet is committed to ensuring that an approach to managing vulnerable adolescents is focused on the following principles:

• Early identification of the factors that could lead to problems and risks developing.
• Shared multi-agency accountability and management of planning and intervention.
• The adolescent is central to planning and that they are seen in the context of their vulnerability rather than as a perpetrator or “taking risks”.  
• Planning and intervention builds resilience.

Chris Kelly the lead for CSE and Missing can be contacted for any further information or support which is required.

Gangs and Serious Youth Violence

For more information, contact reach@barnet.gov.uk.

Domestic violence and abuse

If a child is in immediate danger please call 999

Safeguarding children exposed to domestic abuse

Children who live in families where there is domestic abuse can suffer serious long-term emotional and psychological effects. Even if they are not physically harmed or do not witness acts of violence, they can pick up on the tensions and harmful interactions between adults. Children of any age are affected by domestic violence and abuse. At no age will they be unaffected by what is happening, even when they are in the womb.

The physical, psychological and emotional effects of domestic violence on children can be severe and long-lasting. Some children may become withdrawn and find it difficult to communicate. Others may act out the aggression they have witnessed, or blame themselves for the abuse. All children living with abuse are under stress.

Domestic abuse is defined as “any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality”. The abuse can encompass, but is not limited to psychological, physical, sexual, financial and emotionally controlling and coercive behaviour.

Controlling behaviour is a range of acts designed to make a person subordinate and/or independent by isolating them from sources of support, exploiting their resources and capacities for personal gain, depriving them of the means needed for independence, resistance and escape and regulating their everyday behaviour.

Coercive behaviour is an act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten their victim. What might look like an isolated incident of violent abuse could be taking place in a context of controlling or coercive behaviour. Domestic abuse can also include forced marriage and so-called “honour crimes”.

Professionals should:

• Consider the presence of domestic abuse as an indicator of the need to assess a child’s need for support and protection.
• Make sure the child’s experiences and views are captured and included. In contexts where the safety of the adult victim is seen as the main priority this can dominate people’s immediate thinking and action, and children’s voices can be lost.
• Remember that the first incident reported to the police or other agencies is rarely the first incident to occur; often people have been subject to violence and abuse on multiple occasions before they seek help.
• Support the non-abusing parent in a holistic way that acknowledges the impacts of coercive control. This is important in achieving good outcomes for children. Research showed that children also experience the impacts of coercive control of a parent; for example, becoming isolated from family and friends, finding it difficult to gain independence, and feeling disempowered. 
• Use the Safe Lives Risk Checklist (see below) for the identification of high risk cases of domestic abuse, stalking and ‘honour’-based violence.
• Refer high and very risk cases of domestic violence or abuse to the MARAC.

MARAC

The Barnet Domestic Violence Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) is a risk management meeting where professionals share information on high and very high risk cases of domestic violence or abuse and put in place a risk management plan. The aim of the meeting is to address the safety of the victim, children and agency staff and to review and co-ordinate service provision in high risk domestic violence cases.

A tailored action plan will be developed at the MARAC to reduce the risk to the victim, children, other vulnerable parties and any staff and to ensure that the risk the perpetrator presents is managed appropriately. Examples of actions that will be agreed include flagging and tagging of files, referral to other appropriate multi-agency meetings and prioritising of agencies’ resources to MARAC cases. 

Any service agency signed up to the MARAC Information Sharing Protocol may refer a case to the MARAC using the MARAC Referral Form, and all agencies should be actively screening for domestic violence or abuse. Referrals should be submitted to each agency’s MARAC representative. Please contact your line manager to find out who your agency’s MARAC representative is. 

To be referred to the MARAC the individual must reside in the London Borough of Barnet, be over the age of 16, be currently experiencing domestic violence or abuse (according to the cross-government definition of domestic violence) and be assessed as being at high or very high risk of harm of domestic violence or abuse in accordance with the Barnet MARAC referral risk criteria..

