Safeguarding Children During Coronavirus
We would like to reassure everyone in Camden that robust plans are in place across the partnership to keep services running. Our partners will continue to reorganise their workforce in accordance to national guidance, to ensure we remain resilient and flexible to safeguard and support children and their families. For further government information on the restrictions and staying safe please click here.
Camden Children and Families Contact Service is a multi-agency team that incorporates the Multi-agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) team and the First Stop Early Help team. The Contact Service is responsible for making decisions on referrals and requests for services to ensure that children and families get the most suitable services and support depending on their level of need. If you are worried about a child or young person please call 020 7974 3317 (out of hours: 020 7974 4444) or email LBCMASHadmin@camden.gov.uk. If you think a child is in immediate danger you should call the police on 999.
The Children and Families Contact Service can give anonymous consultations to discuss options for help and support for the family (call and ask for an anonymous consultation with an early help coordinator).
If you have any questions please talk to your social worker. If your social worker is not available then you can either speak to their manager or another social worker on 020 7974 3317.
Click here for a leaflet which may help explaining the virus to children.
Click here to view the DfE Coronavirus guidance for children’s social care.
Supporting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing — guidance for parents and carers
Please click here to visit the recent guidance updated May 2021.
Children or young people may react in different ways according to their age. This guidance provides some practical advice for parents/carers, with information to help support children and young people to cope with stress during this time. There is also specific information for/around:
- Children who are accessing mental health services
- Children with learning disabilities
- Autistic children
- Children with physical health issues
- Children who are young carers
- Bullying
- Money worries.
The document includes where to get further help and advice and has useful links to helplines and websites. There is also an ‘easy-read’ version of this guidance that explains ‘Looking after your feelings and your body’.
Guidance for Health Professionals
If you work in primary, secondary, community or emergency care, visit www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus to access the latest updates and guidance on Coronavirus.
Child Protection Case Conferences
‘Semi-virtual’ Child Protection Case Conferences (CPCC) will continue, where possible. This means that the CPCC Chair, the Social Worker and key professionals within the network are able to meet face-to-face with the family with other multi-agency professionals joining the CPCC virtually.
Parents and carers retain their right to use Camden’s Complaints Policy and agencies can use Camden’s Escalation Policy to challenge professional differences.
Safeguarding Advice to Parents and Arranging Childcare
Many parents will need to make decisions about whether to leave their child alone for short or longer periods. Here is the best advice from the NPSCC Home Alone guidance. Parents and carers are responsible for their children and will need to take decisions about childcare. Some parents and carers may become unwell themselves. It is very important that suitable carers are chosen for your children, if close family members are not available. Please ensure that childminders are suitably trained and DBS checked, as well as private tutors or clubs which may be used. Please see advice here.
Private Fostering
Private Fostering is a term used when close family members or legal guardians are not used to care for children for more than 28 days. The Children and Family Contact Service can advise on this the safety of this type of placement for children aged until 16 years of age. Find out more here.
Family Group Conference
As members of a family we all can find ourselves having things to sort out, or be at points in time when decisions need to be made. Whether we are in difficult times, struggling to manage our children or needing support with making plans for our children, Family Group Conference (FGC) can be a useful option. A FGC is free and is an independent meeting organised for you with the family and friends you want to have there. It is a chance for you to take time out from busy family life, to help come up with solutions and a plan to deal with whatever is going on. Due to social distancing regulations, we are now holding our Family Group Conferences online. Click the link below to understand what’s changed.
Multi-agency Audit: Neglect and Cross-cutting Abuse During the Pandemic
Over 2021–22 the CSCP commissioned a multi-agency audit focusing on Neglect and cross-cutting abuse during the pandemic. As a partnership, assurance was required in terms of how partners worked together on cases involving neglect as a feature. The below summary has been developed which outlines good practice and areas of learning identified as part of this process. Multi-agency audits are used as a dynamic tool to make system improvements and improve outcomes for children and young people.
