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Children's Social Care  should make decisions about the next course of action based on the outcome of the Section 47 Enquiries.  All decisions must be agreed at a final Strategy Meeting, convened by the social worker or Team Manager, and include the police and any other agencies with significant information about, or involvement with, the family.

The enquiries may not have substantiated the concerns and therefore no further action may be required to protect the child.  However, the enquiries may have identified the need for support and services, the provision of which should not be dependent on the presence of abuse or neglect.

Following a Section 47 Enquiry, Children's Social Care should not close a case until:

• the child has been spoken to alone (subject to age and understanding)
• the child's carers have been seen and spoken to
• the accommodation in which the child is to live has been visited and viewed
• the views of all the professionals involved have been sought and considered
• a plan for Safeguarding and Promoting the Welfare of the child  has been agreed
• the Core Assessment has been completed and duly recorded

The enquiries may have produced no real evidence of Significant Harm, but concerns remain. In such cases it may be necessary to agree a plan to monitor the child's welfare via professionals such as health visitors or school staff, and review such monitoring in multi-agency planning meetings.

The enquiries may have substantiated that the child has suffered Significant Harm, but there may be good reasons, based on the evidence of the enquiries, to indicate that the child is not at a continuing risk of Significant Harm . 

This may be because:

• the alleged perpetrator of the abuse has left the household
• the abuse was the result of an isolated incident such as abuse by a stranger
• the parents or carers are willing and able to co-operate with actions and plans to ensure the child's future safety

If the outcome of a Section 47 Enquiry is that the concerns are substantiated but the child is judged not to be at continuing risk of Significant Harm, this decision must be endorsed by a suitably experienced and qualified social work manager

In such circumstances a Child Protection Conference may not be required. Under these circumstances, services need to be planned in accordance with the child's assessed needs. The social worker or team manager convenes a planning meeting (Child in Need) in order to review actions and identify any further actions.  A Record of Discussion is completed and a copy sent to the Quality Assurance Unit and all professionals working with the child and family within 7 working days.

Where it is agreed that  the concerns that initiated the Section 47 Enquiry are resolved the social worker or team manager convenes a Strategy Meeting with the police and any other agencies with significant information about, or involvement with, the family to end the Enquiry.  A record of this meeting is sent to the Quality Assurance Unit and all professionals working with the child and family within 7 working days.  A letter is also sent to the family.

In the event that agreement cannot be reached, agencies begin Section 2, Escalation Policy Resolution Pathways, Complaints and Resolutions Procedure.

End