Further information and resources

• See the Domestic Violence information in the London Procedures
• Home Office Resources for Violence Against Women & Girls (VAWG)
• The Chief Social Worker’s Office at the Department of Health has commissioned a set of materials, which were developed by Research in Practice for Adults and Women’s Aid 
• Imkaan UK provide resources about supporting BAME victims of domestic abuse

Safe Lives, a national domestic abuse charity, has created a toolkit practitioners and front-line workers can use to identify high risk cases of domestic abuse, stalking and ‘honour’-based violence. The purpose of the checklist is to give a consistent and simple-to-use tool to practitioners who work with victims of domestic abuse in order to help them identify those who are at high risk of harm and whose cases should be referred to a MARAC meeting in order to manage the risk. Safe Lives have produced an updated version of the RIC, which now includes comprehensive guidance explaining each risk question, how they can be asked, as well as practice points. There is also a frequently asked questions page with some useful tips on the checklist. The Safe Lives website has helpful resources about other ways your agency may access support, training or download the checklist in other languages. 

Neglect

If a child is in immediate danger please call 999

Neglect is the most common form of abuse nationally, and in Barnet we want to improve outcomes for children suffering from neglect in Barnet by intervening as early as possible.

Child neglect is defined as a type of maltreatment related to the failure to provide needed, age-appropriate care. Unlike physical and sexual abuse, neglect is usually typified by an ongoing pattern of inadequate care and is readily observed by individuals in close contact with the child.

Neglect is about the relationship that a parent or carer has with their child. It is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs. Neglect causes great distress to children and is likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development in the short and long term.

Children who are neglected may have poor appearance and hygiene, health and development problems and housing and family issues. As they grow up, they are more likely to have mental health problems, poor physical health, difficulties with relationships and reduced employment in their adult life. In some cases, neglect can cause permanent disabilities and at the upper end of the spectrum, neglect can be life-threatening.

Nationally neglect is the most common of the four categories of child abuse (which include physical, sexual and emotional abuse).

As part of our resilience-based approach to working with children and families, the NSPCC’s Graded Care Profile 2 is being introduced to Family Services and the wider partnership.

What is the Graded Care Profile 2 tool?

Family Services in Barnet is using the NSPCC’s Graded Care Profile 2 (GCP2) as a tool for assessing the ability of parents/carers to meet children’s needs. The GCP2 is an evidence-based assessment tool that measures the quality of care provided to an individual child over a specific period of time. It is designed as an objective tool which focuses on measuring the quality of care received by the child. The tool is child-focused as it specifically addresses whether or not the child’s developmental needs in each area are being met, to what extent and whether this is consistent.

How can it be used?

The tool can assist you to understand the willingness and ability of the parent/carer to meet the child’s developmental needs. Within the Graded Care Profile 2 there are five grades of care on a scale from positive to negative. The tool uses a scaling measurement of the level of care between 1 (best) and 5 (worst) and this scaling is based on direct observation of the extent to which the needs of a child are currently being met. The scoring applies to the areas of care that relate to particular developmental needs of children based on Maslow’s principles: physical care, care of safety, emotional care (love and belonging), and developmental care (care of esteem).

It is widely recognised that the level of care provided by parents to children can fluctuate over time. Therefore, this tool is useful as it can measure parenting at a specific time and then can be reviewed to ascertain whether there has been any changes over time.

The Graded Care Profile 2 tool promotes resilience within families by focusing on the ‘instinctive parenting strength’ within the social-environmental context as well as seeking the family’s own understanding of how the child’s needs are being met.

Can you use this tool?

In order to carry out Graded Care Profile 2 assessments, you are required to attend a full day of training. There will be a number of training sessions provided in Barnet to train practitioners to use this assessment tool, to better understand and respond to children who are experiencing neglect. There are a number of training sessions available throughout the year.

For more information, training dates and course bookings login to Barnet CPD Online. If you have any problems please email us at childrensworkforce@barnet.gov.uk.

Mental health and emotional wellbeing

If a child is in immediate danger please call 999

Emotional wellbeing means a lot of different things, for example being happy and confident and not anxious or depressed. As professionals working with children and young people we are always concerned about their safety and particularly their emotional wellbeing.

We want them to flourish and be able to do things for themselves, to be able to solve problems, manage their emotions, be resilient to life’s challenges, have good relationships with others and not exhibit behavioural issues, such as being disruptive, violent or bullying.

However, there are lots of reasons why some young people become emotionally unwell, for example, experiencing abuse, having poor relationships with people that are close to them, struggling to get on with people at school, living in challenging home conditions.  

Just as we all have physical health, we have mental health too. And just as our bodies can become unwell, so can our minds. Like physical illness, mental illness affects people of any age, race, religion or income.

