Standard Operating Procedures for Child Protection Units Draft 1

Prepared by: Dr. Tahira JabeenAssistant Professor, University of the Punjab, Lahore UNICEF Consultanti

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PreambleChild protection, by nature, is a sensitive and complex process. Of course, every child is unique and so is her/his need for protection. Furthermore, individual needs should be decided in each childs best interest while considering her/his views (according to her/his age and maturity). At the same time, however, child protection is a professional activity to be carried out within specified legal and administrative frameworks, guided by some professional standards of conduct and service, which are validated internationally. Therefore, these Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are an attempt to provide those professional standards by following which those involved in child protection could strike a balance between the children and their families needs and rights, the legal, administrative and professional requirements, and the international best practice. While these procedures are intended to act as a practical reference point for CPUs, they should not be regarded as exhaustive or exclusive. Mostly, these SOPs set specific standard procedures at each and every step of child protection process. However, in exceptional circumstances, they provide some guiding principles for practitioners to make decisions. Some of these are applicable as such to the exisiting child protection system. Others require some administrative adjustments, and still others would require fundamental changes in the way child protection services are currently conceived and provided.Acknowledgements: These SOPs are developed with the generous support and facilitation of staff from the UNICEF Islamabad, UNICEF Punajb, Sindh, Balochistan, Kyber Pakhtun Khwa, KPK Child Protection and Welfare Commission, Punjab Child Protection and Welfare Bureau, Sindh Social Welfare Department, and Balochistan Social Welfare Department. I am specially thankful to Peta-Gaye Bookall (Child Protection Officer, Punjab) for her constant support, advise and sharing of information.

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List of abbreviations and acronymsCP&WB Child Protection and Welfare BureauCPA Child Protection AuthorityCPMIS Child Protection Management Information SystemCPU Child Protection UnitCPWC Child Protection and Welfare CommissionCWPB Child Welfare and Protection BureauERRA Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation AuthorityFDMA Federal Disaster Management AuthorityGC General Comment (by the UNCR Committee)KPK Khyber Pakhtun KhwaMSRU Missing, Separated, Runaway, UnaccompaniedNADRA National Database and Registration Authority NGO Non-Governmental OrganisationPDMA Provincial Disaster Management AuthoritySOPs Standard Operating ProceduresToRs Terms of ReferenceUNCRC United Nations Convention on the Rights of the ChildUNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for RefugeesUNICEF United Nations Children Fund

Content

PreambleiList of abbreviations and acronymsiiChapter 1 Introduction4Goal5Context5International commitments6National constitutional and legal provisions6Existing child protection situation7Guiding Principles7The guiding principles for CPUs across the country7Guiding principles for staff10Terminology and Definitions13Chapter 2 Child Protection Legal and Administrative Frameworks19A - Legal Framework19B - Administrative Framework20C - Mandate of CPUs21D - Functions of CPUs21E - Staffing Structures22Chapter 3 Case Management251. Identification (receipt of a report) and registration252.Recovery, first aid, production in the court, custody (where required)263.Assessment264.Development plan285.Intervention (implementation of development plan)296.Case Conference monitoring and review306.1. Case Conference306.2. Monitoring316.3. Follow up327.Case Closure328.Reopening339.Transferring33Chapter 4 Referrals, Partnerships, Linkages36A. Referrals & partnerships36B. Linkages39Chapter 5 Child Protection Management Information System41A - Standard protocols/forms for:42B Database43C - A CPMIS Core Group43Chapter 6 - Human Resource Development45A - Key Competencies of CPU Staff45B - Pre-service and In-service Training46C - Supervision47Chapter 7 - Operational budgets, annual plans, and reports50Chapter 8 Information Dissemination, Awareness Raising & Community Mobilisation511.Information dissemination512.Awareness raising513.Community mobilisation52Appendix 1: Pakistans international commitments relating to children54Appendix 2a: General Comment 14 on the best interest of the child issued by the Committee on the Rights of the Child.55Appendix 2b: General Comment 12 on the child participation in decisions affecting her/him issued by the Committee on the Rights of the Child.83Appendix 3a: Job Description/ToRs for CPU Professional Staff118Appendix 3b: Job Description/ToRs for CPU Professional Staff124Appendix 4: Forms (Case Management)137Appendix 5a: Information Sharing Protocol162Appendix 5b: Letter Requesting Information171Appendix 5c: Letter for Providing Information173Sources/Resources consulted in preparation of the SOPs176

Chapter 1 IntroductionThe concept of child protection has come a long way from its origin in the child rescue movement of the 1870s[footnoteRef:1]; however, the complex nature of child protection has only gradually been realised. More importantly, the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) has significantly changed the normative context in which children and child protection problems are viewed and child protection policies and practices are formulated. [1: Early interventions against child cruelty and maltreatment in the late 19th century were based on an approach of rescuing children from abusive environments. This child rescue approach was heavily dependent on legal intervention in families, suspected of child abuse, through court orders. This approach tends to subsume emotional abuse and neglect in the term abuse and leaves out the notion of protection from broader structural and socioeconomic problems.]

