New London-wide child protection committee launched

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.