Poor emotional health can lead to problems later in life. Did you know? 1 in 10 young people experience mental health problems

Even as professionals we do not always know where to look for help if we suspect that our children are going through a tough time, experiencing poor emotional wellbeing or mental health. Indeed some may feel that to ask for information, help or support reflects badly on them as parents, when the opposite true.

Line manager and colleagues have learned knowledge and are often an excellent starting point.

However should you wish to source additional knowledge or support then you could try Young Minds. They have lots of useful information and tips for children and young people and parents.

There are lots of simple, everyday ways we all can support a child or young person who may have emotional wellbeing or mental health problems. Small things can make a big difference – like being there to listen, keeping in touch and reminding them you care. 

Time to Change have produced a conversation starter which you might find helpful. Download the template and have a go. For more information and resources, visit the Time to Change website. 

In Barnet, there are local agencies and organisations that can provide support if you suspect children and young people of experiencing poor emotional wellbeing or if you are worried about their mental health. These include:

Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS): their website explains about the NHS services available and how families and professionals can make a referral.

Barnet - Local Offer gives information about services available for children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities and their families. 

If you feel the child or young person would prefer to talk to someone anonymously, interact with other young people who may be feeling the same in a moderated environment, or would like to read information for themselves, take a look at:

KOOTH – a free confidential online counselling service for Barnet 11-19 year olds. 

Childline – will support children and young people in a variety of ways, including by phone and by app. 

The Young Barnet Foundation holds a wealth of information on local charities that can offer support and advice to young people and families on emotional wellbeing.

Unborn protocol

The unborn protocol sets out guidance and locally agreed procedures to practitioners working with pregnant women in early help, health agencies and Children’s Social Care settings with the purpose of ensuring every unborn baby in need of support and protection is safeguarded through multi-agency assessment, planning and decision making as early in the pregnancy as possible.

There are a number of appendices to provide additional support and guidance:

• Appendix 1 Definitions and roles
• Appendix 2 Risk estimation matrix
• Appendix 3 Safeguarding pre and post birth plan
• Appendix 4 Pre birth assessment and intervention timeline
• Appendix 5 Pre birth assessment and post birth planning guidance
• Appendix 6 Assessment and change forum terms of reference
• Appendix 7 Agenda template for discharge planning
• Appendix 8 Discharge form for infants placed in foster care
• Appendix 9 Neonatal and maternity medical report
• Appendix 10 Nursing report

This protocol should be read in conjunction with:

• NICE guidance antenatal and postnatal mental health: clinical management and service guidance
• NICE guidance pregnancy and complex social factors overview
• NICE guidance pregnancy and complex social factors: a model for service provision for pregnant women with complex social factors
• Government inquiry into Hidden Harm

Radicalisation and Prevent

Radicalisation

Private fostering

If a child is in immediate danger please call 999

What is Private Fostering?

Private fostering is a private arrangement that is made between the parent and the person caring for the child.

A ‘privately fostered’ child is one aged under 16 (or under 18 years if they are disabled), who is cared for by an adult for more than 28 days who is not their:

• Parent
• Close relative, i.e. grandparent, brother, sister, uncle, aunt or step parent
• Legal guardian

 Privately fostered children could include:

• Adolescents that have to live away from their family as a result of separation, divorce or disputes at home
• Children who are living with somebody else because their parents are studying or working during unsociable hours
• Children sent to this country for education or health care opportunities by birth parents living overseas
• Cultural exchange students
• Refugee children or teenagers living with the family of a girlfriend or boyfriend
• Any child whose parents have made a private arrangement for them to be looked after by someone else

The law

The Children Act 1998 states that parents and private foster carers must notify their local council of the private fostering arrangement, ideally before the arrangement begins.

If you intend to, or are already caring for a child in a private arrangement, the law requires you to tell us six weeks before arrangement begins or immediately if the arrangement is in place. Parents and private foster carers who do not notify us would be breaking the law.

Barnet Council’s Family Services/Children Services has a duty to safeguard the welfare of all children in the borough. This includes privately fostered children.

Under this duty, we have to make sure that the child is being properly cared for, we will visit the child to monitor the care and give help and advice to the carer when it is needed.