Increasingly, international organizations such as the UNICEF and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) are turning to a systems approach in their effort to establish and/or strengthen child protection programs. Guided by the UNCRC, the systems approach builds on but differs from earlier child protection efforts in at least one significant way. The systems approach, rather than respond to each child safety concern in isolation, promotes a holistic view of child protection that necessarily engages the full range of actors involved in protecting childrens rights.As a signatory state to the UNCRC, the Government of Pakistan is responsible and committed to establish, both at federal and provincial levels, child protection systems that can effectively prevent and address the protection of children from abuse, neglect, exploitation and various forms of violence as provided in the Article 19 of the UNCRC. The Child Protection Units (CPUs) are the element of this child protection system that are responsible for identifying through various reporting mechanisms which children are in need of protection; assessing the childs eligibility for a service; providing support; and referring those children whose protection rights have been violated for additional services and support where required. As the process of structuring the public child protection systems has been initiated recently, the strategic focus has been on reviewing or promoting the relevant legislative framework and the creation of an institutional framework to administer child protection. With the exception of Khyber Pakhtun Khwa (KPK) who has drafted the child protection and welfare rules, none of the provinces has moved to develop a secondary legislation in order to address the principles stipulated and provisions made in the legal frameworks. For legislative and administrative frameworks to be effective and efficient, the public child protection systems have to have rules of business and/or standard operating procedures. Such rules or procedures are also important to increase the Pakistani child protection systems compliance with the UNCRC and internationally validated standards of child protection.GoalThe purpose of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Child Protection Units (CPUs) within the overall child protection systems in KPK, Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan is to strengthen the ability of the CPUs to meet the global best practice standards, help staff understand the operating environment and respond to child protection concerns in a more effective and efficient manner, and to ensure childrens right to protection from abuse, neglect, exploitation and various forms of violence. The SOPs are required specifically to:i. set clear requirements for standardized protection services and monitoring across provinces, and facilitate best practice.ii. enable staff in exercising professional judgment within a set frameworkiii. ensuring consistency in assessment, formulating development plan, and over all decision making by implementing standardized tools/protocolsiv. formalize mechanisms for involvement of a wide range of formal and informal supports in service planning and provisionv. enhance public confidence that the child protection services will be prompt and handled in a professional mannervi. ensure provision of services maintaining a focus on the child and her/his safety and well-beingContextPakistani context of child protection comprises of the countrys commitments as signatory to various international treaties and conventions, provisions of the national constitution, federal and provincial laws, and the exisiting child protection situation.International commitmentsPakistan has ratified a number of international treaties which provide children with special protections. Appendix 1 provides a summary of Pakistans international commitments relating to children followed by the date of ratification for each treaty. Amongst these international commitments, the UNCRC is most significant as it shapes the national policy and practice on childrens issues. The UNCRC gives special emphasis to protection rights. Articles on protection against discrimination (Article 2), nationality, name, care and registration after birth (Article 7), protection against violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect from parents or caregivers (Article19), adoption (Article 21), disability (Article 23), protection from economic exploitation, from the illicit use of drugs, from sexual exploitation and abuse, from abduction, sale and trafficking and all other forms of exploitation, from torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, protection in armed conflicts (Articles 32-38), and in conflict with the law (Article 40) all concern a childs right to protection in all kinds of difficult circumstances. However, it is the UNCRC Article 19 which provides the basis for establishment of child protection systems. The UNCRC and other commitments being state obligations under international law make national governments the primary parties responsible for the protection of children through legislation and services.National constitutional and legal provisions The Constitution of Pakistan guarantees every citizen, wherever he may be (children are not mentioned separately) fundamental rights. For example, Article 9 provides for the security of the person, Article 11 prohibits slavery and forced labour, Article 14 ensures the dignity of man, Article 22 covers the rights of minorities and Article 25 promises equality for citizens (although Section 25(3) further provides that this equal protection clause shall not prevent the state from making special provisions for the protection of women and children).In addition, the Constitution obliges the state to protect the institution of marriage, the family, the mother and the child (Article 35).Since 18th Constitutional Amendment in 2010, child protection has become a provincial subject. Yet, many national laws address various thematic areas of child protection. These laws include the Juvenile Justice System Ordinance 2000, the Child Marriage Restraint Act 1929, the Employment of Children Act 1991, the Birth, Death and Marriage Registration Act 1886, the Guardians and Wards Act 1890, and the Prevention and Control of Human Trafficking Ordinance 2002 among others. The progress in enacting child protection legislation varies from province to province. KPK has promulgated Khyber Pakhtun Khwa Child Protection and Welfare Act in 2010, and drafted Khyber Pakhtun Khwa Child Protection and Welfare Rules 2013. Sindh has enacted the Sindh Child Protection Authority Act 2011. The Punjab Destitute and Neglected Children Act was promulgated in 2004, and revised 2007. The Balochistan Child Welfare and Protection Bill has been approved by the cabinet and approval from the Provincial Assembly is shortly expected (a more detailed discussion of these legal frameworks is included in the next chapter). All these Acts allow for the establishment of CPUs (for which these SOPs are developed) at a local area level.Existing child protection situation While the legislation is being processed, Pakistani children are faced with various forms of abuse, neglect, exploitation, and violence such as corporal punishment; sexual abuse; harmful traditional practices including under age marriage and swara; kidnap and trafficking; involvement of children in armed conflicts; child labour in hazardous occupations; and extreme poverty. The evolving public child protection systems are seriously wanting in dealing with such a range of protection issues. These SOPs will provide a standardized framework for the management and provision of protection services to cover the variety of forms of abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence. Guiding PrinciplesGuiding principles are a set of norms which guides the behavior of actors, assessment, intervention and provision of child protection services, and are considered best practice. The guiding principles for CPUs and staff are as follows:The guiding principles for CPUs across the country i. Best interest of the childOne of the core principles of working with children is the consideration of the best interest of the child, which should be paramount in the whole protection process. The UNCRC provides;In all actions concerning children, whether undertaken by public or private social welfare institutions, courts of law, administrative authorities or legislative bodies, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration (UNCRC, Article 3, para 1). The Committee on the Rights of the Child (the Committee) has issued a detailed interpretation of the best of the child article in its general comment (GC) 14 (2013). The Committee underlines that the childs best interests is a threefold concept including: a) a substantive right; b) a fundamental, interpretative legal principle; and c) a rule of procedure (please see GC 14 attached as Appendix 2a for a detailed discussion of the practicalities of the principle). ii. Family is the best place for the child to grow up and develop her/his potential. Earlier research such as, John Bowlbys (1950s, 60s) has long established the centrality of family in a childs life. The UNCRC emphasise the same;Convinced that the family, as the fundamental group of society and as the natural environment for the growth and well-being of all its members and particularly children, should be afforded the necessary protection and assistance so that it can fully assume its responsibilities within the community,Recognizing that the child, for the full and harmonious development of his or her personality, should grow up in a family environment, in an atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding (UNCRC, Preamble). Family is the best place for children to grow up, and most parents want to be good parents. When adequately supported, they have the strength and capacity to care for their children and keep them safe. When parents cannot or will not perform their responsibilities, state institutions have obligation to intervene, and ensure the safety and well-being of the child in a family like environment such as in the extended family, with a guardian or foster parent/s, or as a last resort, in a child care institution. iii. Safety and security of the childSafety and security of the child is paramount in all protective services at all times. A child rescued from a situation of risk or actual harm may be frightened and need assurance s/he is safe. At all costs, the child should be protected from risk of further harm.

iv. Confidentiality and privacyConfidentiality and privacy of the child and her/his family should be respected at all times. Only relevant information should be shared, after the informed consent of the child (considering her/his age and maturity) and her/his familys concerns. It should be ensured that the child understands that some information needs to be shared (with other professionals involved) to ensure her/his safety and well-being. The childs (and their familys) privacy should be ensured during interviews, consultations, and provision of protection services. v. Do no harmThose involved in child protection must strive to do no harm or to minimize the harm that may inadvertently imposed on the child through the Actors presence or the Actors provision of protection services. That is, if documenting, reporting, monitoring or providing services will have a greater risk than benefit, it must be avoided.vi. Child participation in decisions affecting her/himOne of the core guiding principles of working with children is the childs right to be heard, or the right to participate, in decisions affecting her/him. In all decisions regarding protection of the child, the child has a right to be heard as provided in the UNCRC;1. State parties shall assure to the child who is capable of forming his or her views the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child, the views of the child being given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child.2. For this purpose the child shall in particular be provided the opportunity to be heard in any judicial and administrative proceedings affecting the child, either directly, or through a representative or an appropriate body in a manner consistent with the procedural rules of national law. (UNCRC, Article 12). Since the adoption of the UNCRC, a widespread practice has emerged, which has been conceptualized as participation, although this term does not appear in the text of the Article 12. The Committee on the Rights of the Child (the Committee) has issued a detailed interpretation of the Article 12 in its general comment (GC) 12 (2009). GC12 presents a legal analysis of the two paragraphs of the Article 12, explain the requirements to fully realize this right including in judicial and administrative procedures in particular (please see GC 12 attached as Appendix 2b for a detailed discussion of the practicalities of the principle). vii. Non discriminationsIn provision of protection services, no child shall be discriminated on the basis of age, race, colour, creed, gender, language, political or any other opinion, nationality, ethnic affiliation, financial status, religion, degree and type of disability, status at birth or acquired status, or the marital or other status of their parents. viii. Continuity and PermanencyTo best protect a childs over all well-being, child protection services need to ensure that the child moves to permanency as quickly as possible, while ensuring the child is, as much as possible, not separated from her/his siblings and other family members. Continuity and permanency can be the result of preservation of family, reunification with the family or legal guardianship by extended/foster families or as a last resort, placement in a standard care institution with, as much as possible, contact with the family of origin/siblings. Guiding principles for staff i. Ethical conductThose involved in child protection have ethical responsibilities towards themselves, clients (that is, children and their families), colleagues, employees and employing organization and the profession. They shall demonstrate the core values of service, children deserve a childhood free from abuse, the dignity and worth of the person, the importance of relationships, integrity, and social justice. In the absence of a national code of ethics for social/child welfare/protection workers in Pakistan, actors may follow the Statement of Ethical Principles issued by the International Federation of Social Workers (http://ifsw.org/policies/statement-of-ethical-principles/), which is being recommended for its universal appeal. ii. Child centered, child friendly conductBeing child centered does not mean concentrating the intervention exclusively on children. This is not the case. Even though children are the specific target and/or priority, it should never be forgotten that they are integral to families and communities. A child protection approach that takes into this will try to understand what childhood, safety, families, and communities mean to children as well as the values placed on children, and their safety and well-being by the adults who influence their lives. To be child centered is to bring the children to the foreground of child protection practice, that is, to get to know each child as an individual, and consider how their situation feels to them. Similarly, being child friendly in all child protection processes including assessment, planning and provision of protection services means creating and maintaining an environment in which the child feels safe and her/his psychosocial development is ensured (or at least hampered least). Towards this end, child protection actors need to have special competencies and skills in communicating/working with children using tools such as toys and play to see the situation from the childs perspective, to listen to them and to take serious account of their views. iii. Work in multidisciplinary teamChild protection, by nature, is a complex field involving a range of actors such as social workers, psychologists, medical and legal professionals, and representatives of various public and private organizations as well as communities. Therefore, working in child protection means working with multidisciplinary teams within and across the sector. Ideally, this team is led by the child protection professional. Yet, this implies having basic knowledge about the fields other than ones own, extending cooperation and assistance to each other, and sharing information for the safety and well-being of the child.iv. ConfidentialityChild abuse, neglect and exploitation is a sensitive issue, involving risk of harm, actual harm, and social stigma. Also, as mentioned earlier, it may require a multidisciplinary, multi-sectoral response. This makes the principle of confidentiality even more relevant. In all child protection process from reporting, assessment, planning to intervention and follow up of services, all actors need to be fully aware of and sensitive to their professional responsibility and the childs and her/his familys right to confidentiality. All written information about the child should be maintained in password secured/locked files. Only designated persons should have access to these files. Any information sharing should be recorded with reasons for such sharing. All identifying personal information should be withheld in the reporting, compilation and sharing of data. Home visits and community contact for assessment, provision and follow up of services should be guided by the professional requirements and in the childs best interest.v. IntegrityChild protection professionals should carry out their professional responsibilities with integrity; treating the child and her/his family in a dignified, respectful, honest and fair manner; and not using their position of authority to exploit the child and her/his family. vi. ImpartialityChild protection professionals must be impartial in all their interactions with all stakeholders. They should maintain a non-judgmental manner even though child protection issues often involve value-conflicts. In provision of protection services, they should not discriminate on the basis of age, race, colour, creed, gender, language, political or any other opinion, nationality, ethnic affiliation, financial status, religion, degree and type of disability, status at birth or acquired status of the child, or the marital or other status of her/his parents. vii. AccountabilityThose involved in child protection practice are accountable not just to their superiors/employers, in fact, they are accountable to the child, her/his family (for each and every step they take in protection services by making transparent the motivation behind their actions), and to the larger public. Such broader accountability is important in enhancing the clients and the public confidence in child protection services. viii. SafetyAll said and done, child protection can be a risky activity. Professionals come across situations on regular basis where their personal safety and security is at risk, such as, rescuing children from criminals or abusive parents/employers, or denied contact with/access to a child who is forced into a harmful traditional practice. In such situations, the professional should not compromise her/his personal safety, and instead, seek help from any public body, such as police, who is able to assist her/him. The KPK Child Protection and Welfare Act, the Punjab Destitute and Neglected Children Act, the Balochistan Child Welfare and Protection Bill all provide for such assistance.

