This guide is principally for the social worker leading a child protection enquiry relating to concerns that a child is being, or is at risk of being, sexually abused.
It is also relevant to any other professionals working with the child at this time (in school, for example), to help them understand what is happening.
Under Families First arrangements, the child protection enquiry will be led by a Multi-Agency Child Protection Team (MACPT).
What is a child protection enquiry?
Where there is cause to suspect that the child is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm, a strategy discussion or meeting will be held. The enquiry will seek to answer the following questions:
- Has the child suffered, or are they likley to suffer significant harm?
- What is the impact of the harm on the child?
- Who is responsible for the harm?
- Who can keep the child safe and supported?
- What plan needs to be put in place and what action needs to be taken?
If the police believe a crime may have been committed, they conduct a criminal investigation as part of a ‘joint enquiry’.
During the enquiry:
- the social worker will visit the child and their family.
- if they are accompanied by the police, this may be called the joint visit.
- the social worker will also gather information from other professionals who know the child/family.
How may the child be feeling?
When a child protection enquiry begins the child will likely be feeling a complex range of emotions:
- The involvement of authorities may be a shock and distressing for the child.
- The child may hope for help but fear consequences for themselves and their family.
- They might feel blamed, vulnerable, or responsible for family distress, especially if the person abusing them is someone in her family.
- The thought of talking about their experiences may make the child feel afraid, under pressure, embarrassed or ashamed.
- If sexual images of them have been discovered, the child will be worried about who might have seen these.
“Everything that happened, I only knew in bits.”
“I didn’t want to say anything because I knew the next step would be taken.”
“Everything kind of improved and I was much happier for that.”
“[My social worker] was mint; absolutely mint. If she said she was going to do something, she’d do it straight away.”
“The lady who came asked me lots of questions. She put me under pressure.”
Planning the child protection enquiry
Concerns about sexual abuse may coexist with concerns about other harms, such as neglect, parental substance misuse, or domestic abuse. When planning an enquiry, maintain a clear focus on concerns of sexual abuse and how it may intersect with other harms. When planning the enquiry:
- decide who you want to talk to, and where and when these conversations should take place.
- prepare to visit the child.
- identify and address any communication needs, including needs related to language, learning disability or difficulty, physical disabilities, or neurodiversity.
- liaise with the police to discuss how the visit will be conducted.
A multi-agency approach is essential for effective information sharing and building a picture of the child's circumstances. Other professionals around the child or family may have important information that contributes to the picture of concern so it is important to request relevant information from all professionals/agencies who know the child and the family. Make them aware of the child sexual abuse concerns, otherwise they may struggle to know what information is relevant. The information you need will depend on how they know the child/family.
Where possible, keep the child informed and included:
- Discuss who will speak to the child, when, and how.
- Consider diversity and how personal characteristics might increase vulnerability and shape the response to child sexual abuse.
- Check the child's understanding of the situation.
- Identify the child's concerns and what they want to happen.
- Find out more about what has happened to the child.
During your conversation, and at other times (such as when the child is around their parent(s) and any family members suspected of sexually abusing them), look for any emotional, behavioural and physical signs that may indicate child sexual abuse.
Bear in mind that any child who has faced discrimination or prejudice, or had poor previous experiences of professional involvement in their lives, may be reluctant to trust and talk to professionals.
Non-abusing family members are those who are not considered to have been involved in the sexual abuse of the child, even if they have previously come to agencies’ attention for other reasons.
- Continue talking to the non-abusing parent(s) throughout the child protection enquiry and beyond.
- Find out about the parent(s) and the family, and how they are feeling – they might need support for themselves or support to understand the child's needs and how they can help them.
- Find out what they know about the person or environment of concern.
- Discuss how the child can best be protected.
- Talk to other non-abusing family members who know the child well. Ask them whether they have noticed any recent changes in the child’s behaviour, or have any concerns.
Remember to consult the police before talking to any family members included in any ongoing police investigations. If concerns of child sexual abuse have been raised about any adult(s) in the family, it is important for you to consider their motivations, beliefs, behaviours and individual circumstances. Our Signs and Indicators Template can help you think about the sorts of things to consider.
Talk to them about their role in the family, their relationship with the child, and their behaviour, build on any information provided by the non-abusing parent(s).
If there are concerns that the child is being sexually harmed by a sibling or another child in the family environment, talk to that child about their relationship with and behaviour towards the harmed child. Explore too the reasons for that behaviour. Our guide to assessing and responding to sibling sexual behaviour contains useful information to support you with this.
Consider how best to protect and support the child
- Keep the child safe by considering what steps need to be taken, such as using powers of police protection, a court order, or a voluntary agreement.
- Consider what steps, if any, need to be taken to limit contact with the person of concern.
- Where there are concerns about grooming or coercive control, contextual safeguarding risks, or technology assisted harms, consider what steps need to be taken.
- Develop a safety plan with the child and family.
- Consider whether a medical assessment or examination is necessary.
- Consider what support the child and family might need.
- Where the child has engaged in harmful sexual behaviour, consult your local guidance .
A child protection enquiry should be completed within 15 working days with one of the following outcomes:
- The child is at continuing risk of serious harm: an initial child protection conference will be held and a multi-agency assessment will be undertaken.
- If they are thought to have been sexually abused but are considered not at continuing risk of serious harm: a multi-agency assessment of the child and their family will take place and the family may be offered support through Family Help or a Care and Support Assessment (in Wales).
- If they are thought not to need continuing support from children’s social care, support may be provided through Family Help or a Care and Support Assessment (in Wales).
Once the outcome of the child protection enquiry has been decided, consider how best to inform the child and their non-abusing parent(s). Explain:
- the decision.
- what the decision means.
- what will happen next.
- ensure that they understand why the decision was made, especially if it does not reflect what they said they hoped would happen.
Also communicate the outcome with other professionals, including the person who made the referral.
Working together is essential for robust child protection enquiry:
- Gather information.
- Share good-quality information, including an analysis of the child’s circumstances.
- Help the social worker – who may never have met the child – to understand the child and their circumstance.
- Do what you can to support the child's emotional health, education, physical health, and relationships with family and friends.