Core groups

The core group are those who work directly with the child and family. The first core group should be arranged within 15 days of the Child Protection Planning Meeting, thereafter core groups should be held up to every eight weeks. However, if the level of risk is assessed as requiring more regular meetings these should take place to ensure robust oversight of the Child Protection Plan. The Chair of the Child Protection Planning Meeting will determine how often core groups will be held.

Membership of the core group will be agreed at the Child Protection Planning Meeting. Consideration should be given to inviting the following:

• The child
• Parents, carers and family members including all those with parental responsibility
• Support person or advocate for the child and/or family
• Other Social Work practitioners essential to the formation of the plan
• Foster Carers
• Education staff
• Primary and acute health professionals, or Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services if appropriate
• Adult mental health services/ recovery services where appropriate
• Third sector organisations supporting children and families
• Housing/support workers

They are responsible for implementing, monitoring and reviewing the Child Protection Plan, in partnership with children and parents.

Social Work are responsible for convening and chairing the meeting. The meeting will be chaired by the Team Manager. The Team Manager will produce a record of the meeting and send to all participants within 5 days of the core group.

Members of the core group have joint responsibility for:

• Ensuring progress against specified outcomes for the child as identified in the Child Protection Plan
• Attending core group meetings and reviewing progress to ensure that there is no drift in achieving the aims of the Child Protection Plan
• Coordinating the contacts and the frequency of visits specified in the Child Protection Plan
• Ongoing analysis of the risk of harm to the child and information shared with all core group members
• Keeping a record of the outcome of the meeting within their own agency recording systems
• Individually and collectively identifying any escalating concerns and putting in place contingency plans when required The core group Chair must convey any significant changes to the Child Protection Planning Meeting Chair immediately or at the latest within 3 calendar days

The core group prior to the review Child Protection Planning Meeting needs to make the decision about whether or not to recommend continued registration to the Child Protection Planning Meeting.