Terminology and DefinitionsChild: is a natural person under 18 years of ageChild abuse: is a deliberate act of ill treatment or omission that can harm or is likely to cause harm to a childs safety, well-being, dignity and development. Child abuse can take four forms; i. Physical abuse: physical abuse involves the use of physical force to cause actual or likely physical injury or suffering. This may include acts such as hitting, shaking, throwing, burning, scalding and spanking among others)ii. Emotional abuse: emotional abuse is the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the childs emotional development. This may include humiliating and degrading treatment, preventing the child participating in normal social interaction, and developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on the child.iii. Sexual abuse: sexual abuse is a form of abuse, harm or suffering caused by forcing or enticing a child to take part in sexual activities, including prostitution, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact including both penetrative or non-penetrative act such kissing, touching or fondling the childs genitals or breasts, or intercourse. They may include non-contact activities such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, pornographic materials or watching sexual activities.iv. Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a childs basic physical and / or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the childs health or development. Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance abuse. Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent failing to: Provide adequate food, clothing and shelter (including exclusion from home or abandonment); Protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger; Ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate care-givers); Ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment.It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a childs basic emotional needs. Child at risk: includes a child in need of protection who;Is at an unacceptable risk of suffering harm as a result of physical, emotional or sexual abuse and/or exploitation, serious impairment of health, or neglect or negligence treatment.Is at risk, including an orphan, child with disabilities, child of migrant worker, child victim of an armed conflict or a natural disaster, an unaccompanied asylum seeker/refugee child, child working and/or living on the street, child in conflict with the law, and child living in extreme poverty.i. is found beggingii. is likely to be abused or exploited for illegal or immoral purposes or gainsiii. is left abandoned by her/his parent/s including a child born out of wedlock and left abandonediv. is imprisoned with the mother or born at a place of detentionv. is beyond the control of her/his parents, legal guardians or carersvi. is at risk of being engaged in any of the worst forms of child labourvii. lives in a brothel or with a sex worker or frequently visits a place being used for the purpose of prostitution or is found associated with any person who leads a depraved lifeviii. has a parent or guardian who is unfit or incapacitated to provide proper care, protection and/or exercise control over the child Child in contact with the law: is a person under 18 years of age who comes into contact with the justice system as a result of being suspected or accused of having committed an offense.Child labour: According to the International Labour Organisation, the term child labour refers to work that:i. is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children; andii. interferes with their schooling by:iii. depriving them of the opportunity to attend school;iv. obliging them to leave school prematurely; orv. requiring them to attempt to combine school attendance with excessively long and heavy work (http://www.ilo.org/ipec/facts/lang--en/index.htm)According to the Article 11 (3) of the Constitution of Pakistan, and the Employment of Children Act 1991, employment of children under 14 years is prohibited in certain occupations.Child protection: is the process of protecting of individual children identified as either suffering, or at risk of suffering, significant harm as a result of abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence.Child trafficking: According to the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime, 2000, human trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other coercion, of abduction, or fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation.Child trafficking concerns the business of removing children from their homes and families, transporting them elsewhere, within the country or overseas, to be put to use by others, usually to make money (adapted from Terre Des Hommes).Children associated with armed forces and groups: are persons under 18 years of age who are part of any kind of regular or irregular armed force or armed group in any capacity. This may include being a combatant, a cook, a porter or any other purpose.Children living and working on the street: are those children who do not have homes or caregivers and live and work on the streets. This differs from those children who work on the street but return to a home at night. Harm: means the ill treatment or the impairment of the health or development of the child as a result of seeing, hearing, suffering the ill treatment of another. In this context, health means physical or mental health and development means physical, intellectual, emotional or social development.Kidnapping: is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority. This may be done for ransom or in furtherance of another crime, or in connection with a child custody dispute.Missing child: a child found with any adult accompanying her/him, and is unable to express verbally or non-verbally her/his whereabouts and whose parents cannot be located immediately. Orphan: an orphan is a child whose either one or both parents are known to be dead.Protective factors: Protective factors are conditions or attributes in individuals, families, communities, or the larger society that, when present, mitigate or eliminate risk in families and communities that, when present, increase the health and well-being of children and families. Protective factors help parents to find resources, supports, or coping strategies that allow them to parent effectively, even under stress.Risk: is the likelihood or probability of a particular outcome, that is, exposure to danger, threat or damage, given the presence of factors in a childs lifeRisk Factors: are attributes commonly associated with maltreatment. These include parental attributes (such as mental health issues, trauma history, substance abuse and teen parenting), child attributes (such as age, health, diabilities and physical, emotional and psychological development), community and environment factors (such as neighbourhood, poverty and economic conditions). Runaway: is referred to a child who is found missing from home for some time and become a part of public places. This is a voluntary act of children in the face of a perceived or actual issue at home which cause them to leave home and become part of the public places. Separated: a separated child is a child who is separated from both her/his parents, or from her/his legal, customary primary caregivers, but, not necessarily from the extended family/kin.Significant Harm: is the threshold that justifies compulsory intervention in family life in the best interests of children, and give child protection services a duty to make enquiries to decide whether they should take action to safeguard or promote the welfare of the child who is suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm. Unaccompanied: an unaccompanied child is a child who has been separated from both parents and other relatives and are not being cared for by an adult who, by law or custom, is responsible to do so.