What you must do if someone else is or will be looking after your child

If your child is due to be cared for by someone you have chosen to privately foster your child, you must

• Notify us at least six weeks before the arrangement commences. If your child is already living with the private foster carer then you must notify us immediately
• Ensure that the private fostering arrangement is safe for your child
• Agree on financial arrangements for your child
• Keep in regular contact with the private foster carer to make sure that your child is being looked after as you would wish
• If your child’s carer changes address, or if you decide to change carers you must notify us of this change immediately. If you do not notify us we will not be able to make sure your child is safe

Information you will need to give the private foster carer includes:

• Health details
• School details
• Ethnic and cultural background
• Eating preferences
• Hobbies
• Religion

This information will give the carer a clear understanding of your child’s needs, and will help them to look after your child properly.

Are you still able to make decisions regarding your child’s needs?

Yes, the private foster carer is only looking after your child on a day-to-day basis. You still have parental responsibility for your child and should continue to be involved in all important decisions concerning their development. This is why you need to keep in regular contact with your child and the private foster carer.

If you have any concerns regarding your child’s private fostering arrangement, in the first instance you should try and discuss this with the carer. If your concerns remain, then contact us and we will investigate further.

If you are planning to privately foster a child, you must:

• Make an arrangement with the parent about how the child should be cared for and uphold this agreement
• Inform us at least six weeks before the child comes to live with you
• Work with social workers to make sure that the child’s needs are fully assessed and met
• Allow social workers to carry out all the necessary checks
• Make an arrangement with the child’s parents about the type of information they would like to receive about their child and provide this information on a regular basis

Please note:

You are responsible for looking after the child on a day-to-day basis. The child’s parents maintain parental responsibility and by law the need to be involved in all decisions made about their child.

What information do I need to give to Family Services/Children Services?

When you contact us you must give us the following details:

• Personal details of the child
• Your name and address as the private foster carer
• The names of everyone aged over 16 living in your home

What is Barnet Family Services/Children Services responsible for?

We are responsible for making sure that all privately fostered children are well cared for and safe. We will do this by:

• Completing an assessment to ensure that these care arrangements meet the child’s needs
• Making compulsory police checks on the private foster carers and anyone aged over 16 living in that household
• Ensuring that the private foster carer receives the relevant support and advice required for looking after someone else’s child
• Ensuring the child’s educational, emotional, cultural and physical needs are met
• Helping parents and private foster carers to work together for the benefit of the child
• Taking action if the care provided is not satisfactory

We are not responsible for:

• The day to day care for your child
• Any financial dispute between the parents and the private foster carer

As a practitioner what must I do if I know of a privately fostered child?

If you are a practitioner working with children, it is important that you notify us if you are in contact with a child in private foster care, as this will ensure their safety against abuse or neglect and will also help ensure that the child is being cared for properly.

Privately Fostered children will come into contact with a range of professionals, for example they should be registered with a G.P. and if they are of school age then they should be attending school.

All practitioners have a responsibility to notify us if they believe a child they are in contact with is in a private fostering arrangement. The notification should include the name and address of the private foster carer.

Who do I need to contact?

MASH Team 

Tel: 020 8359 4066

Web: www.barnet.gov.uk/private-fostering

Email: mash@barnet.gov.uk

Homelessness reduction act

On the 1 October 2018 the Homeless Reduction Act brought in a new statutory duty for public bodies to refer cases that they see who are at risk or threatened with homelessness.

This includes the public bodies of the following organisations:

• Prisons
• Probation Services (including community rehabilitation companies)
• Youth Offender Institutions
• Youth Offending Teams
• Secure Training Centres
• Secure Colleges
• Jobcentre Plus
• Accident and Emergency Departments
• Urgent Treatment Centres
• Hospitals in their function of providing in-patient care
• Social Service Authorities.

The Ministry Of Housing Communities and Local Government has issued guidance for public bodies which can be accessed here.

Referrals to Barnet Homes Housing Options Service should be made via ALERT (https://live.housingjigsaw.co.uk/alert/duty-to-refer) or emailed to dutytorefer@barnet.gov.uk

The same referral process will also apply to any organisation wanting to refer a client for housing advice.

For any frontline team or public authorities that would like more information please contact Ian Helcke, Housing Service Manager at Ian.helcke@barnethomes.org.

Joint protocol for youth homelessness

If a child is in immediate danger please call 999

Barnet recognises the value that a strong and stable family life provides to young people aged 16/17, particularly in relation to the quality of their relationships, education, financial security, preparation for adulthood and positive health; this is widely supported by research which tells us that children and young people do better when they remain living within their own families.

