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Children with Disabilities

29. The impact of failures in an investigation

If appropriate investigations are not carried out thoroughly, opportunities to protect children with disabilities are lost.
Failure to conduct investigations in accordance with Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) policies will mean that cases may not be taken to the Initial Child Protection Conference in a timely manner. This will contribute to placing the child at further risk.

If an Initial Child Protection Conference is not convened there will be:

  • No multi-agency analysis of the investigations
  • No forum for multi-disciplinary consideration of risk
  • No statutory process for ongoing monitoring of concerns
The particular vulnerability of children with disabilities means that, even if a decision is taken not to make the child subject to a Child Protection Plan, other action may need to be taken to address concerns, such as supporting the family through a robust Child in Need plan.

A Child Protection Conference offers the opportunity for a multi-agency response and a system for reviewing action taken to protect the child.

Good assessments support professionals to understand whether a child has needs relating to their care or a disability and/or is suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm.

The specific needs of disabled children and young carers should be given sufficient recognition and priority in the assessment process.

Further guidance can be accessed at 'Safeguarding disabled children: Practice guidance, 2009' and 'Recognised, valued and supported: Next steps for the Carers Strategy, 2010'.

All information on this page is from Blackpool Council (2024c)