Child Protection Notification (CPN) for Children by the Police Protection Unit (PPU), Detective Sergeant, where a Child has an allocated Children’s Social Worker (CSW)

Where a concern for a child is brought to the attention of the police, a Child Protection Notification (CPN) will be issued. A CPN may be generated for a number of reasons, for example, the child:

• Has suffered an assault;
• Is at risk of child exploitation, including sexual and criminal;
• Has been physically, sexually abused or neglected;
• Is reported as missing (this may be a one-off incident or repeated incidents);
• May be using drugs or alcohol;
• Resides with a known sex offender;
• May be suffering with poor mental health, have considered suicide, or have self-harmed;
• Is unborn and presents as at risk at birth;
• Is suspected or charged with a crime or process offence;
• Gives an officer concern for their welfare.

This list is not exhaustive and once a CPN has been issued, the Detective Sergeant in the Police Protection Unit (PPU) will research and risk assess the information and decide on a course of action (see Recognising Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation Procedure, Multi-Agency Pre-Birth Wellbeing Assessment for Unborn Babies Procedure and Jersey Child Exploitation Screening Tool) in line with the Children (Jersey) Law 2002, Children and Young People (Jersey) Law 2022 and commensurate Statutory Guidance. Where only those CPN where there is an identified safeguarding (child protection) or health and development need (Child in Need) will be shared unless consent has been specifically sought and given by those who hold parental responsibility. 

Where a child does not have an allocated Children’s Social Worker (CSW), their support needs will be managed through SPB Jersey Child Protection Core Procedures and the Children and Young People Safeguarding Referrals Procedure.

Where a child or young person already has an allocated CSW:

• The Detective Sergeant from PPU will send the CPN to the Children and Families Hub (C&F Hub) for the attention of the allocated Social Worker. The CPN will be logged on the child’s record and emailed to the allocated Social Worker, their team manager and the duty manager by the C&F Hub;
• A Strategy Discussion/Meeting may take place, (chaired by a Children’s Social Worker Senior Practitioner/Team Manager) after incident(s) where a child or young person is considered at risk of harm or significant harm and where there is the need to determine if the Minister has a duty to investigate (See Article 42 Child Protection Enquiries Under the Ministers Duty to Investigate). The Strategy Discussion/Meeting will consider the multi-agency actions required to reduce risks to the child or young person. Where there has been risk of physical abuse, sexual abuse, child exploitation, or neglect, consideration will be given to following the Child Protection Medical Assessment Pathway or the Child Sexual Abuse Pathway;
• The child’s case may be included in the Daily Missing Meeting, where there are concerns for the safety and welfare of a child or young person around their circumstances or behaviours, where they are going missing, e.g. they are at risk of Child Exploitation (CE) or Radicalisation (see procedures on Safeguarding Children from Child Exploitation, Missing from Care, Missing from Home and Education, Technology Facilitated Abuse, Radicalisation, Modern Slavery and Child Trafficking);
• As a matter of course, all Practitioners should have access to regular Internal Agency Safeguarding Supervision. Agencies should consider multi-agency reflective supervision where cases are complex, stuck or drifting;
• Professional challenges should be welcomed, and partnership working depends on resolving professional differences as soon as possible. Where staff experience professional differences, they should follow the SPB Jersey Resolving Professional Difference/Escalation Policy.