Outline child protection plan

An outline child protection plan will be drawn up during an initial child protection conference, when it is decided that a plan needs to be put in place. This is because of concern that the child is at risk of significant harm.

Within 10 days, the outline plan will be developed into a detailed child protection plan. This will be done by the core group (a small number of professionals and family members who were at the child protection conference). The core group is usually led by the child’s social worker.

The outline child protection plan should:

• Identify clearly the type of harm that the child is likely to suffer.
• Set out the specific actions that are needed to protect the child.
• Set out how the child will be cared for.
• Make clear who (i.e. which professional, service or family member) is responsible for doing what to protect the child, and within what timescale.