Cambridgeshire Escalatin Plicy - Reslutin f Prfessinal Disagreements in Safeguarding Wrk This plicy was revised in Octber 2013 in respnse t the findings frm LSCB case reviews in Cambridgeshire and Wrking Tgether What is Escalatin? Escalatin is the curse f actin that shuld be taken by prfessinals where there are cncerns that the child r yung persn s safety is cmprmised and the current actin f ther agencies des nt supprt effective safeguarding f the child r yung persn. Cntents 1. Key Principles 2. Plicy 3. Escalatin Plicy fr Prfessinals with Safeguarding r Child Welfare Cncerns Flwchart 1. Key Principles It is every prfessinal s respnsibility t safeguarding children and t act in their best interests. This means that they shuld prblem slve where required in rder t supprt effective multi-agency safeguarding wrk. It is als the respnsibility f all prfessinals t present a challenge t the actins and decisins f ther agencies where they believe they have evidence t suggest that the child s develpment r their safety may be cmprmised. Rbust prfessinal challenge can be facilitated thrugh cnsistent cmmunicatin and infrmatin sharing between agencies, and thrugh clear plans fr children and families. Prfessinals shuld knw wh in the multi-agency netwrk is invlved with the child, yung persn and their family. The aim must be t reslve a prfessinal disagreement at the earliest pssible stage, as swiftly as pssible, always keeping in mind that the child and yung persn s safety and welfare is paramunt.
2. Plicy The Cambridgeshire Lcal Safeguarding Bard is clear that there must be respectful challenge whenever a prfessinal r agency has a cncern abut the actin r inactin f anther. Similarly agencies/prfessinals shuld nt be defensive if challenged. Practitiners and managers shuld always be prepared t review decisins and plans with an pen mind and revise decisins in the light f new infrmatin. 1. Prblem reslutin is an integral part f prfessinal cperatin and jint wrking t safeguard children; 2. Prfessinal disagreement requires reslutin in a cnstructive and timely fashin; 3. At n time must prfessinal disagreement distract frm ensuring the child is safe. The child s welfare and safety must remain paramunt thrughut. 4. Differing pinins culd arise in a number f areas, but are mst likely t arise as a result f differing views f threshlds, lack f understanding f rles and respnsibilities, the need fr actin and cmmunicatin. Examples where the cncerns abut the child shuld prmpt actin are given belw althugh this list is nt exhaustive. A referral is nt cnsidered t meet eligibility criteria fr assessment by Children s Scial Care, fr example, several lw level cncerns; A prfessinal is cncerned abut the actin and inactin f anther prfessinal in relatin t a child r family member. There is disagreement between prfessinals as t the curse f actin in an pen case. Examples f this might include whether there shuld be an Initial Child Prtectin cnference, r whether a case shuld be clsed There is disagreement ver the sharing f infrmatin and/r prvisin f services; Disagreements ver the utcme f any assessment and whether the apprpriate plan is in place t safeguard and prmte the welfare f the child. The aim shuld be t reslve difficulties at practitiner level between agencies if necessary with the invlvement f their supervisrs r managers, engaging in pen discussin with clleagues in ther agencies.
