Escalation of Concerns and Professional Disagreements about Decisions, including Convening an ICPC

Disagreements over the handling of concerns reported to Children's Services typically occur when:

• The referred needs are not considered to require a Child & Family assessment;
• Children's Services conclude that further information should be sought by the referrer before the referral is progressed;
• Other professionals have concerns about a case being stepped down or closed;
• Disagreement exists about the justification for convening an Initial Child Protection Conference;
• Other professionals disagree with Children's Services' decision not to convene an Initial Child Protection Conference.

There is a clear expectation that any differences of opinion are resolved at practitioner level. Only if the professionals are unable to resolve differences through discussion and/or meeting within a time scale that is acceptable to both based on the risk to the child/ren, their disagreement must be escalated and addressed by more experienced / more senior staff. This should be referred to the Team Manager initially, then Service Manager, and then Head of Service for the relevant Service Area.

Where a professional in any agency has concerns about the response of another agency, it is expected that the individual professional will take responsibility for raising those concerns through their line management and across to other agencies in accordance with these procedures within one working day.

With respect to most day-to-day difficulties this will require a Team Manager liaising with her/his equivalent in the relevant agency, e.g.:

• A detective sergeant in the Joint Child Protection Investigation Team;
• A senior health visitor / named nurse for organisation / GP;
• A named/Designated Senior Person.

If agreement cannot be reached following discussions between the above 'first line' managers (who should normally seek advice from Designated /named / Lead Officer/ Principal Officers) the issue must be referred through the line management structure detailed above and their counterparts. Each escalation will be responded to within one working day.

Clear records of any discussions and the outcomes of discussions must be maintained by all the agencies involved.

In the unlikely event that matters cannot be resolved by exhausting the above processes, the issue should be escalated as a matter of urgency to the HSCP Independent Scrutineer (if applicable via the agency’s* strategic board representative or otherwise via the HSCP Service Manager) who can determine what further responses (if any) are justifiable and proportionate.

_{*agency refers to any partner in Hertfordshire including statutory, voluntary and faith group.}

Working Together to Safeguard Children states:

‘If a local authority children’s social care decides not to proceed with a child protection conference, then other professionals involved with the child and family have the right to request that local authority children’s social care convene a conference, if they have serious concerns that a child’s welfare may note be adequately safeguarded. As a last resort the LSCP should have in place a quick and straight forward means of resolving differences of opinion.'

When Children’s Services decide not to convene an Initial Child Protection Conference (ICPC), a professional of another agency may request a Conference be convened if (s)he has serious concerns that a child's welfare may not otherwise be adequately safeguarded. Any such request should normally be agreed, in line the processes within this chapter.

If the matter is not quickly resolved through discussion, the professional who is challenging the Children’s Services decision must put his/her reasons for doing so, in writing, to the Children’s Services manager responsible for the decision within 1 working day. The Children’s Services Manager should usually give full information about the reasons for his/her decision in writing to that professional within 1 working day, before the matter is escalated to more senior managers (see Appendix 1: Other Professional Disputes Children's Services Flowchart). Some professionals should not be given this information, without the consent of the parent(s) for example, a privately employed health or education professional, or a professional member of a church or

The whole process to any final decision should be completed within 72 hours.

Click here to view Appendix 1: Escalations of Concerns for Convening ICPC Flowchart.

Please also see the Hertfordshire Social Work Procedures Manual, Case Escalation Process.

Click here to view Escalation of Concerns and Professional Disagreements About Decisions Flowchart.

Click here to view Appendix 2: Escalation of Concerns - Health Services.