Briefing for Professionals

HAVE YOUR SAY…

About what Child Protection means to you.

2014

Contents

Quick guide for facilitators / Page 3 - 4
Key professional* checklist / Page 5
Briefing for young people & parents / Page 6

Appendix

Young Person Capture Sheet
Form 1 / Page 7
Page 8
Form 2 – monitoring form / Page 9
Activity Day Booking Form (Colchester) / Attachment
Activity Day Booking Form (Chelmsford)
Activity Day Information Leaflet
Child Protection Leaflet for Young People / Attachment
Attachment
Attachment

* A ‘Key Professional’ is anyone working with a young person and is included, and attends, the young person’s child protection Core Group meetings or Child in Need Meetings.

Quick guide for Key Professional

Who and what is ‘HAVE YOUR SAY about what Child Protection in Essex means to you’ project for?

This project is for children and young people aged 8 – 17 years who are living in Essex and are subject of a Child Protection Plan, or have previously been subject of a Child Protection Plan within the last year (since August 2013), to give their views on defined themes relating to Child Protection services in Essex.

The project is asking for young people to feedback on one or more of the following themes:

·  Feeling Safer

·  Meetings about Me

·  Being Involved in Decisions

·  Making Child Protection Plans

·  People that help me

How are views collected?

Young people are asked to provide their views however they choose. For example, they could write a story, write a letter, write a rap or song, or draw a picture.

Some young people may need more help to contribute or want to take part in a group setting to do this. There will be two activity twilight groups provided on:

27 NOVEMBER 2014 – Stanway Youth Centre, Colchester (5 – 8pm)

28 NOVEMBER 2014 – Chelmer Gate, Chelmsford (5 – 8pm)

There will be activities there that will support the young person to participate in lots of creative ways, there will be film or music workshops, art sessions, and there will be a Child Protection Chair available to talk to.

What is my role?

You are the Key Professional. There must be a key professional supporting all contributions made by a young person should they choose to participate.

The project is open to all children and young people as mentioned above, but due to the sensitivity of the subject matter it is important that professionals identify who is best to, 1) approach the young person about sharing their views; 2) support them to collect their views, and/or attend the activity day, and submit contributions. This should be done as a discussion within the, Child’s meeting, Child or Young Person’s Child In Need Meeting, Core Group Meeting, or Team Around the Child Meeting, it must include a discussion and consent from the parent.

1.  All children must have a key professional overseeing and supporting their contributions.

2.  In all cases of children consulted Form 1 and Form 2 must be completed and returned (see Appendix).

3.  Use the checklist in this pack and ensure you have completed all the steps

4.  All young people attending the Activity Days must attend with a professional.

5.  All contributions will be treated as anonymous, the contribution made by the young person is purely for the purposes of this project and therefore the key professional must respect this and not share work completed by the young person with other parties.

When and Where are contributions sent?

All contributions must be sent between 1st November 2014 and 1st December 2014. Use the plastic wallet provided and ‘Capture Sheet - sticker’ (see Appendix if accessing this pack via electronic means) to detail what theme the young person is referring to.

Please send to:

CLARE LIVENS, FREEPOST, THE INVOLVEMENT TEAM

ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL

PO BOX 11, COUNTY HALL

CHELMSFORD, CM1 2BR

If the young person attends the Activity Day then all contributions will be collected on the day and sent for you.

Unfortunately no contributions will be returned to the young person.

A thank you to young people?

All young people who have contributed will receive an Accredited Certificate which will acknowledge the commitment and time spent sharing their views and opinions on a very important matter.

Contributions may be published (booklet or website) or displayed within Essex. All contributions will be anonymous and have no identifying material. Contributions will be analysed to provide a report to the ESCB, Quality Assurance and Safeguarding Team, Involvement Team and Professional Standards and Auditing Service. This report will feed into the development of the 2015/16 Strategy and Action Plan, for the involvement of children and young people in child protection services.

Make it safe

Make sure the young person knows that they can talk to you, or their social worker, later in private or in a discussion at another time. If you become concerned about what someone is saying please follow the Southend, Essex and Thurrock (SET) Child Protection Procedures. Ensure the young person is aware that if they say anything that makes you believe that they or someone else is at risk of significant harm you will follow this up appropriately.

Queries: If you have any questions or queries then please contact:

·  Clare Livens (Child Protection Coordinator – Essex Family Operations)

033301 37615

·  Clare James (Child In Need Reviewing Officer – Essex Family Operations) 07765242480

· 

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Key Professional’s checklist

Prior to supporting young person

o Group discussion, identify if young person qualifies to contribute, who will act as Key Professional? Parent and social worker (if applicable) must be involved in discussion.

o Familiarise yourself with the ‘Capture Sheet’ and themes.