Chapter 2 Child Protection Legal and Administrative FrameworksThis chapter includes a brief analysis of the current legal and administrative frameworks for child protection in various jurisdictions. It, then, outlines the mandate and the functions of the CPUs followed by a proposed staffing structure for the CPUs, with the professional staff job descriptions/Terms of Reference in appendices. A - Legal Framework As discussed in Chapter One, under the umbrella of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and with the UNCRC as policy guidelines, provinces are in the process of enacting legislation which provides a legal basis for child protection. KPK has enacted, by far the most comprehensive legal framework, in the form of the Khyber Pakhtun Khwa Child Protection and Welfare Act 2010 followed by the Khyber Pakhtun Khwa Child Protection and Welfare Rules 2013 (draft). However, two areas need further consideration, namely, the Child Protection and Welfare Fund and the Child Protection Committees. The purpose of the Fund needs to be specified and clearly delineated from the operational budget of the CPUs. Second, considering the staffing strength and functions of the CPUs at the district level, the Child Protection Committees arrangement becomes, too say the least, a too big an investment with uncertain results[footnoteRef:2]. Other modalities, such as mobilizing communities to volunteer and/or a gradual progress to mandatory reporting (e.g. involving the existing structures such as the Union Councils, the Basic Health Units, and the Public Schools one at a phase) might be considered. [2: Between September 2012 and September 2013, these committees were the fourth source of referrals (458 male and 298 female cases) to the CPUs after Fieldworkers (1235 male and 812 female cases), self referrals (810 male and 589 female cases) and other organizations (443 male and 350 female cases) (McMillan 2013).]

Although, the preamble of the Sindh Child Protection Authority Act 2011 states, to provide for the establishment of an Authority known as the Sindh Child Protection Authority and to ensure the rights of the children in need of special protection measures(emphasis added), the text of the Act mostly deals with matters related to the establishment of the Authority except for Clauses 15 (appointment of the child protection officers), 16 (child protection units), and 17 (protective measures), which leaves too much to interpretations and/or secondary legislation. In addition, the division of roles and responsibilities between the Authority and the Social Welfare Department is not very clear. The Balochistan Child Welfare and Protection Bill has been approved by the cabinet and the approval from the Provincial Assembly is shortly expected. The Bill details the child protection process. However, the arrangement between the Child Protection Units and the Childrens Advocacy Service might result in making the whole process too legalistic and lethargic. This, as the world experience suggests, is not very conducive, especially considering the nature and scope of child protection services. Also, the Bill is not clear with regard to the administrative arrangements such as the composition and the functions of the Advisory Board and its relationship with the Social Welfare Department. Although Punjab was the first province to enact a child protection specific legislation, the Punjab Destitute and Neglected Children Act in2004, and revised in 2007, however, the Act is extremely narrow in its scope. Therefore, it has to be revisited in order to increase the compliance with the UNCRC and internationally validated standards of child protection. This revisiting is also necessary to ensure the functionality of the system that guarantees all childrens right to protection in all situations of harm or potential risk, and is not limited to the destitute and the neglected ones.An overall concern, of varying degrees, regarding almost all provincial child protection laws is the challenge of defining child protection, considering overlap between childrens all rights and protection rights, and demarking the link (and difference) between social protection and child protection. Neil McMillan (2013) has discussed these issues in detail in his Assessment of Child Protection Units (Pakistan) report. These definition and demarcation challenges have practical implication with regard to the mandate and the functions of the CPUs, which is a main concern of these SOPs. For example, based on data from September 2012 to September 2013 in KPK, McMillan concluded that the CPUs have been dealing overwhelmingly with issues of access to education, health and disability services (2013, p7). He has concluded rightly so. Compared with 2392 cases of educational issues, there were 158 cases of violence abuse, 12 of physical violence, and 11 of sexual violence, which falls under the child protection provided in the Article 19 of the UNCRC the basis for the establishment of the public child protection systems. Similarly, CPU Ghotki (Sindh) in a 2012-13 consolidated report, included 34 cases of neglect(disability), four cases of violation of childrens health and education rights, two cases of violence, three cases of child marriage, three cases of police torture, and one case of sexual abuse during the reporting month (March 2013). Majority of these cases were referred to the health, education, and social welfare departments, which brings one back to the question of the definition of child protection and the role and functions of the CPUs.B - Administrative FrameworkRespective provincial laws on child protection provide for the establishment of administrative and institutional structures mandated to implement the legal provisions. Punjab has established the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (overseen by the Punjab Home Department) in 2005. KPK has established the Khyber Pakhtun Khwa Child Protection and Welfare Commission in 2011. Sindh is in the process of establishing a Sindh Child Protection Authority and Balochistan Child Welfare and Protection Bill provides for the establishment of a Child Welfare and Protection Bureau. The provincial child protection laws also provide for the establishment of child protection units at local (district, divisional) level. With UNICEF support, the provincial Social Welfare Departments, in Sindh and Punjab as well as the Commission for Child Protection and Welfare Khyber Pakhtun Khwa, and Child Protection and Welfare Bureau have established a number of district-based CPUs. The details are as following;Sindh: There are 11 CPUs. Ghotki is supported by the IKEA funds. All others (Karachi, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Shikarpur, Sukkur, Hyderabad, Badin, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, and Tando Mohammad Khan) are jointly supported by the UNICEF and Social Welfare Department. KPK: There are 12 CPUs. Five (Swabi, Swat, Abbotabad, Bannu, Kohat) are funded by the UNICEF, six (Mardan, Lower Dir, Battagram, Chatral, Charsadda, Bunair) by the Save the Children, and one (Peshawar) by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection and Welfare Commission.Punjab: There are nine CPUs. Six (Lahore, Gujranwala, Multan, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Sialkot) are run by the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau, and three (Bahawalpur, Rahimyarkhan, Rajanpur) by the UNICEF. Balochistan: District Social Welfare Officers will be declared Child Protection Officers once the necessary legislation is in place. These Units are the frontline of the provincial, district and union council public administrative entities that aim to strengthen the gate keeping function at local level to reach children and their families who seek protection.C - Mandate of CPUsGate keeping, identification and registration of cases of child abuse, neglect, exploitation, and various forms of violence against children, assessment, development plan, case management, and referral to and co-ordinate with other social services or institutions to address and prevent violations of childrens right to protection in a child-centered, family focused, and culturally responsive manner.D - Functions of CPUsi. the central point of contact for children/families with abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence concerns (Chap 3)ii. identification and registration of children faced with abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence (Chap 3) iii. conduct assessment of the needs and risks, formulate and implement development plan, periodically review the plan, and follow up of interventions with/for children in need of protection from abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence (Chap 3) iv. referrals to social and protective services, co-ordination & collaboration with other agencies that work with/for children, including inter-provincial referrals (Chap 4)v. liaising with service providers (public and private), NGOs/CBOs, and communities (where they provide services) (Chap 4)vi. developing and maintaining CPMIS (Chap 5) vii. human resource development (Chap 6) viii. preparing annual institutional development plans and proposing budgetary requirements, based on patterns of demand and existing service availability (Chap 7)?????ix. disseminating information, raising awareness and mobilize community members, including children, on the rights of the children and their families in general and on issues of child protection in particular. The purpose is to engage communities in identification and reporting of protection concerns as well as prevention of abuse, violence, neglect and exploitation with a special focus on initiatives towards creating protective environments (preventive measures) (Chap 8)E - Staffing Structures Roles & responsibilities as per the prescribes rules where exist, e.g, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection and Welfare Rules 2013 (draft), Balochistan Child Welfare and Protection Bill, however, after reviewing the provisions of the above, a Minimum hiring profile, TORs/JDs are attached as Appendix 3a,b,c,dChild Protection Unit Structure

