Protecting Children: A Shared Responsibility

annex D

ARRANGEMENTS FOR CHILD PROTECTION IN THE ARMED SERVICES

Armed Services

1. Family life in the armed forces is, by its very nature, different to that in civilian life. The forces control the movement of the family in relation to service commitments, and families often endure long periods of separation, without extended family support. Although it is local authorities who have primary responsibility for the care and protection of children, it is essential for local authorities and other agencies to note these differences and share information with the service authority when a service family becomes the subject of child protection inquiries. Each service has their own welfare organisation, which supports service families. In addition the service authorities provide housing for their families, and due to the frequency with which the families move, it is important that the service authorities are fully aware of any child who is deemed to be at risk within their family.

Forces based in Scotland

2. The Service Authorities seek to co-operate with statutory agencies and to support service families where child abuse or neglect occurs. The information they hold on any family can help in the assessment and review of such cases. Procedures exist in all the services overseas to register and monitor the protection of children at risk, and the usual rules of confidentiality are observed. In working together the services, service authorities and the local authority social work service need to keep in mind that legislation places the primary responsibility for the care and protection of children on the local authority.

Army

3. The welfare of army families whose children are considered by a social work service to be at risk is the responsibility of the Army Welfare Service (AWS). The AWS provides a comprehensive and professional confidential welfare support service to all Army personnel and their families through the Soldiers', Sailors' and Airmen's Families Association (SSAFA) Social Workers (SW) and Army Welfare Workers (AWW). Social work services should liaise with one of the three Welfare Support Officers (WSO) who between them provide cover for the whole of Scotland. They respond to the Principal Welfare Support Officer AWS (PWSO AWS) who works together with the SSAFA Senior Social Work Adviser (SSWA) for Scotland in Army Headquarters Scotland. Contact telephone numbers are as follows:-

Royal Navy

4. All child protection matters within the Royal Navy are handled by the Naval Personal and Family Service (NPFS), the Royal Navy's own social work service. This provides a confidential and professional social work service to all Naval personnel and their families liaising as appropriate with social work services, particularly as required by statute for child protection cases. Child protection involving a member of the Royal Navy should be referred to one of the three civilian Area Officers, listed below, who are in a position to negotiate service action on behalf of Naval families and NPFS should be involved in any case conferences concerning them. All cases abroad are initially handled by the Eastern Area.

Royal Marines

5. All welfare matters within the Royal Marines are dealt with by the Royal Marine Welfare Service. This is a non-statutory agency which provides a confidential and professional service to all Royal Marine personnel and their families. The Royal Marine Welfare Service will liaise with the local social work service and will negotiate service action on behalf of families. The Royal Marine Welfare Service should be informed in all cases of child protection involving a member of the Royal Marines.

Royal Air Force

6. The Royal Air Force has an independent welfare organisation on each station in an area. Social work is managed as a normal function of command and co-ordinated by each Station's Personnel Officer; the Officer Commanding Personnel Management Squadron (OCPMS) who is supported by a qualified SSAFA Forces Help Social Work Adviser, or, in some cases, a Social Work Assistant. Whenever child protection inquiries concern the family of a serving member of the RAF, the social work service should notify the parent unit, or if this is not known, the nearest RAF unit by contacting the OCPMS or SSAFA Forces Help Adviser. Every RAF unit has an officer appointed to this duty and he or she will be familiar with child protection procedures. If you wish to discuss informally contact the SSAFA Social Work Adviser at RAF Lossiemouth (Tel: 01343 812121 Ext. 7399).

Service families going or returning from overseas

7. Where NPFS are aware of child protection issues within a family who are being considered for overseas service, this will be highlighted during the screening process and action taken to prevent the family's move before any child protection issues have been resolved. It is essential that the local authority social work service exchange information about agencies' involvement with a service family to ensure that no child named on a UK Child Protection Register can be taken abroad, and to make sure that parental support is not removed at a critical time.

8. The Soldiers', Sailors' and Airmen's Families Association (SSAFA) provides, at the request of the Ministry of Defence, a qualified social work and health visiting service for families of all services on overseas stations.

9. Where there is a child protection plan in this country for a child in a service family who are to move overseas, the social work service concerned should notify SSAFA in writing with full documentation, case summary, case conference notes, etc. to:

Assistant Controller (Services Support) SSAFA UK

SSAFA Forces Help
HQ Land Command
Erskine Barracks
Wilton
Salisbury
SP2 0AG
Tel: 01722 438245/438251

10. This information is forwarded to the relevant SSAFA social worker overseas in order that:-

a. the case may be entered on the overseas British Forces Child Protection Register;

b. the practitioners at the overseas base can be alerted and a case conference arranged; and

c. appropriate support and supervision are provided to the family.

11. Where there is a statutory involvement (e.g. a supervision requirement), SSAFA will provide regular reports to the local authority concerned. Similarly, when a service family with a child in need of protection returns to the UK, SSAFA will contact the social work service in the local authority area in which they will reside, and ensure that full documentation is provided to assist in the management of the case.

Emergency Action Regarding Service Families Overseas

12. When it appears that a child is in urgent need of care or control an officer having jurisdiction in relation to the child may order the child to be removed to and detained in a place of safety. If the officer makes an order to transfer the child to the United Kingdom so that care of the child can become the responsibility of the relevant local authority all necessary action will be arranged and agreed beforehand between the responsible agencies concerned.

13. New arrangements for dealing with the emergency protection of children of Service families abroad were introduced in the Armed Forces Act 1991. These provide for the officer having jurisdiction in relation to a child to make an order to remove the child or keep him or her in accommodation provided by or on behalf of the person who applied for the order.