News

Draft London-wide child protection guidelines designed to reduce inconsistencies in practice across the capital and to improve inter-agency working have been published, writes Lauren Revans.

The guidelines, published at the launch of the new pan-London child protection committee, are intended to replace locally negotiated inter-agency or inter-borough protocols currently found within individual area child protection committee’s guidance and procedures.

The need for the London committee and guidelines was identified by an audit of the capital’s ACPCs, commissioned by the Metropolitan police force, which revealed totally different working practices across the 32 boroughs.

The findings, combined with the evidence coming out of the public inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie, highlighted the need for a more sophisticated system to deal with child protection issues across London.

The new committee’s aims include:

- securing consistency by all agencies

- providing strategic leadership

- disseminating and ensuring adoption of best practice by all member organisations

- leading the development of multi-agency training

and influencing the development of policy relating to child protection issues.

Committee members include Carole Howlett deputy assistant commissioner for the Metropolitan police, Moira Gibb, former president of the Association of Directors of Social Services, John Bacon, regional director of health and social care, a senior officer from the DoH regional London Office, and representatives from the voluntary sector.

The guidelines will be officially launched in October after a three-month consultation period, but would not be finalised until after the publication of Lord Laming’s final report on the Climbie inquiry.