Male and Female Field Workers/ Community Workers (Grade 15) (2-4 depending upon Catchment Area)Manager CPU (Grade 18)Child Attendant 1Help-line Operator 3IT Officer 1Male and Female Child Protection Officers (Grade 17) (2-4 depending upon assessment of past years registered reportsDistrict/Divisional Pool of Specialists to be hired as and when neededSecretarial Support (Admin Officer)

Support staff (Driver, Naib qasid, Security guard)

Considering centralized staff recruitment procedures in respective jurisdictions, CPUs shall, with/through the apex child protection bodies (that is, KPK Child Protection and Welfare Commission, Sindh Child Protection Authority, Balochistan Child Welfare and Protection Bureau, Punjab Child Protection and Welfare Bureau) negotiate and put in place Child Safe Recruitment Procedures recognized internationally. These procedures include;Mandatory screening procedure for all staffi. criminal history checkii. child protection interview questions (to determine attitudes, motivation, behaviours of candidates to work with children, and response to child protection issues)iii. Minimum two (2) reference checks to elicit information regarding the candidates code of conduct Additional child safe screening procedures (for those who work directly with children)i. targeted interview questions to determine attitude, behavior and motivation of candidate to work with children and response to child protection/child rights issuesii. verbal reference check from the current/last employer to include questions regarding candidates conduct in interaction with children

Chapter 3 Case ManagementPrevious assessments (such as McMillan 2013; Khan et al. 2013), visits of the CPUs and consultation with the CPUs staff revealed that the case management is one area of the current child protection process that needs to be strengthen. Good case management is essential in order to identify individual children and families in need of protection, to provide services they need, and to monitor how effective those services were in addressing protection concerns of these children and families. Therefore, this chapter attempts to set standard operating procedures for the whole case management process from identification/report of a case, assessment, development plan, intervention, follow up, case closure to reopening (if need be). More importantly, to put the whole process in a perspective and to differentiate case management from other processes such as data management, it starts with the fundamental question, what is case management?For the purpose of these SOPs, case management is defined as:The process of assisting an individual child (and their family) through direct support and referral to other needed services, and the activities that child protection officers/case workers/social workers or other child protection staff carry out in working with children and families in addressing their protection concerns (adapted from Save the Children 2011). From this definition, five core components of case management emerge as: identification of children in need of protection; assessment of their vulnerability to risk or actual harm; individual development plan; referral to other support services (where required); and monitoring, review and follow up. However, for the sake of clarity, and practical utility some of these components are further divided into more than one step as following: 1. Identification (receipt of a report) and registrationThere are a number of ways/sources of reporting the identification of children experiencing protection issues or are vulnerable to any harm that needs to be addressed by the CPU;i. a child may make herself/himself known to the CPU by walking-in or making a phone call on the Helplineii. informed by a parent, legal guardian or any other person responsible for the care of the child that they can no longer take care of the child or address a protection concern on their owniii. a child may be identified and referred by relevant professionals in law enforcement, health and education among others.iv. a child may be identified as needing support following recovery or release from an exploitive environment such as hazardous labour, begging mafia or traffickingv. a child may be identified by community members as needing protective services such as an orphan or a child domestic workervi. a child may be identified by monitoring of relevant environment, such as known hubs of missing/unaccompanied children including bus terminals, railway station, shrines and other public places, by child protection officers and field staff of the CPUCPUs are to have high visibility in the communities so that they can be easily accessed via several modes. That is, any person who has identified a child and/or her/his family in need of protection services should know who to contact (Helpline, Units phone number, fieldworkers identity) and where to go (Units location/address). This shall be achieved through providing these details to all potential stakeholders and asking them to display at prominent places such as on school notice board, hospital gate and entrance/exit of bus terminal/railway station, through locally relevant and culturally sensitive mass awareness campaigns, and by allocating a sign/color to child protection services and making it familiar through mass advertisement (for example, in Australia, a yellow painted door is a safe haven for children in need of safety. It could be a door of a community designated home, a hospital or a police station). A more detailed discussion of this is covered in Chapter 8 on information dissemination, awareness raising, and community mobilization Following the identification of the child, s/he should be registered with the CPU within 24 hours of receiving the report. Standard registration information includes;a. date and location of registrationb. childs name, age, gender, religionc. name, age, gender of childs siblings and/or all children residing in the homd. appearance including complexion, physique, dress/accessoriese. whether the child is with her/his primary carer, separated/unaccompaniedf. name, CNIC card details and contact details of parents/carersg. where the child was found/currently stayingh. initial protection concern (Registration Form attached as Appendix 4a) Once a report is received, a case file is opened. This case file must hold a written record of all the information on the child and family that is relevant to how their protection concern is addressed. Such documentation is vital to monitor and review the services that are required and provided. To maintain confidentiality this file should be kept in a password secured/locked location with a restricted access.2.Recovery, first aid, production in the court, custody (where required)On identification of a child in need of protection, some situations may require immediate medical and/or legal action. For example, in a case of severe corporal punishment, the child might be in need of an immediate medical treatment or rescued from an abusive parent/criminal gang, production in the court. The CPU shall ensure provision of such medical/legal assistance simultaneously, with other formal processes such as registration documentation and assessment as child protection officer will make records of all their interactions with clients and then translate that information into the various documentation formats. 3.AssessmentOn identification, and in exceptional circumstances once a childs immediate safety is ensured and after registration with the CPU, and if the CPU considers there is a need to intervene, an assessment should be carried out. This should be;i. an assessment of the child within her/his whole environmentii. conducted in such a way that it does not pose further harm or protection risk to the child and her/his familyiii. focused on the best interest of the childiv. build on strengths as well as identifying weaknesses. A child protection officer should be allocated the case[footnoteRef:3] as this makes the process of rapport building easier and the child would feel comfortable to share with the same person who s/he came in contact the first time. The assessment might be conducted in two phases if required. [3: A 1:8 one Child Protection Officer to eight children is considered an ideal ratio. Considering Pakistani situation, it might be 1:15, but, no more.]

