Role of the Child Protection Committee

The purpose of the Child Protection Committee is to provide a joint forum to allow for a close working relationship between the Agency, the police service, medical practitioners, community health workers, the education service and others who share the common aim of protecting children at risk and for developing, monitoring and reviewing child protection policies.

The overall objectives of the CPC are to co-ordinate local work to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, and to ensure the effectiveness of what the organisations on the Child Protection Committee do individually and together. In addition, the Committee will develop and agree inter-agency policies and procedures for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children to include:

1. The action to be taken where there are concerns about a child's safety or welfare, including thresholds for intervention.
2. Training of those working with children or in services affecting the safety and welfare of children.
3. Investigation of allegations concerning persons working with children.
4. The safety and welfare of privately fostered children.
5. Cooperation with neighbouring children's social care services authorities and their committee members.

Who is on it

The Child Protection Committee of Gibraltar consists of representatives from each of the following Organisations:

• Care Agency
• Gibraltar Sports and Leisure Authority
• Royal Gibraltar Police
• Gibraltar Health Authority
• Gibraltar Cultural Services
• Government of Gibraltar
• Gibraltar Mental Health Services
• Education
• Director of Public Prosecutions
• Gibraltar Youth Service
• Childline

What legislation we are working from

• Children Act 2009
• Child Protection Committee Regulations 2022

Child Protection Committee core functions

• Establish a programme of work to develop and keep under review the working, policies and procedures of the committee.
• Establish, maintain and review inter-agency guidelines on procedures to be followed in individual cases.
• Monitor the implementation of legal procedures.
• Identify significant issues arising from the handling of cases and reports from inquiries.
• Scrutinise arrangements to provide treatment, expert advice and inter-agency liaison and make recommendations to the responsible agencies and the Minister.
• Scrutinise progress on work to prevent child abuse and make recommendations to the responsible agencies and the Minister.
• Scrutinise work related inter-agency training and make recommendations to the responsible agencies and the Minister.
• Publish an annual report on child protection matters and other guides or handbooks on its procedures and policies.
• Appraise annually the work which has been done to protect children from harm and plan for the year ahead.
• Perform such other functions in respect of children’s protection as may be determined by the Minister by Regulations.