5. It shuld be recgnised that differences in status and/r knwledge and experience may affect the cnfidence f sme wrkers in making a challenge. All prfessinals they shuld always seek the advice and supprt f the safeguarding lead in their rganisatin (see list belw) 6. Attempts at reslutin must be within a time frame which clearly prtects the child r children; fr example, differences f pinin cncerning the pssible nnaccidental injury f an infant/yung child must be reslved immediately; 7. If unreslved, the prblem shuld be referred t the wrker s wn line manager, wh will discuss with their ppsite number in the ther agency. Sme examples f agencies wrking primarily with children and families are given belw: Scial Wrker Cnsultant Scial Wrker Grup Manager Head f Service Service Directr Early Help Service Wrker Team Manager District Manager -Head f Service Children Service Assistant Directr Service Directr Health Visitr - Lcality Safeguarding Children Nurse and the Lcality Lead fr the HV s gegraphical area Named nurse fr Safeguarding, Cambridgeshire Cmmunity Services Chief Nurse Midwife - Supervisr f Midwives and/r Named Midwife fr Safeguarding Children Acute Trust; GP - NHS Named Dctr and/r Named Nurse Safeguarding Children Deputy Designated Nurse fr Safeguarding (Clinical Cmmissining grup); Paediatric Staff - sister and/r Names Nurse Safeguarding Children fr Acute Trust; Hspital Dctr - Named Dctr and/r Named Nurse Safeguarding Children Acute Trust; CAMHS / Cmmunity Mental Health Team - Named Prfessinal Cambridgeshire and Peterbrugh Fundatin Trust (Mental Health Trust); Member f schl staff - Designated Persn fr Child Prtectin Lead Designated Persn fr Child Prtectin/Headteacher Educatin Child Prtectin Service Educatin Safeguarding Manager. The Lead Designated Persn fr Child Prtectin/Headteacher shuld seek advice frm the Educatin Child Prtectin Service and if it remains unreslved discuss with the Educatin Safeguarding Manager.
Plice- within the specialist Child Abuse Investigatin team, the management tree is Detective Cnstable (DC) Detective Sergeant (DS) Detective Inspectr Detective Chief Inspectr Detective Superintendent, Public Prtectin In the case f service wrking with adults, the manager f the prfessinal / service invlved shuld be the first pint f cntact. Specifically fr key services: Fr Addactin (Adult alchl treatment service) that is the manager f the service Directr f Operatins (Lead fr Safeguarding) Fr Inclusin (Adult drug treatment service) that is the manager f the service Named nurse fr Staffrd and Suth Staffs Fundatin Trust (prvider f service) NB Appendix ne prvides the names and cntacts f the key named safeguarding rles named in the agencies abve fr reslutin f difficulties at a mre senir level. 8. Failure t reslve disagreements between Line Managers must be further escalated, by the Line Managers cncerned. Senir Managers will, if and as necessary, be required t intervene; 9. At any pint in the prcess that it is required, advice shuld be sught directly frm the Designated Prfessinal, Named Prfessinal in the agency. 10. If there is n reslutin, the Independent Chair f the LSCB shuld be infrmed in line with the Reslutin f Prfessinal Differences prcess 11. A clear recrd shuld be kept at all stages, by all parties. In particular this must include written cnfirmatin between the parties abut an agreed utcme f the disagreement and hw any utstanding issues will be pursued. 12. Any prfessinal can request that a CP Cnference is cnvened by cntacting the Service Manager fr Safeguarding and Standards Unit.
13. 14. 3. Escalatin Plicy fr Prfessinals with Safeguarding r Child Welfare Cncerns Flwchart When a prfessinal disagrees with a decisin r respnse frm any agency regarding a child prtectin r welfare cncern and initial attempts t reslve the prblem have failed. Prfessinal discusses with manager/named lead fr safeguarding in his/her wn agency, and actin agreed Manager/Named Prfessinals/ Safeguarding Advisr Referring Agency discusses cncern/respnse with the ppsite number in the agency In schls The designated persn will refer t the Headteacher Named prfessinal advises cncerned prfessinal f utcme at this stage The Designated Lead fr Safeguarding will liaise with his/her equivalent lead fficer immediately n becming aware f the situatin, enabling the decisin t be discussed at a Senir Management level as apprpriate and actin agreed If the Designated Leads fr Safeguarding (Headteacher in schl), are unable t agree n a decisin, they will infrm the CCC Head f Service fr Partnerships and Quality Assurance in rder that the matter can be reviewed. Designated Leads fr Safeguarding feed back t prfessinals with riginal cncerns. Cnsider a Learning and Imprvement activity via QEG r SCR t ensure lessns are learned