Child protection plan
A plan drawn up when a meeting decides a child needs protecting from harm. It says what must change, who will do what, and when it will be checked.
Applies across the UK
If a child protection Child protection The steps professionals must follow when they are worried a child may be at risk of serious harm. An enquiry is a check on whether a child is safe, not a verdict on you. Read the full definition of Child protection conference decides a child is at risk of significant harm Section 47 enquiry A section 47 enquiry is when social workers check whether a child may be at risk of serious harm. It is a formal step, not a decision that anything is wrong. Read the full definition of Section 47 enquiry , a plan is drawn up saying what must change, who will do what, and when it will be reviewed. Parents are expected to take part in the meetings around the plan, and it is worth going even when it feels stacked against you, because the plan is where your voice can change things. The nations do this differently: England ended the child protection register in 2008 and uses the plan on its own, while Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland keep a register alongside planning. So being told your child is on the register means different things depending on where you live. Ask the social worker to explain exactly what has been decided and what happens next.
Across the UK
- Child Protection Register : Scotland keeps a child protection register: a child at risk is placed on the register and given a child protection plan.
- Child Protection Register : Wales keeps a child protection register alongside the plan, so a Welsh child can accurately be described as on the register.
- Child Protection Register : Northern Ireland keeps a child protection register alongside the plan.
Where this comes from
- Working together to safeguard children , Department for Education. Checked 2026-08-15.
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