Following the recent case of Khyra Ishaq and subsequent press coverage about missing children and child protection this item describes ways in which practitioners are supported in protecting vulnerable children from harm.
To read more on the case please go to the BBC web site
Decommissioning ContactPoint: The aim within the scope for a new approach is to support key practitioners to help protect vulnerable children from harm using a signposting approach, particularly, when children move across local authority boundaries, or access services in more than one area. Professor Eileen Munroe is to conduct an independent review to improve child protection at the front line and to report back to the government with final recommendations in April 2011.
The electronic enablement of the Common Assessment Framework (eCAF) will be continued although changes will be made. Schools and local authority’s will therefore still be making referrals for those children who they perceive as needing additional support through multi-agency working.
Missing Children: 100,000 children go missing every year, ranging from ‘abducted babies’ ,‘runaway teenagers’, ‘forced marriages’ most are found within 48 hours some are not.
Child Protection: Schools are encouraged to be aware, to recognise the ‘signs’. Most local authorities organise training for school staff on child protection awareness and policies are in place to ensure that relevant procedures are followed.
Children’s Right to Education: The Human Rights Act 1998 Article 2. Children have a right to education from the age of five. Parents can home educate their children and are not obliged to follow the national curriculum. Parents are not legally required to inform the local authority, unless their child has been attending a special school. In these circumstances additional permission is required before removing chid from the school register. Parents are also not required to inform the authority if there is a change of circumstances – for example change of address. Protocols exist – whereby schools should inform the local authority if they receive notification that parent is removing a child from roll and make every attempt together with the local authority to ensure that child is receiving education elsewhere. For example if the child is moving to a new school the child’s records are forwarded. If parents are home educating then the Local Authority should take responsibility for ensuring that the child is accessing education, but their representatives have no automatic right of access to the home.
Exclusions: The exclusion legislation ensures that schools follow statutory guidance when imposing the exclusion sanction. Children must be educated in an educational institution from the sixth-day (arranged by the excluding school in partnership with other providers in the authority), whereas, Local Authorities are responsible for providing education for permanently excluded children from the sixth day. Children are removed from the excluding school roll only when due process is complete. This entails a formal hearing by the governing body discipline panel, if the Governing Body uphold the head teacher’s decision to exclude. If the Parent appeals the local authority will arrange for an Independent Appeal Panel to review the case. The panel has the power to reinstate or uphold the governing body’s decision. The IAP decision is final and if they uphold the decision the child’s name is removed from the school roll.
Duty to Protect: Duties are placed on schools and local authorities to ensure the wellbeing of children and their right to education and for most parents the wellbeing and education of their children is paramount. However, there are occasions when this is not the case and children are ‘at risk’. To protect those vulnerable children perhaps further consideration should be directed to ensuring those children are monitored (through better informed information exchange of front line professionals). In circumstances where appropriate the power of the courts should be such that they can empower local authorities to act quickly in the child’s best interests. Too often we learn of long delays in court hearings to enable the removal of children at risk. It will be interesting to see the outcome of Professor Eileen Munroe’s investigation and her final recommendations.
Following recent press coverage about missing children and child protection this item describes ways in which practitioners are supported in protecting vulnerable children from harm
