6.1 Whenever there is reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm, there should be a Strategy Discussion involving the Social Services Managers and the Police, and other agencies as appropriate (for example Education and Health), in particular, any referring agency. A Strategy discussion may take place following a referral or at any other time (eg. if concerns about significant harm emerge in respect of a child receiving support under Section 17).

6.2 The purpose of a Strategy meeting / discussion is to:

• Share information between all appropriate agencies when there is reason to believe that a child is at risk of significant harm or has been harmed .
• Decide whether there are sufficient concerns to warrant a child protection investigation (Section 47 Children Act).
• Decide the format of the investigation and agree areas of responsibility for each agency, representative
• Plan how enquiries should be handled, including the need for medical treatment and by whom
• Agree what action is needed immediately to safeguard the child and / or provide interim services and support.
• Determine what information about these Strategy discussion will be shared with the family, unless such information sharing may place a child at risk of significant harm or jeopardise police investigations into any alleged offences.

6.3 A Strategy discussion / meeting should ideally be held with all appropriate agencies in attendance. However, due to the urgency of the situation, it may not be possible to arrange a meeting and therefore a Strategy discussion will suffice. Any information shared, all decisions reached and the basis for those decisions should be clearly recorded by all parties to the discussion.

6.4 All Strategy discussion / meetings must be carefully minuted and accurately summarised. This information is disclosable and will be required by the Crown Prosecution Service if criminal prosecutions are subsequently commenced.

6.5 Strategy discussions must not be used to pre-empt a Case conference, nor as a tactic to exclude parents. It may be necessary however to establish the facts about any allegations concerning a parent or carer, without involving them in these discussions, if it compromises the investigation. In all cases where the Police are involved the decision about when to inform the parents will have a bearing on the conduct of Police investigation.

6.6 A Strategy Meeting must be called when the allegations:

• Constitute or may constitute a criminal offence against a child.
• Are serious and complex.
• Concern a single abuser and multiple victims.
• Relate to a number of abusers, for example a paedophile ring.
• Concern children who are disabled.
• Concern a member of staff from any agency, or a Foster Carer.
• Concerns Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy.

6.7 Following referral of suspected child abuse, a designated Supervisory Officer from Social Services and the Police Child Protection Team will liaise immediately to discuss the strategy of the investigation and if necessary to appoint a joint team of investigators.

6.8 To assist the investigating team in these enquiries it will be necessary to involve the opinions of those who know the child’s current developmental achievement. This can include Teachers, Health Visitors, Nurses, the GP, the Paediatrician, Psychologist and / or child Psychiatrist.

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