The implementation of hybrid child protection conferences in England: a scoping and practice development project

This research will investigate hybrid child protection conferences (CPCs) in England. During the pandemic, many local authorities shifted from in-person to online arrangements for CPCs. Following the pandemic, some local authorities moved towards a hybrid mode of delivery, involving a combination of in-person and online attendance. Little is known about the extent to which these arrangements are still in place and how well they work. This research will provide the first overview of the implementation of hybrid CPCs in England identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and risks for vulnerable children and their parents across a range of user groups. The research is led by Dr Laura L. Cook at the University of East Anglia and Dr Mary Baginsky at King’s College London.  In this part of the project, we are working in partnership with Research in Practice. 

You are invited to take part in this research because you are a social care professional who participates in, or chairs, child protection conferences.

What will happen if I agree to take part in the research?  

You will be asked to take part in a focus group which will consist of CPC conference chairs, children’s social workers and Principal Social Workers. The focus group run for up to two hours, will take place online via Microsoft Teams and will be facilitated by Research in Practice. During the focus group, you will be invited to share your experiences of child protection conferences in small breakout groups. The group will then work together to generate key themes for discussion. Topics will include: the advantages and disadvantages of hybrid child protection conferences, your views on the key principles for effective CPCs and recommendations for change. 

What are the benefits of taking part? 

Your contribution will help us to understand the current delivery of hybrid CPCs in England and areas of innovation. In addition, the focus group will provide you with an opportunity to learn about CPC delivery in other local authorities, which you may find useful.

Do I have to participate? Can I change my mind later?  

You do not have to participate in the research, participation is voluntary. In the unlikely event that you feel uncomfortable during the group you may leave at any time or choose to take a break. The facilitators will be available after the group to discuss any concerns. You can also contact us after the event via hybridcp@researchinpractice.org.uk email if you would prefer. You are free to withdraw from the study itself up to two weeks after the focus group has taken place. You can do this by contacting hybridcp@researchinpractice.org.uk. If you withdraw from the study your verbal or chat responses will not be used in the final analysis. Additionally, any responses given by other participants which mention your contribution will also be deleted. After two weeks it will not be possible to withdraw the data as analysis will have started and the data will have been anonymised. Information added to Miro is anonymous and so we cannot remove those.

Confidentiality  

Focus groups involve gathering information from multiple participants. We ask those attending to respect Chatham House Rules, so that information disclosed during a meeting may be reported by those present, but the source of that information may not be explicitly or implicitly identified. This will be explained at the start of the session. If any confidential information arises during the focus group (which could identify, or potentially identify, particular families anyone is working with, students or colleagues) these will be deleted before transcription takes place. If identifying information is disclosed during the group, participants will be reminded of the confidentiality clause. During the focus group, you will be invited to share your own practice experiences and views. It is important to be sensitive and respectful towards other participants’ views. As stated above, confidentiality will be maintained as far as possible. However, should information be obtained during the focus group indicating either serious risk to the participant or service users, or breaches of professional regulations, this information would need to be passed on. In the unlikely event that this should occur, the decision to pass on information would be discussed with you where possible. 

How will my contribution be used?  

A video recording of the session will be transcribed (written up as a Word document) and comments from the chat and Miroboards will be downloaded. Any identifying details will be removed or changed. The data will be written up into reports, presentations and other academic publications. No data will be used that allows participants to be identified. The research team will provide a report on the findings to NIHR. In this report, we will alter, remove and/or anonymise any responses which could reveal your identity, or the identity of other professionals or service users. 

How will data be stored?  

All data will be stored in accordance with the principles of the GDPR 2018 and in line with UEA Privacy Policy. Video files will be transferred by Research in Practice to UEA using secure method. GDPR-compliant automated transcription software will be used to convert video files into a word document. Video files will be destroyed after transcription has taken place and analysis has been completed. The transcribed files and chat files will be anonymised and contain no personal or identifying details. Any documents which link participants to their data will be destroyed at the end of the project by UEA and Research in Practice.  

Consent 

At the beginning of the focus group, the researcher will check that you understand the information on this sheet and consent to take part in the focus group according to the terms set out above. 

The research team 

This research is led by Drs Laura L Cook (University of East Anglia) and Mary Baginsky (Kings College London). Focus groups sessions will be led by Research in Practice staff and the research team.

Contact information

For all enquiries about focus groups or this project please contact Research in Practice who will be able to forward your enquiry to the relevant member of the research team: HybridCP@researchinpractice.org.uk  

If you want to talk to someone external to the project, you can contact Professor Christine Cocker, Head of the School of Social Work, UEA: christine.cocker@uea.ac.uk School of Social Work, University of East Anglia, NR4 7TJ