CIN Panel-Terms of Reference

The CIN Panel provides a mechanism for regular, structured oversight of children who have been subject to a Child in Need (CIN) plan for 3 months or more. The purpose is to:

• Strengthen management oversight and prevent case drift;
• Ensure CIN plans remain purposeful, SMART, and outcome-focused;
• Review progress and determine whether continued support, escalation, step-down, or closure is appropriate;
• Drive accountability and ensure timely, proportionate interventions.

For Children with Disabilities (CWD) receiving only financial support, the panel also determines whether continued social work involvement is necessary, or if the child can be appropriately supported outside of CIN processes.

The CIN Panel will:

• Review all children open to a CIN plan for 3 months or more across all relevant teams (CIN/CP and MDT);
• Consider children sooner than 3 months if there are concerns regarding stagnation, risk, or complexity;
• Include children subject to CIN due to safeguarding or disability-related needs;
• For CWD cases, include children in receipt of financial support only (e.g., Direct Payments or short breaks) to determine if continued CSC involvement is proportionate.

The Panel will be chaired by a Service Manager and include:

• Heads of Service (where required);
• Team Managers from relevant social work teams;
• Social Workers presenting cases;
• Partner agency representatives (by exception, where needed).

Administrative support will be provided to coordinate schedules, take notes, and update Liquid Logic where relevant.

Panels will be held monthly, with flexibility to increase frequency depending on volume or service pressures.

Children will be identified and scheduled for panel once they reach 3 months on a CIN plan.

The social worker and Team Manager will prepare and present each child verbally and provide information on the following:

• Child's voice and lived experience;
• Progress against plan outcomes;
• Multi-agency engagement;
• Risks and protective factors;
• Justification for continuation, step-down, escalation, or closure.

Additional considerations for CWD financial-only cases:

• Confirmation the child meets CWD eligibility (as per local threshold document);
• Review of the most recent assessment and family circumstances;
• Whether the primary support is financial;
• Whether safeguarding concerns are present.

Panel decisions will be:

• Recorded on the child's record;
• Clearly assigned to responsible individuals with timescales;
• Monitored to ensure completion.

Each child's case will result in one of the following agreed outcomes:

• Continue CIN plan with clear rationale and review period;
• Step-down to Family First or targeted Early Help;
• Escalate to Strategy Discussion/Child Protection;
• Close the case with appropriate signposting and final meeting;
• Further actions to be completed before a final decision.

Additional considerations for CWD financial-only cases if no safeguarding risks are identified and the child does not require a social worker, the panel will recommend:

• Step-down to Targeted Early Help, level 3;
• Step-down to Tier 2 support with annual SEND review;
• Case closure from CSC.

• Themes and learning from the panel will be fed into practice improvement;
• The impact will be tracked through performance data (e.g., duration on CIN plan, re-referrals, drift indicators).

The CIN Panel process is part of Knowsley's broader quality assurance framework and supports the delivery of the Children's Services Improvement Plan. The panel will report on outcomes and key themes to:

• Senior Leadership Team.

These Terms of Reference will be reviewed annually or sooner if required by service changes or learning from quality assurance activity.