The government's policy of having social workers who investigate child protection cases chair conferences is wrong as it undermines impartiality, say practitioners.
As part of the the Department for Education's (DfE) children's social care reforms, lead child protection practitioners (LCPPs), a new specialist cohort of social workers, will both carry out child protection enquiries and chair subsequent case conferences.
This is despite the Working Together to Safeguard Children statutory guidance stating that the conference chair should be "independent of operational and/or line management responsibilities for the case".
The DfE has argued that the independence of the conference chair role will be preserved because the case-holder will be another social worker, the family help lead practitioner, not the LCPP.
‘Dual role undermines impartiality’
However, child protection expert Eileen Munro has expressed doubt about whether LCPPs can effectively combine investigating cases with chairing conferences.And in an article for Community Care, safeguarding consultant Amy Eyers argued that the policy undermined the impartiality of the chair's role.
Only 11% backed the DfE's policy, on the grounds the chair’s direct knowledge of the case would prove beneficial, while another 11% thought it could be acceptable if safeguards were in place to ensure objectivity.
‘The independence of the chair is essential’
Some social workers, in comments under Eyers' article, also highlighted the risks of undermining the independence of the conference chair.Tahmeena Hussain argued that independent chairs brought a fresh, critical perspective removed from that of professionals directly involved in the case.
“Diluting this independence removes a key ‘critical friend’ and encourages group thinking," she said.
"Furthermore, families must feel empowered to commit to change. If they enter a conference feeling prejudged, their willingness to participate, trust the process and find motivation to change is severely undermined.”
Another social worker said the new approach would undermine “professionalism, integrity and inherent underpinning values and beliefs of children's social workers who work to protect and care for our children’s safety and protection”.
‘We need to ensure progress is not lost’
Judith Beddow, who was among the first cohort of independent chairs in her area in the 1990s, recalled the time when team managers chaired their own team’s case conferences.“Judgments made about families were not challenged and parents had minimal input and zero power,” she said.
“Over the years, the chairing job has changed from one simply of oversight and ensuring compliance to be much more focused on the child’s experience and future life chances. However we move forward, it will be important to ensure that all that progress is not lost.”
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