3.1.Initial assessment: should be started by the CPU within 24 hours of the report and must be completed within five working days (one week). Initial assessment is important because incidents of neglect and abuse within families especially, are on a continuum, and situations where neglect/abuse is developing can be addressed by providing services outside the child protection procedures. The types of information or areas of assessment may include;a. identity of the childb. family composition and relationshipsc. family location (for missing/separated/unaccompanied children)d. health of the child (any apparent signs of abuse, injury)e. behavior and emotional development stagef. life skills, interaction with others and social relationshipsg. childs economic status (dependant, working, if working, type of work)h. childs perspective on her/his protection concern (Assessment Form attached as Appendix 4b)i. perspective of the parents, legal guardian, primary carerThe initial report shall be submitted in writing on the Assessment Form, the CPU shall consider the report and make a decision on any action to be taken within five working days (one week). Where the child is not found at risk and/or CPU decides that no action is to be taken, the CPU shall inform the child, her/his parents, legal guardians, primary carer, and the person who reported the case (if different from the aforementioned) to the CPU. Any decision shall be recorded in written with reasons. 3.2. Full Assessment: Where an initial assessment indicates that the child is in need of protection services, the CPU shall inform the child, her/his parents, legal guardians, primary carer, and the person who reported the case (if different from the aforementioned), and instruct the Child Protection Officer to undertake a full assessment. The full assessment shall be completed within 15 working days (three weeks) of the initial assessment. Building on the initial assessment, the full assessment involves an assessment of i. Familys socioeconomic statusii. Description of precipitating events which lead to the report of concerniii. The particular incident (e.g, abuse, violence, injuries): circumstances of the incidence, any patterns of neglect or abuse, the childs relationship with the perpetratorsiv. All historical information about the child: to ascertain whether the child or family is known to the CPU or any other part of the child protection system. If the internal record indicates so, the relevant public sector organizations, non-governmantal organizations (NGOs), concerned professionals such as social workers, police, doctors and other concerned people may be contacted for verification of the existing information. v. Childs immediate environment: If the child, family is new to the CPU, all relevant information shall be gathered about the childs immediate environment including family, education institution, work place, familys support networks such as relatives, extended family, tribe, and broader community to ascertain the causes of risk/harm, future risk assessment, and to find potential supportive factors. This may involve interviews (with the child, parents, legal guardian, primary carer and/or others involved in the incident as witness or in any other capacity) and/or forensic techniques. Such interviews will be conducted with the family as a unit as well as separately with the child so that the child does not feel intimidated by parents/carers or choose to be silent for fear of retaliation from parents/carers.That is, interview the child on their own with the consent of the parent as a part of the case management. vi. Potential expert consultation, advise, and referral: Other public sector organizations, NGOs, and concerned professionals such as psychologists, social workers, police, lawyers, doctors and teachers may also be involved in the assessment to fully understand the situation, seek expert consultation and advise, and potential referrals. A case conference (discussed in detail in the following steps) might be convened to discuss the full assessment and to formulate a development plan. The full assessment should be submitted to the CPU in writing (Assessment Form attached as Appendix 4b).4.Development planWithin five working days (one week) of the submission of the full assessment, the CPU shall decide an individual development plan for the child. The development plan might be formulated by the Child Protection Officer alone or in consultation with the CPU team, or, if not called earlier, a case conference might be convened at this stage to help the Child Protection Officer/CPU team devise the development plan. The development plan must include details of:i. the precise service that will be provided to the child, her/his family (not health service, but, surgery (type, organ) for example) ii. where this service is to take place (CPU, at home, child care institution, another public agency such as a public hospital, an NGO)iii. person responsible for providing it (Child Protection Officer, teacher, doctor, carer)iv. the length of time for which it is to be providedv. intended results of the servicevi. actions required to achieve these results, by whomvii. procedures for monitoring and reviewing the case, with review dates confirmedviii. a contingency plan ix. signature page for parents/children, and collaborative partners(Development Plan protocol attached as Appendix 4c)It is vital for the success of the development plan that it is culturally sensitive, and the child, her/his family is involved in the development of the plan. It should be made sure that the child (and family) fully understands what service/s can be provided. This would help them to contribute to the planning, participate in the implementation, and manage their expectations of the intervention. Such close involvement of the child, her/his family would also improve the accountability of the professionals and the public services for child protection.The development plan shall be agreed and signed by all stakeholders. It should be communicated to the child in a manner appropriate to her/his age, level of maturity and linguistic background.5.Intervention (implementation of development plan)Implementation shall be lead by the designated child protection officer. Following must be considered in implementation of the development plan: i. communicating the plan to the child, family in a language that they understand, ensuring the childs consent and active participation in the implementation ii. sharing the plan and clearly communicating the roles and responsibilities to all those involved in the provision of the serviceiii. standard (minimum) contact with various stakeholders including the child, family, collaborating agency shall be determined in consultation with the concerned persons and considering the nature of the service. For example, a child placed in foster care/under the legal guardianship may need to be visited regularly, once a week for first one month, fortnightly in the next three months, and once in a month afterwards, whereas it might be sufficient to receive the monthly progress report from school and visiting the child and her/his teacher once in three months in a case of readmission of a child who has been victim of corporal punishment in school.In some cases, a child may not require hard support services, or along with such services, do need emotional support to resolve some of her/his protection concerns, that is, non-clinical psychosocial support and counseling, which is the responsibility of the designated child protection officer. In providing such support, it is necessary to work with the childs family, guardian or primary carer to build relationship between the child and her/his environment, and enable them to resolve their problems in a sustainable manner which is in the best interest of the child. In cases where family, guardians or carer are not co-operative (for example, where compliance is apparent than genuine, or where there is resistance or open hostility), the childs safety and well-being shall be paramount. To deal with such non co-operation, the CPU shall;a. ensure that the professionals are trained for the level of work they are undertakingb. publish a statement about unacceptable behavior by those accessing the CPU servicesc. support and enable the professionals to deal with such situations within the professional code of conduct.d. draw a written agreement with family, guardian or carer specifying the unacceptable behaviour and its impact on the service delivery, and the professional/legal authority of the child protection officer as well as responsibilities of the family, guardian, carer. 6.Case Conference monitoring and review6.1. Case ConferenceThe purpose of a case conference is to systematically and thoroughly assess, plan and monitor the progress of a child protection service to ensure successful outcomes. As mentioned earlier, a case conference could be a useful forum for proper assessment and formulation of individual development plan. However, if that is not possible, a case conference must be convened at regular intervals to review the progress of the development plan. Important considerations for a case conference include;i. Schedule: as per the assessment and the development plan schedule suggested earlier at the assessment and planning stages. Once implementation of the development plan starts, case conference should be held monthly, or at least quarterly, to monitor the progress and to review the plan if needed. The timing and location of the conference should be planned to ensure maximum attendance. ii. Agenda: must be set and circulated by the (case designated) child protection officer, with the consent/approval of their supervisor/manager. iii. Participants: The child protection officer, their supervisor/manager, and staff from other agencies providing referral services, and specialists such as lawyers and doctors. The specialists such as lawyers and doctors might send a written report if it is not possible for them to attend the case conference. The child (depending on her/his age and level of maturity), her/his parents, legal guardians or carer should attend the initial (assessment and development plan) conferences. The contents of the review case conferences must be passed on to the child, her/his family for their information and feedback.iv. Tasks: the case conference shall discuss;a. How the case is progressingb. How the childs situation and condition are improvingc. What further steps need to be taken changes in development pland. Who is required to act (along with the designated child protection officer)e. further steps, if anyv. Chair: case conference shall be chaired by the CPU manager.vi. Minutes: A case conference proceedings register shall be maintained by the CPU. The relevant parts should be passed on to the child, her/his family for their information and feedback.6.2. MonitoringThe situation of the child receiving protection services must be monitored in an appropriate and timely manner throughout the period the child is receiving the service. The designated child protection officer should visit the child in her/his home or care arrangement at a frequency that is determined by the situation of the child and nature of the service. For example, a child who has recently come out of an extremely exploitive situation, should be visited daily or on alternate days in the initial stages of her/his recovery. The frequency and pattern of these visits would be adapted as a childs condition improves. Where the main service is provided by an agency other than the CPU, weekly and monthly progress reports should be shared along with weekly/fortnightly visits by the designated child protection officer. Record of any written correspondence (letter or email) and telephone calls between the CPU and the service providing agency shall be maintained in the childs case file.Monitoring activities, whether visits, written correspondence or telephone calls, should;i. provide support and guidance to the child, her/his carer, and to mediate on any problems arisingii. monitor for and mitigate the risk of further abuse, neglect, exploitation or violence iii. seek the childs perspective about the situation and suggestions towards better implementation of the development planiv. ensure that the child, her/his family is receiving protection services in line with the care planv. update the child, her/his family on progress made towards long term protection solutionsvi. ensure that the service-providers to whom the child has been referred are providing services in a safe environment as per the development planvii. in the case of missing/unaccompanied/runaway children, obtaining information regarding family tracing and contact (Monitoring & Follow up Form attached as Appendix 4d)6.3. Follow upFollow up is as important as monitoring, however, usually a neglected stage of case management, due mainly to resource constraints. If such is the situation, the CPU shall prioritise most vulnerable cases. Each case shall be monitored for a minimum of six months period, where the frequency of follow up visits shall be determined by the nature of the case, however, it should be no more than two months. Record of letters, emails, telephone calls for the purpose of follow up shall be maintained in the childs case file. Follow ups is necessary to; i. help the child, her/his family, guardians, carer to re-adjust to their new (improved) environment.ii. assess the post-service situation from the childs her perspectiveiii. provide ongoing support and guidance in maintaining the protective environment and healthy relationships7.Case ClosureA key aspect of the review process is to determine when a case can be closed. Basic criteria for the case closure shall include the following;The protection concern is resolved (in the best interest of the child) within short and long term. However, there might be situations where a case has to be closed due to factors beyond the control of the CPU, such as death, the reason should be documented (with evidence, where possible).The child is transferred to another jurisdiction. However, in this situation, the case shall be closed only after the transfer process is completed duely.For the sustainability of the solution, the CPU shall consider the best outcomes for children, that is, for every child to;a. stay safeb. be healthyc. enjoy and achieved. make a positive contributione. achieve economic well being (London Safeguarding Children Board, 2010).Process by which case closure decision is made shall be recorded, and communicated to all service providers. (Case Closure Form is attached as Appendix 4e)8.ReopeningOn receiving information that the child has been driven to a situation of risk/harm again, the CPU shall reopen the case. A child protection officer can initiate the process, but, final decision to reopen the case shall be made by the supervisor/CPU manager. S/he will record the reason for reopening the case in the childs case file, and allocate the case to a child protection officer.9.Transferring Transferring a case from one CPU to another, especially, where provincial jurisdictions are involved. A case might be transferred from one CPU to another on reasonable grounds including;i. the required service is not available with the CPU where case was initially registeredii. where the child is residing with her/his family, guardian, carer, they have to move to another local area/other provincial jurisdiction for reasons of work, employment or any other avoidable circumstancesiii. in the case of a missing, separated, unaccompanied or runaway child, her/his family, guardian, carer is found (by the CPU or the other jurisdiction) to be residing in another jurisdiction including another province Once the reasonable grounds established or contacted by other jurisdictions for a case transfer, the case registering CPU shall initiate the process immediately. The transfer process shall start with a written application in the name of the registering CPU to the designated court (Child Protection Court, courts established under the Guardians and Wards Act, Juvenile Court, court of session). On favourable decision by the court, the registering CPU shall make transfer arrangements with the other CPU within 5 working days (one week). Where the provincial jurisdictions are involved, the transfer process shall start by the registering CPU after approval from the apex provincial child protection body (KPK Child Protection and Welfare Commission, Punajb Child Protection and Welfare Bureau) and must be completed within 10 working days (two weeks) of the court order.