As such, we will always strive to find ways to help young people remain living with their families by helping to repair relationships with their parents/carers or exploring other members of the family who might be able to offer the security of a stable home into adulthood.

We recognise that for some young people, this type of stability and security may not be available to them within their own families, and when this is the case we will assess their needs thoroughly in order to decide the type and level of accommodation and support that will need to be provided to them.

This protocol sets out Children’s Social Care and Housing Options joint procedure for responding to 16/17 year old homelessness. It covers what will happen from the point young people present asking for help to longer term support arrangements.

Our commitment is:

• To ensure that all young people approaching our services for help are treated fairly, with respect and with sensitivity to their age, understanding and individual backgrounds or circumstances
• To thoroughly assess a young person’s circumstances without prejudice
• To seek to find the best outcome for young people by listening to what they have to say and working in their best interests and in collaboration with them
• To maintain a professional and calm approach towards young people at all times
• To ensure that is safe for young people to return home
• To ensure that accommodation provided to young people is of a good quality
• To ensure that young people are escorted to their accommodation and helped to settle in and/or introduced to those that will be providing day to day support to them
• To listen to young people’s views and feedback about their experiences

You can find the full Barnet joint housing and children's social care protocol for homeless 16-17 year olds here.

Child protection information sharing

If a child is in immediate danger please call 999

CP-IS is now live in Barnet, this means that the Local Authority, and Health Partners (Barndoc Healthcare, The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, London Central & West Unscheduled Care Collaborative and Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust) now share information on current looked after children (LAC) and child protection (CP) cases as well as those that closed in the last 6 months electronically from the Children's Social Care system to Health systems.

What it is

The Child Protection - Information Sharing project (CP-IS) is connecting IT systems together so that local authorities and the NHS can share child protection information securely.

It means that when a child who is Looked After or on a Child Protection Plan attends an unscheduled care setting, like an emergency department or minor injury unit:

• The health team is alerted that they are on a plan and has access to the contact details for the social care team
• The social care team is automatically notified that the child has attended, and 
• Both parties can see details of the child's previous 25 visits to unscheduled care settings in England

This means that health and social care staff have a more complete picture of a child's interactions with health and social care services. This enables them to provide better care and earlier interventions for children who are considered vulnerable and at risk. 

CP-IS is currently being rolled out to local authorities and healthcare organisations across England.

How does it work?

• Every day, a limited amount of essential non-clinical information is uploaded automatically from Barnet's children’s social care systems to the NHS system.
• When a child is booked in at an unscheduled care setting that has CP-IS, staff are alerted that the child has a CPP or LAC status.
• Health staff are provided with contact details for the social care team responsible.
• The social care team is automatically alerted that the child has presented at an unscheduled care setting.
• Health and social care staff can see details of the child’s previous 25 visits to unscheduled care settings.

Benefits of CP-IS

Child Protection - Information Sharing (CP-IS) aims to improve outcomes for vulnerable children. But there are also benefits for Healthcare Teams and Children's Social Care Teams.

1. Early intervention - taking action to prevent or reduce future harm happening to children
   • Knowing the child protection status of the child contributes to a more holistic clinical assessment whilst in a healthcare setting. As a result, decisions can be made to seek intervention earlier. With instant access to CP-IS information, communication with the appropriate social worker can take place quickly leading to a better outcome for the child.
   • The social worker is notified immediately that a child in their care has presented at an unscheduled care setting. The social worker has knowledge of the child and family and can assess whether an intervention is required to achieve a good outcome for the child.

2. Improved safety and care - doing the best when children need help
   • CP-IS is a national system. Health staff can see vital information about children based anywhere in England. Social care staff can see if a child in their care attends an unscheduled care setting anywhere in the country.
   • Health and social care staff are provided with each other's contact details so they are able to work more closely together. Sharing information will support better decision making about the child's care.
   • Health staff in unscheduled care settings have more reliable checks and the risk of missing a child who is known to a local authority is reduced. In addition, a flagged vulnerable child is more likely to see a senior clinician ensuring a senior overview of the child's care.

3. Increased workforce efficiency and effectiveness - doing the most for children with the resources we have
   • Child Protection - Information Sharing replaces manual processes, thus freeing up resources to be used elsewhere. The process is automated and information is sent to the NHS Spine daily ensuring child's data is always up to date and current.

Click here for information sharing advice for practitioners.