The Adoption and Children Act 2002 extended the definition of harm to include ‘impairment suffered from seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another’. For the purpose of this inspection, the term ‘living with domestic abuse’ includes: children who are currently living where there are incidents of domestic abuse or where there is risk of incidents of domestic abuse taking place children seeing or hearing domestic abuse outside of their home children witnessing the effects of domestic abuse on others. Inspectors will evaluate the effectiveness of interventions for victims of domestic and adult perpetrators in relation to the impact this has on the welfare and protection of children. This inspection does not specifically focus on the effectiveness of services and practice in relation to young people aged 16 and 17 years old experiencing domestic abuse through peer relationships. However, we will report on this area where there are specific strengths or weaknesses identified. Scope of the inspection All JTAIs are of multi-agency arrangements for: the response to all forms of child abuse, neglect and exploitation at the point of identification the quality and impact of assessment, planning and decision-making in response to notifications and referrals protecting children and young people at risk of a specific type (or types) of harm, or the support and care of children looked after and/or care leavers (evaluated through a deep dive investigation into the experiences of these children) the leadership and management of this work the effectiveness of the local safeguarding children board (LSCB) in relation to this work. Meeting with relevant staff In addition to the list provided in paragraph 67 of the framework, inspectors will talk with, by telephone or in person: the multi-agency risk assessment conference (MARAC) coordinator professionals from the children and families court advisory and support service (CAFCASS) professionals who have had contact with victims of domestic abuse and their families. For example, independent domestic violence advisors (IDVAs) and specialist children’s workers in a refuge
Children identified as a child in need All those in receipt of services as a child in need at the point of inspection and those who ceased to receive services as a child in need in the three months before inspection. Child unique ID Gender Ethnicity Date of birth If unborn: expected date of birth Age of child (years) Does the child have a disability? (Y/N) Child in need start date Primary need code Date child was last seen Child in need closure date Reason for closure Allocated team Allocated worker Whether the is living or has lived with domestic abuse (Y/N) Children on a child protection plan All those who are the subject of a child protection plan at the point of inspection and those who ceased to be the subject of a child protection plan in the three months before inspection. Child unique ID Gender Ethnicity Date of birth If unborn: expected date of birth Age of child (years) Does the child have a disability? (Y/N) Child protection plan start date Initial category of abuse Latest category of abuse Date of the last statutory visit seen in accordance with the timescales specified within their plan, by the lead social worker? (Y/N) Was the child seen alone? Child protection plan end date Subject to emergency protection/care/supervision or protected under police powers in last six months (Y/N) Number of previous child protection plans Allocated team Allocated worker Whether the child is living or has lived with domestic abuse (Y/N) If there are particular contextual issues faced by the local area in relation to domestic abuse, the DCS can advise the lead inspector of this when they provide these lists. The lead inspector will take this into account when selecting the children whose experiences inspectors will track and sample. By midday on day one (Wednesday), the lead inspector selects 20 children living with domestic abuse from the lists of children in need and those on a
3.9 – minutes of multi-agency risk assessment conferences (MARAC) The National Probation Service and community rehabilitation company/companies 4.1 – organisational structures showing lines of reporting and accountability 4.2 – policy/procedures about child protection and domestic abuse 4.3 – policy/procedures for the management of risk of harm to others 4.4 – record of staff trained in child protection (with dates training completed) 4.5 – information about the presence of approved premises in the area Youth offending team 5.1 – organisational structures showing lines of reporting and accountability 5.2 – policy/procedures with regard to protection and domestic abuse 5.3 – policy/procedures for the management of risk of harm to others 5.4 – record of staff trained in child protection (with dates training completed) Health partners 6.1 – organisational structures showing lines of reporting and accountability including details of local health commissioning and/or provider representation at MARAC 6.2 – Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and provider services with details of who is providing commissioned services, including health visiting and school nursing 6.3 – CCG and provider services annual reports on safeguarding and child protection, including for children looked after 6.4 – provider policies relating to children living with domestic abuse including local primary care policies 6.5 – any commissioner or provider audits and action plans relating to children living with domestic abuse Cafcass 7.1 – A list of the last 10 completed section 7 reports in which there have been incidents of domestic abuse. Cafcass should provide this information by the end of day one (the day after the lead inspector has notified them of the inspection). Ofsted will select three of these cases and notify Cafcass at the beginning of day two. Cafcass should provide