Chapter 4 Referrals, Partnerships, LinkagesChild protection practice is, in nature, multidisciplinary and interdependent on inter-agency co-operation. A system approach to child protection, too, requires inter-agency co-operation to address child protection concerns holistically. This makes referrals as significant a part of the CPU work as intake and case management within the CPU. Since there are no mandatory reporting requirements in Pakistan, it becomes the CPU responsibility to alert all professionals involved with children, such as, teachers, doctors, health workers and social workers regarding signs of abuse, neglect, exploitation or other child protection concerns and encourage them to report to the CPU. In fact, such alertness ultimately helps these agencies because they would be partnering the CPU in providing some protective services. Therefore, referrals could be two-way, that is, a) a protection concern for a child from those working with children to the CPU, and b) from the CPU to those agencies for provision of protection services. A. Referrals & partnershipsIn the current child protection practice in Pakistan, the term referral is mostly used for the process of CPU seeking co-operation and involving other agencies in provision of protection services to a child. Referral process involves;1- Identifying and liaising with potential partners and collaborators These include, but not limited to, public & private health, education, and special education agencies, police, courts, National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA), Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Federal Disaster Management Authority (FDMA), registered international, national and local NGOs, and some non-registered organizations working on childrens issues. CPUs should develop and maintain a directory of these partners and collaborators with the contact details of the agency and the designated child protection focal person, if any. 2- Formalise referral mechanismsFormalising referral mechanisms involves two stages. i. At the first stage an overall link is formalized in the form of an official notification to the potential public sector partners, and by signing a Letter of Understanding with the private sector. While the public sector partners derive their legitimacy and capacity to act as partners from their status as government institutions, private organizations may need to be assessed in terms of their eligibility and capacity to act as potential partners. In doing so, CPUs shall follow the criteria below; a. They are registered under any of the federal or provincial laws related to registration of non-governmental organizations.b. They have a proven record and capacity (in the form of ongoing projects, progress reports, evaluation of past projects) to work with children and provide services under considerationc. They understand the contribution they can make to childrens safety and well-beingd. They agree to comply with the standard operating procedures of the CPU, and current child protection laws applicable in the jurisdictione. They are willing and agree to work in a partnership lead by a child protection officerf. They are willing and agree to share information relevant to the case involved. In addition, these SOPs provide guidelines in collaborating with important public sector partners as following;a. Criminal, juvenile justice: The police has the primary function of assisting the child protection officer in conducting preliminary investigation into a complaint of a protection concern, and access to and safe custody of the child. The police will also investigate into established cases of abuse, exploitation and violence against children with a view to prosecute the perpetrator. Juvenile justice involves work with children who are involved in offending behaviours. Courts have a decisive role in cases involving custody, legal guardianship, and transfer of children to other jurisdictions b. Health services: where a child has sustained injury, suffered harm or is suspected to be abused, s/he should be taken to, preferably, the emergency department of a designated hospital where s/he is examined and provided medical treatment. The childs condition (injuries, bruises, sickness, malnourishment) should be documented by the examining medical officer. Doctors may discharge the child after first aid or admit her/him for further examination or treatment requiring longer stay. A discharge plan should be worked out between the CPU and the hospital as soon as the child is fit to be discharged. c. Education services: School has an important place in Pakistani child protection context. On the one hand, teachers, who work with children closely, will notice behavioural changes, bruises or injuries of a student, and would report. On the other hand, teachers might be perpetrators in cases of corporal punishment which is rampant in Pakistani schools. CPUs shall keep a close contact with the principal/designated teacher for timely reporting of any child protection concerns, and for monitoring purposes where a development plan involves school. Through curriculum, education department can play a role in helping children learn how to keep themselves and others safe.A Core Group or a Working Committee at the district level (for example, those working in Sindh), with representatives from all potential collaborators from the public (those notified) as well as private sector (those signed LoUs with the CPU) would be an effective forum to co-ordinate the child protection efforts. This forum shall convene monthly, or at least quarterly, and be chaired by the manager CPU to ensure professional leadership for better outcomes for children in need of protection. ii. The second stage starts when a specific case is being referred to one or more specific agencies. At this stage, formal referral mechanisms involve a detailed description of the service, roles and responsibilities of participating agencies, response time, and review procedures (Referral Fprm attached as Appendix 4f) 3 Referral pathwaysAs noted earlier, referrals could be a two-way activity. Even when used to describe uni-directional referral, that is, from the CPU to another agency for a specific service, flexibility is the key in determining referral pathways depending on the nature of the case and the service needed.i. Once it is established during the initial assessment, conducted by the CPU, that the child needs a protection service or services which would be provided by agencies other than the CPU, ideally the case shall be brought to the district Core Group or Working Committees meeting. This would provide an opportunity to explore the service option best suitable to the childs protection need. This would also open avenues for a wider co-operation between various agencies to maximize the outcomes for the child and her/his family, guardian, carer. ii. However, if the case requires an immediate response and the Core Group or Working Committee s meeting cannot be scheduled within the limited available timeframe, the CPU should convene a case conference and invite the specific collaborating agency/ies so they can participate in full assessment and formulation of a development plan to which they would be implementing partners.iii. If it happens, that no opportunity arises for involvement of the potential partner in the full assessment and formulation of development plan, then, CPU shall;a. discuss the potential partner involvement with the child, her/his family, guardian, carer, and seek their consentb. designated child protection officer visit the potential service provider, provide relevant background information about the case, and share the development planc. outline the reason for referral and expectations of all stakeholdersd. agree service provision timeframe and procedures for information sharing including participation in case conferencee. ensure that the service provider understand the role of the designated child protection officer as team leaderf. document all necessary information and share copies with all stakeholders In following any of the above outlined pathways, the core responsibilities of case management and documentation shall remain with the CPU.4 Follow up on disposition of referralEach development plan shall have a detailed monitoring and follow up plan which shall be executed accordingly by each partner. Yet, the CPU has the responsibility to follow up on disposition of referrals. During the service provision period, this could be done through written progress reports, phone calls/emails, visits by the designated child protection officer and in the case conference. Ideally, the completion of service provision should be indicated by an official certificate, such as a fitness certificate on completion of a medical treatment. However, this might not be possible in some cases depending upon the nature of the service, such as a case of corporal punishment in school or at workplace. In these cases, the designated child protection officer shall follow the criteria outlined in Chapter 3, section seven (3.7) B. LinkagesAs noted earlier, CPUs need to establish effective working relationships with other public and private organizations involved with childrens issues.i. Linkages at the provincial and federal levelCPUs shall make all necessary linkages at the provincial and federal level through the apex child protection body in the province (KPK Child Protection and Welfare Commission, Sindh Child Protection Authority, for example). As and when need arise, for example, in the case of inter-provincial transfer of children, the CPU shall write a request to the apex body for establishing the required link, with reasons to have that link. The same shall apply to the linkages with the UN and international non-governmental organisations. ii. Linkages at the district and local levelA district level Child Protection Core Group or Working Committee has already been proposed as the forum to collaborate with the line departments, private and/or non-governmental organisations.

