Child Protection Conferences

"Signs of Safety" approach to child protection

​​​​Kingston and Richmond Safeguarding Children Partnership (KRSCP) and its partners has adopted the "Signs of Safety" (SoS) approach to working with families where there are concerns about children's safety.

This approach aims to work with the strengths and resources that exist within families to build safety for children who have suffered, or are at risk of suffering, significant harm of physical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect.

The SoS approach considers information about the child and their family across a number of areas, for example:

• Why are we worried about this child?
• What are the dangers / risks?
• What are the complicating factors or grey areas?
• What is working well in terms of existing strengths?
• What is working well in terms of existing safety measures that are in place?
• How worried are we on a scale of 0 to 10?
• What outcomes (or goals) do we need to have to build safety for the child?
• What needs to happen to make the necessary changes to achieve this outcome?

A number of tools and resources have been developed including:

• Multi agency Conference report form
• Guidance for schools

Professionals from partner agencies who need to submit a multi agency report for a scheduled child protection conference should do so using the secure AfC email addresses: child.protection@rbk.kingston.gov.uk.cjsm.net 

All other general enquiries regarding arrangements for child protection conferences should be made to: childprotectionconferences@achievingforchildren.org.uk 

Useful Information:

Guidance for education professionals filling in ‘Signs of Safety’
report

Child Protection Mutli-Agency Report Template June 2019

Letter of Intention to partners regarding child protections
conferences May 2019

Appreciative Inquiry Document

Video - Child Protection Conferences Explained

East Cheshire KRSCP has produced this helpful film for children and young people about Child protection Conferences. In Kingston and Richmond, all children aged over 11 years as invited to attend some of their Conference.  Please click here to watch.

Information about  local Contextual Safeguarding and Exploitation Conferences is here:
https://kr.afcinfo.org.uk/pages/community-information/information-and-advice/quality-assurance-and-review-service/child-protection-conferences/contextual-safeguarding-and-exploitation-conference-pilot