Approaching the young person for contribution

o Identify if the young person wants to take part.

o Go through the ‘Capture Sheet’ and ‘Briefing Sheet for young people and parents’ with the young person

o Complete FORM 1 and FORM 2 (see Appendix).

o Form 1: IF young person answers ‘no’ they do not know how to make a formal complaint, ensure they are provided with a copy of Essex complaints procedure.

o IF young person does not want to take part, RETURN FORM 1 & 2 then no further action required. IF young person does wish to participate follow steps below:

o Use ‘capture sheet’; which theme do they want to explore and how will they do this?

o Plan with the young person sessions to undertake work (they can choose to do in their own time but arrangements must be made to meet with them to discuss their contribution).

o Identify if they would like to attend the Activity Day (if so complete Booking Form).

o If young person chooses to attend Activity Day ensure you (or an appropriate professional is available to attend with the young person and make plans with young person to do this.

After work is completed

o Ensure contribution identifies the chosen ‘theme/s’ e.g. Feeling Safe.

o Send/deliver contribution with attached capture sheet, plus FORM 1 and FORM 2.

o Ensure the young person is aware that they will receive a certificate (and make sure they do receive it). Certificates should be received by all participants by 19 December 2014.

Thank you for supporting the ‘Have Your Say About Child Protection’ project.

Briefing for young people and parents.

The purpose of the project is to hear and understand the views of children and young people who have been subject of Child Protection in Essex, to hear about young peoples’ experiences and to understand what is helpful and what is not helpful.

We recognise that this might be a difficult subject and if you would like to talk to me (or your social worker) about the subject on a 1:1 basis please let me know at any time.

We don’t want to hear personal stories or stories about people you know this activity is about improving services and want to get lots of good ideas about how to do this.

Don’t have to take part if you do not want to this is a voluntary activity but if you do take part then you will get a thank you with an Accredited Certificate.

There is no right or wrong answers for this activity this is a project where you can give your views, we want to know what you think is good as well as things which you don’t think are good.

Young Person Capture Sheet:

FORM 1:

Young Person’s Name:
Date:
Name & position of Key Professional:
Yes / No
I am happy to take part in this project and I understand why I am taking part
I understand that:
·  My contribution may be published or displayed but my name and details will not be shown.
·  What I say will inform reports about young people’s experiences of Child Protection but my name and details will not be mentioned.
·  My creation will not be returned to me.
·  I will receive an Accredited Certificate for sending any contributions.
I know that if I describe things that mean I or other people are not safe, the social work team will be asked to help. I will be told if this should happen.
Please tick yes if you would like to be contacted to give your views in other ways in the future, such as face to face or group work.
If you are unhappy about the service you have received, do you know how to make a formal complaint?

Young person: Signed:………………………………… (printed)…………………………………..

Facilitator: Signed:…………………………………(printed)…………………………………..

DATA PROTECTION: Under the Data Protection Act we have a legal duty to protect any information we collect from you. This information will only be used for the purposes described and hard copies will not be kept longer than is necessary to do so, up to a maximum of two years. We will not share your personal details with another agency unless we have concerns that you or another individual may be at risk of harm.

PARENTS CONSENT:

I am happy for ……………………………………..to take part in this project and I understand why they are taking part.

Signed……………………………… (print name) ………………………………

FORM 2: Monitoring Sheet

Personal Details

Full name: ……….……………...... Date:......

Age:…………….... Date of Birth: …………./….……./……..……. Gender: ………………... Home town: ………………………………….…. School …………………..…………………………

Ethnicity:

7

Involvement Team

Involvement Monitoring Form

q  White British

q  White Irish

q  White Other

q  Gypsy / Roma

q  Traveller of Irish Heritage

q  Black or Black British African

q  Black or Black British Caribbean

q  Mixed White/Black African

q  Mixed White/Black Caribbean

q  Black Other

q  Asian or Asian British Pakistani

q  Asian or Asian British Indian

q  Asian or Asian British Other

q  Mixed White/Asian

q  Asian Other

q  Chinese

q  Mixed Other

q  Not Known

q  Other (please state)

______

2007-2008 Emergency Planning

Involvement Team

Involvement Monitoring Form

Religion/Faith:

2007-2008 Emergency Planning

Involvement Team

Involvement Monitoring Form

q  Christian

q  Muslim

q  Hindu

q  Buddhist

q  Sikh

q  Jewish

q  None

q  Not sure

q  Other (please state)

2007-2008 Emergency Planning

Involvement Team

Involvement Monitoring Form

______

Do you consider yourself to have a physical or sensory impairment?

q  No

q  Yes Details: ______

Do you consider yourself to have a learning difficulty or disability?

q  No

q  Yes Details: ______

2007-2008 Emergency Planning