CPMIS is another source of establishing and promoting linkages between CPUs and other partners, which is discussed in detail in the next chapter. Chapter 5 Child Protection Management Information System (CPMIS) Appropriate information gathering, recording, analysing and sharing is an essential component of child protection. To secure the best outcomes for children, all actors need to understand when it is appropriate to seek or share information, how much information to share, and what do with that information. Actors also need to consider from and with whom information can and should be sought and/or shared. This applies not only between different agencies but also within agencies. At the same time, children and families, guardians, carers have a right to know when information about them is being shared. Where possible, their consent should be sought, unless doing so would increase the risk to the child, her/his family, guardian, carer. They also have a right to confidentiality and privacy, implying secure recording/storage of information.Therefore, a properly designed and functional CPMIS is essential to;i. provide CPU professional staff with immediate access to child, family and case-specific information in order to make appropriate and timely case decisions (Local, CPU based part of the system) ii. provide CPU professional staff (and restricted access to those involved in specific cases) with current and accurate information to effectively and efficiently manage caseloads and take appropriate and timely case management actions iii. provide provincial and district administrators involved in child protection with the information needed to administer programs and monitor and evaluate the achievement of CPUs iv. consolidate the collection and reporting of information for child protection activities pursuant to district, provincial and federal requirements. CPUs and partners shall follow these general principles in managing child protection information;1. Information sharingi. the safety and well-being of a child is of central importance when making decisions to lawfully share the information about themii. the reason why information needs to be shared and disseminationiii. iv. particular actions taken in this regard should be communicated to the child (in a manner appropriate to her/his age and level of maturity), and where necessary, to her/his family, guardian, carerv. in general, information will only be shared with a child, her/his family, guardian, carers consent. However, where there are concerns that seeking a childs consent pose a risk to the childs safety, consent shall not be sought, instead reasons for doing so shall be clearly recorded.vi. at all times, only relevant and necessary information should be shared, and a record should be made of when it was shared, with whom, for what purpose, in what form, and what was disclosed.vii. While sharing information, these questions shall be considered:a. Is there a legitimate purpose for sharing information? b. Does the information enable a person to be identified?c. Is the information confidential? d. Do you have consent to share information? e. Whose consent should be sought?f. Is there a legitimate reason for disclosure?

2. Recording and analysing informationEffective decision-making depends on sufficient, accurate and accessible records. Records should include;i. protection concern/problemii. dates of staff contact with the child, familyiii. the childs views and emotional well-beingiv. actions and the rationale behind themv. outcomes of interventionvi. development plan and a chronology of significant evens regarding a case (such chronology may help identify/project patterns of abuse, neglect and other protection concerns)3. Storage and retentioni. all actors should have clear procedures for handling personal information, including managing the interface between manual and electronic records.ii. procedures should also be in place for storage, retrieval, retention and disclosure of information.iii. the length of time for which such information can be kept should be legislated taking into account constitutional and legal provisions.iv. CPUs should ensure that information sharing and protection protocols are in place (a proposed format is attached as Appendix 5a). Ideally, such protocols should be developed in consultation with the information-sharing partners (considering each partners legal rights and responsibilities under relevant provincial and national laws). An obligation to uphold the protocol shall be written into the ToRs/employment letter/contract of those staff who will come into contact with the data including manager CPU, child protection officer and IT staff among others (information sharing, providing and declining letters attached as Appendix 5b,c,d).Case TransferIn the case of a transfer of a child between jurisdictions, the originating CPU is responsible for transferring all available information to the receiving CPU including written files, CPU based computerised records, and a meeting between the designated child protection officers. To foster better co-ordination and collaboration among all actors, and for reporting and advocacy purposes, the proposed CPMIS comprises of three inter-retaled components (adapted from Inter-Agency Child Protection Information Management System 2002-05):A - Standard protocols/forms for: i. Registration formii. Assessment formiii. Development planiv. Monitoring & Follow up formv. Referral form vi. MSRU form (all attached as Appendices 4a-g) vii. Letter of Understanding (LoU)????viii. Information sharing and protection protocol ix. Information sharing, providing, declining letters (all attached as Appendices 5a-d) B Database This database shall have two levels. One would be the CPU based/local level with information transferred from the standard forms/protocols to assist in case management and to store information related to children provided protection services by the CPU. The second level shall be the provincial level where various agencies directly input their information into the database. It consists of consolidated information provided by all actors involved in child protection services. This level should be based in the apex child protection body in the province (that is, KPK Child Protection and Welfare Commission, Sindh Child Protection Authority, proposed Child Welfare and Protection Bureau in Balochistan, and Child Protection and Welfare Bureau in Punjab). This would assist a secure and responsible information sharing between various collaborating agencies including the CPU, and the senior child protection authorities in producing reports and proposals and for advocacy purposes.C - A CPMIS Core Group In terms of administration and governance, a CPMIS Core Group shall be formed comprising of the executive head of the apex body (who would also head the group), technical child protection staff of the CPUs, representatives of the collaborating departments and an IT expert from the provincial governments IT/IMS department. This group shall oversee the CPMIS affairs including information sharing and data protection, that is, child protection information is accessed and used appropriately in the best interest of the child and for better outcomes in terms of childrens safety and well-being.The group shall convene regular meetings, monthly or bi-monthly, and consider;i. usage of information for producing reports, proposals and for advocacy, by various child protection actorsii. training needs of child protection actors in using the CPMIS. iii. changes, improvements in the CPMIS based on feedback from users depending on the type of child protection concerns they deal with. Thus, CPMIS would be a living entity, which keeps evolving with the emerging needs of the field. Chapter 6 - Human Resource Development Strengthening child protection systems necessitates an approach that connects policies, laws, administrative framework, procedures, work environment and practitioners capacity. With policies, laws and administrative frameworks in most jurisdictions in place (or in process of formulation and/or implementation), building capacity on the ground requires a systematic approach that links service models, practice standards, service demand, practitioners needs and their capacity building strategies. Earlier research (McMillan 2013), and field visits and consultation with the staff has revealed that the child protection human resource base is particularly worrying in the public sector, where most officers in charge of children matters lack the academic background needed to discharge their duties, further exacerbating the problem of service provision and systems approach to child protection. In view of this, capacity building efforts need to be intensified to address this gap.An approach that targets the child protection environment, social work/child protection education and professional institutions has demonstrated promise for improved outcomes for building capacity of the staff as well as childrens safety and well-being. Although such a holistic approach to human resource development is beyond the scope and the mandate of CPUs, however, there are three areas in which CPUs can and shall play a lead role. These are: a) based on practice experience, determining (and ensuring in recruitment) the key competencies of the frontline and the technical CPU staff; b) pre-service and in-service training; and c) supervision A - Key Competencies of CPU StaffAs noted earlier, child protection is a multi-disciplinary team activity. There are also layers of staffing including: frontline workers such as fieldworkers, Helpline operators, and front desk attendant among others; technical child protection professionals including the CPU manager and child protection officers; and specialist consulting professionals such as psychologists, doctors and lawyers among others. CPUs shall determine the key competencies, in addition to the fo