Recommendation R14: Recording non-referral decisions

From The Bichard Inquiry Report, published 22 June 2004.

Recommendation

The Integrated Children's System should record those cases where a decision is taken not to refer to the police.

Jurisdiction: UK-wide

In brief (written by this site)

In May 2007, the Home Office reported that the Department for Education and Skills considered the recommendation "substantially delivered in terms of DfES policy addressing ICS functional requirements", while local implementation was progressing (Home Office, May 2007). It had earlier reported in May 2006 that the recommendation was complete (Home Office, May 2006). In December 2004, it had accepted the recommendation, noting that social services already recorded handling decisions and that database support within the Integrated Children's System was scheduled for rollout by early 2006 (Home Office response, Dec 2004).

Sources

Home Office, May 2007

Home Office, May 2006

Home Office response, Dec 2004

AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 26 Sep 2026. The record below is the sources' own words.

About this summary

This recommendation applies across many organisations. The record reflects central policy activity; adoption in individual organisations may vary.

Government response

Accepted Home Office

22 Dec 2004

Response document: Bichard Inquiry Recommendations: Progress Report

Words of: Home Office, Bichard Inquiry Recommendations: Progress Report, 22 December 2004

Recommendation 14: Social Services already record decisions on how an individual case is handled including whether a referral is made to the police. This information will be held either in paper or electronic form. The requirements for the ICT support to ICS will incorporate the need for electronic records to be supported by a database and be ‘searchable by adult’. The ICS is due to be rolled out through implementation of an electronic social-care record for new referrals for children’s social services by early 2006.

Blanket government agreement does not establish acceptance or delivery by each addressee. Some response passages cover groups of recommendations.

Scope of the government response

The Government accepted all 31 recommendations collectively: the Home Secretary's written statement of 11 January 2005 records that "All 31 recommendations were accepted by the Government when the Inquiry reported in June 2004". No document states an acceptance decision for any single recommendation. The response shown against each recommendation is the Home Office's answer to it in the first progress report, sent to Sir Michael Bichard on 22 December 2004 and placed in the Library of the House on 11 January 2005. The Government then reported against the recommendations three more times, in November 2005, May 2006 and May 2007; the updates shown are taken from those reports.

Delivery

Home Office says partially delivered (22 May 2007)

DfES, which has the policy lead for this work, reports that Recommendations 12 and 13 have been implemented, with Recommendations 14 and 15 substantially delivered in terms of DfES policy addressing ICS functional requirements and with local implementation of both recommendations progressing.

From: Bichard Inquiry Recommendations: Fourth Progress Report

Earlier statement on delivery (1)

Home Office (25 May 2006)

Recommendations 12–15 are complete.

From: Bichard Inquiry Recommendations: Third Progress Report