• contents
• keywords & contacts
• quick guide
• values
• search
• contact us
• guidance and protocols

Contents

1. Introduction
2. Children Going Abroad Where it is Assessed that the Child will be at Increased Risk of Significant Harm
3. Children Going Abroad on Holiday
4. Children Going Abroad for a Temporary Stay With Friends / Family
5. Children Moving Abroad Permanently
6. Review Child Protection Conference

1. Introduction

Children may be taken abroad either to go on holiday, to have a short stay with extended family or move abroad permanently. The Lead Social Worker and Core Group must assess the impact of the change in the child’s circumstances against the risks identified in the Child Protection Plan and make a judgement about whether the child is at increased risk of Significant Harm.

Prior to the children going abroad, a discussion with the Conference chair would be appropriate to seek their views.

2. Children Going Abroad Where it is Assessed that the Child will be at Increased Risk of Significant Harm

Core Group and Lead Social Workers should be alert to the fact that children can be taken abroad:

• to be trafficked and sexually exploited – see Child Trafficking and Exploitation Procedure
• to be forced into an arranged marriage or at risk of honour based violence – see Forced Marriage Procedure and Honour Based Violence Procedure or they may become at risk of female genital mutilation – see Female Genital Mutilation Procedure.

If there is evidence to suggest that there is increased risk of Significant Harm, the Lead Social Worker must seek urgent legal advice with a view to preventing the child from going abroad and securing the child in England and Wales as a Looked After Child.

If the child disappears without the Core Group or Lead Social Worker being aware, the child must be treated as a missing child – see Missing Children and Families Procedure.

It is important that if it is suspected that the child will be taken abroad, the Police issue an ‘All Ports alert’ and Protecting Children and Uniting Families Across Borders (CFAB) (formally known as International Social Services) should be notified by the Lead Social Worker.

3. Children Going Abroad on Holiday

If the family is planning to go on holiday and the Lead Social Worker and Core Group do not assess that the child will be at increased risk of Significant Harm, the Lead Social Worker must:

• ascertain the address where the child will be staying
• ascertain the exact dates of travel
• notify the Safeguarding Children Unit, the Chair of the Child Protection Conference and input the details onto SWIFT
• if possible, agree with the parents how they can be contacted e.g. mobile phone number, contact numbers of travel agents
• attempt to contact the family once every 10 working days
• arrange to see the family and child within a day of them returning home

4. Children Going Abroad for a Temporary Stay With Friends / Family

Until notification that the family has moved abroad on a temporary basis, the Core Group and Lead Social Worker remain responsible for implementing the Child Protection Plan. As such, the following must happen:

• The Lead Social Worker must undertake all of the points listed in Section 3, Children Going Abroad on Holiday
• All professionals in the Core Group must inform their respective counterpart agencies abroad
• The Lead Social Worker should inform the national embassies and consulates in London for the country concerned. Details are available at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website
• The Lead Social Worker should request an assessment of family or friends via Protecting Children and Uniting Families Across Borders (CFAB) (formally known as International Social Services).

5. Children Moving Abroad Permanently

The Core Group and Lead Social Worker must

Undertake all points listed in both Section 3, Children Going Abroad on Holiday and Section 4 Children Going Abroad for a Temporary Stay With Friends / Family

Having received the assessment information from International Social Services and the other relevant agencies, form a view regarding the ongoing risk of Significant Harm for the child and convene a Review Child Protection Conference

6. Review Child Protection Conference

If within timescales, the Review Child Protection Conference should be held when the family return home.

However, the Review Child Protection Conference must go ahead with information gathered from agencies abroad, as detailed in Section 5, Children Moving Abroad Permanently. A decision whether the child should remain subject to a Child Protection Plan will be made and, if so, a revised Child Protection Plan must be formulated.

On the rare occasion where the child has moved abroad permanently, all relevant agencies abroad have been notified and it is the view of the Core Group that no further work can be undertaken, the Chair of the Child Protection Conference will write a brief report to the Head of Safeguarding requesting that the children stop being the subject of a Child Protection Plan.

End