This chapter should be read in conjunction with the procedures set out in Part 3 of this Manual, which relate to the Management of Individual Cases.
For more detailed guidance on this issue, see the Home Office and Department of Health 2002 Guidance “Complex Child Abuse Investigations: Inter Agency Issues”.
Complex (organised or multiple) abuse may be defined as abuse involving one or more abusers and a number of related or non-related abused children. The abusers concerned may be acting in concert to abuse children, sometimes acting in isolation or may be using an institutional framework or position of authority to recruit children for abuse.
Such abuse occurs both as part of a network of abuse across a family or community and within institutions such as residential settings, in day care and in other provisions such as youth services, sports clubs and voluntary groups. There may also be cases of children being abused via the use of the Internet.
Each investigation of organised or multiple abuse will be different, according to the characteristics of each situation and the scale and complexity of the investigation. But all will require thorough planning, good inter-agency working and attention to the welfare needs of the child victim or adult survivor involved.
Complex abuse occurs both as part of a network of abuse across a family or community, and within institutions such as residential homes or schools. Such abuse is profoundly traumatic for the children who become involved. Its investigation is time-consuming and demanding work requiring specialist skills from both police and social work staff.
Some investigations become extremely complex because of the number of places and people involved, and the timescale over which abuse is alleged to have occurred. In these circumstances a specialist Investigation Management Group (see Section 7, The Investigation Management Group), as well as a Strategic Management Group (see Section 6, The Strategic Management Group) may be set up.
The complexity is heightened where, as in historical cases, the alleged victims are no longer living in the setting where the incidents occurred or where the alleged perpetrators are also no longer linked to the setting or employment role. These will all need to be taken into consideration when working with a child.
The confidentiality of the information relevant to any Section 47 Enquiry and criminal investigation must be strictly maintained by those involved and must not be disclosed to others, including others within the agency, unless absolutely necessary.
The most important consideration is the safety and well-being of the child or children. This must be supported by the processes of assessment, investigation and any subsequent Court action. In reconciling the difference between the standard of evidence required for child protection purposes and the standard required for criminal proceedings, emphasis must be given to the protection of the children as the prime consideration.
The investigation and enquiries must also address the racial, religious, cultural, language, sexual orientation and gender needs of the child, together with any special needs of the child arising from illness or disability.
When receiving information that may indicate organised or multiple abuse, the recipient should immediately refer the matter to the Police and a manager in the Children’s Social Care Services.
If there is any suspicion that any senior managers currently employed by a social care agency or the Police are implicated, the matter must be referred to the Chair of the Walsall Safeguarding Children Board or in his/her absence, the Vice-Chair and a Senior Officer within the Police.
A Strategy Meeting must take place, chaired by a senior manager, within 5 working days of the receipt of the referral and be formally recorded.
The nominated senior staff of Children’s Social Care Services and the Police must attend the meeting. The meeting will also involve senior staff from Health, Education and other agencies as required and, where necessary, ensure coordination across local authority boundaries as well as Police force boundaries.
The Strategy Meeting needs to carefully note and map:
The agenda should also include:
A strategic decision will need to be made by senior managers from the involved agencies as to whether the social work input into the enquiries/investigation can be managed in the conventional way or whether a specialist approach is required for example from a dedicated team outside the service, e.g. the NSPCC.
This will usually depend on the number, geographical spread and age range of potential interviewees, as well as whether those implicated are foster carers or employees of any member agency.
Where the Strategy Meeting confirms that the investigation will relate to organised or multiple abuse, it will appoint a multi-agency Strategic Management Group to oversee the process.
Where a member of staff of any agency is implicated in the investigation, his or her line manager must not be a member of the Strategic Management Group.
The Strategic Management Group will be chaired by a senior officer in Children’s Social Care Services and will:
In cases of considerable complexity and scale, an Investigation Management Group will be appointed.
Membership of this group should include representatives from Children’s Social Care Services, the Police, Health, education and local authority legal services with other agencies being invited to participate as appropriate.
The tasks and functions of the Group will be subject to the terms of reference agreed by the Strategic Management Group (SMG), and will include:
At the conclusion of the enquiry/investigation, the Strategic Management Group will evaluate the investigation, identify the lessons learned and prepare an overview report for the Walsall Safeguarding Children Board, highlighting any practices, procedures or policies which may need further attention and require either inter-agency or individual agency action plans.
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