§ Dr FoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how the Government intends to ensure that the safeguarding of vulnerable children takes place at a primary care level and that GPs participate to an extent which does not impinge upon them carrying out other clinical duties. [78021]
§ Jacqui SmithFrom April 2002, responsibility for securing the provision of the health contribution to child protection services began to be devolved to primary care trusts (PCTs). The particular roles and responsibilities of health professionals for child protection are set out in the Government's core inter-agency child protection guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children. Although this is a new role for PCTs, they are not expected to assume this responsibility without support. Child protection will form a key competency task within the national primary and care trust development programme currently being developed.
The exercise of responsibility for child protection involves more than the specific clinical service; it necessitates PCTs exercising a public health responsibility for a whole population. It will require good partnership working with all stakeholders, in particular councils with social services responsibilities. Guidance on specific action required was issued to all chief executives of PCTs in January this year. This will be followed next year by supplementary child protection guidance for health professionals. In addition, the national primary and care trust development programme team are currently running child protection seminars for PCT directors with responsibility for children.
§ Dr FoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he plans to take to ensure that area child protection committees receive sufficient funding to discharge their responsibilities. [78022]
§ Jacqui SmithArea child protection committee (ACPC) expenditure and administrative and policy support is a matter for local agreement. As a multi-agency forum, the ACPC should be supported in its work by its main constituent agencies, reflecting the investment of each agency in activities which are of benefit to all, in particular inter-agency training.
The Joint Chief Inspectors' report Safeguarding Children, published on 14 October 2002, contains a recommendation that the Department of Health should 123W review the current arrangements for ACPCs to determine whether they should be established on a statutory basis to ensure adequate accountability, authority and funding. The Government has welcomed the publication of this report. The Government recognises that there is still more to be done to ensure that the highest standards of child protection are applied in every case. That is why it commissioned the Joint Chief Inspector's report. It is also why my right hon. Friends, the Secretary of State for Health and the Home Secretary set up the statutory inquiry, chaired by Lord Laming, into the circumstances leading up to, and surrounding, the death of Victoria Climbie. The Government looks forward to receiving Lord Laming's report later this year. It will respond in full to both reports after it has had the opportunity to consider them fully.
§ Dr. FoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many serious case reviews were carried out by each area child protection committee in each of the last five years. [78023]
§ Jacqui SmithComplete statistical information is not held centrally on the numbers or types of serious case reviews that have been carried out in accordance with Chapter 8 of "Working Together to Safeguard Children (1999)".
However, many findings from serious case reviews can serve as an important source of information to inform policy and practice at both national and local levels. In recognition of this, the Department is responsible for identifying and disseminating common themes and trends across review reports, and acting on lessons for policy and practice. We recently published an overview report, "Learning from Past Experience—A Review of Serious Case Reviews", drawing out the key findings of a selection of case reviews from the last two years, and their implications for policy and practice. At the same time, we have recently launched a new comprehensive database, which will in future hold information about all serious case reviews.
§ Dr. FoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of accident and emergency departments do not have access to child protection registers. [78024]
§ Mr. LammyAll accident and emergency departments have access to information contained in child protection registers held by local authority social services departments, subject to the normal safeguards. Access out of office hours is through out of office arrangements with local authority social services departments.
§ Dr. FoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) for what reason the Child Protection Register contains those children who are on social services department client index as a consequence of being regarded as at risk; [78027]
(2) what the main criteria is for placing a vulnerable child who has been a client of a social services department on a child protection register. [78031]
§ Jacqui SmithAs "Working Together to Safeguard Children", the Government's child protection guidance, makes clear, the sole criteria for consideration by an initial child protection conference, when determining124W whether to register a child's name on the child protection register, is whether a child is at risk of significant harm.
The test should be that either: the child can be shown to have suffered ill-treatment or impairment of health or development as a result of physical, emotional or sexual abuse or neglect and professional judgement is that further ill-treatment or impairment are likely; or professional judgement, substantiated by the findings of enquiries in this individual case or by research evidence, is that the child is likely to suffer ill-treatment or the impairment of health or development as a result of physical, emotional or sexual abuse or neglect.
The decision whether or not to register a child's name on the child protection register should not be taken on the grounds that the child is already known to social services.
§ Dr. FoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the role of child and adolescent mental health services is with regard to safeguarding vulnerable children. [78036]
§ Jacqui SmithGuidance on this is given in "Working Together to Safeguard Children: A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children", published by the Department of Health, the Home Office and the then Department for Education and Employment in 1999. A copy is in the Library. Paragraphs 3.39–3.41 of the guide relate to all mental health services and 3.42–3.44 to child and adolescent mental health services. The latter includes the role of relevant professional staff in cases where abuse and/or neglect is identified or suspected and the provision, where appropriate, of a range of assessment and treatment services for children with mental health disorders and their families.
§ Dr. FoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to establish area child protection committees on a statutory basis. [78037]
§ Jacqui SmithThe Joint Chief Inspectors' report "Safeguarding Children", published on 14 October 2002, contains a recommendation that the Department should review the current arrangements for area child protection committees to determine whether they should be established on a statutory basis to ensure adequate accountability, authority and funding.
The Government have welcomed the publication of this report. The Government recognise that there is still more to be done to ensure that the highest standards of child protection are applied in every case. That is why it commissioned the Joint Chief Inspectors' report. It is also why my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Health and the Home Secretary set up the statutory inquiry, chaired by Lord Laming, into the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the death of Victoria Climbie. The Government looks forward to receiving Lord Laming's report later this year. It will respond in full to both reports after it has had the opportunity to consider them fully
§ Dr. FoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Health to what use child protection registers are put; and how he expects this to change in the next three years. [78038]
125W
§ Jacqui SmithA central child protection register should be maintained in each area covered by a social services department. The register should list all the children resident in the area (including those who have been placed there by another local authority or agency) who are considered to be at continuing risk of significant harm, and for whom there is a child protection plan. The principal purpose of the register is to make agencies and professionals aware of those children who are judged to be at continuing risk of significant harm and in need of active safeguarding.
The Joint Chief Inspectors' report "Safeguarding Children", published on 14 October 2002, contains a recommendation that the Department should review the purpose of child protection registers and issue guidance to local authorities.
The Government have welcomed the publication of this report. The Government recognise that there is still more to be done to ensure that the highest standards of child protection are applied in every case. That is why it commissioned the Joint Chief Inspectors' report. It is also why my right hon. Friends, the Secretary of State for Health and the Home Secretary set up the statutory inquiry, chaired by Lord Laming, into the circumstances leading up to, and surrounding, the death of Victoria Climbie. The Government look forward to receiving Lord Laming's report later this year. It will respond in full to both reports after it has had the opportunity to consider them fully.
§ Dr. FoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many area child protection committees do not have representatives from youth offending teams; and if he will set a deadline for all area child protection committees to include representatives from youth offending teams. [78039]
§ Jacqui SmithThe information requested is not held centrally.
The Joint Chief Inspectors' report, "Safeguarding Children", published on 14 October 2002, contains a recommendation that the Lord Chancellor's Department, the Home Office and the Department of Health should issue immediate guidance to ensure that local youth offending teams and the Crown Prosecution Service are invited to become full members of all area child protection committees.
§ Dr FoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children in each of the last five years have left local authority care and within five years(a) committed suicide and (b) attempted suicide. [78051]
§ Jacqui SmithThe Department does not collect statistical information on committed or attempted suicide for children and young people that have left local authority care.