Review a family violence safety plan

What is going on

The Okonkwo family were referred through the Orange Door after family violence by Mrs Okonkwo's former partner. A safety plan has been in place for three months and the family is doing well, but this week the primary school has reported two unexplained absences for the seven-year-old and Mrs Okonkwo mentioned that her former partner has been seen near the school. The safety plan review is due on 30 September. Kai Morrison wants a fresh risk assessment, an updated safety plan built with Mrs Okonkwo, and clear decisions about what is shared with the school and whether Child Protection must be involved.

Your brief

Reassess family violence risk with Mrs Okonkwo, update the safety plan for her and both children, coordinate with the school under the information sharing schemes, decide whether a report to Child Protection is required, and record the review so any worker can act on it.

Work through it

You do not need to do it all. Doing a few of these will show you what the work is like. Your ticks and notes stay on this device.

• Read the family violence and information sharing sections of the Safeguarding, Abuse and Neglect Prevention Policy and the Privacy and Client Information Policy and summarise what can be shared with the school.
• Review the case conference note and other entries for the Okonkwo family in the Progress Notes and Case Log and list the changes in risk since the last review.
• Prepare for the review meeting with Mrs Okonkwo, including how you will ask about the sightings near the school and the absences without blaming her.
• Complete a family violence risk assessment with Mrs Okonkwo covering the risk factors for her and each child, and record the risk level and your reasoning.
• Update the safety plan with Mrs Okonkwo, including school pick-up arrangements, what the school will do if the former partner attends, and how the children's own safety is planned for.
• Decide whether the information requires a report to Child Protection or police, record your reasoning using the Responding to and Reporting Abuse, Neglect and Reportable Incidents Procedure, and discuss it with Kai Morrison.
• Draft a written information sharing request or notice to the school under the appropriate scheme, recording it in the Progress Notes and Case Log.
• Update the Client Register with the new risk flags, the next review date and a note that the safety plan has changed.

What someone in this role would produce

• Information sharing summary
• Completed family violence risk assessment
• Updated safety plan for Mrs Okonkwo and both children
• Reporting decision and reasoning
• Progress notes and updated Client Register entry