Child Protection Procedures - East Ayrshire Council

4.18 Key worker
4.18.1 A key worker should be appointed in respect of each child on the
Child Protection Register. The key worker should always be a social
worker from the Social Work Department. The identity of the key
worker should, where possible, be known to all concerned at the
Initial Child Protection Case Conference.
4.18.2 The key worker is responsible for the professional social work
management of the case, and for being the focal point of
communication about it.
4.18.3 A key worker is responsible for ensuring that all professionals who
have responsibility for or who are in direct contact with the child, are
aware that the child is on the Child Protection Register and of the
content of the Child Protection Plan. It is the responsibility of the key
worker to report any significant changes in the child’s life to other
professionals and to his/her line management, e.g. change of school
or change of address.
4.18.4 In some exceptional cases the key worker may not be the most
appropriate person to work with a child or his family, and someone
else such as a Health Visitor or Teacher – may be better placed to
work with or monitor the situation. However, even when this situation
arises a key worker should be appointed as described above and
with the same responsibilities.
4.19 Decisions made by Children’s Hearings or Courts which are Inconsistent
with the Decisions made at the Child Protection Case Conference
4.19.1 If a Children’s Hearing or Court makes a decision which appears to
be inconsistent with a recommendation of a Child Protection Case
Conference the matter should be reported to the Service Unit
Manager (Children and Families) who should consider the need for a
further Child Protection Case Conference. All such instances should
be notified promptly to the Principal Officer (Children and Families
and Criminal Justice) who should consider the need for a further
Child Protection Case Conference.
4.20 Protection Plans
Consideration should be given to seeking legal advice.
4.20.1 Every child on the Child Protection Register must, by definition, be
the subject of a Child Protection Plan. Such plans are essentially
multi-disciplinary in nature. Their specific objectives are:
(a)
To ensure the future protection of the child by eliminating
or minimising the risk of abuse or neglect
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