Multidisciplinary child-protection case conference — formative SAQs

SAQ 1 — Conference purpose, the paediatrician's report, and information sharing (10 marks)

A 14-month-old infant is admitted with a spiral femur fracture inconsistent with the reported mechanism. Skeletal survey reveals two healing posterior rib fractures. The child-protection authority convenes an initial multidisciplinary case conference and invites you to attend. You have three days to prepare. ^{[5] [11]}

Questions

1. Define the multidisciplinary child-protection case conference and state its four core functions. (3 marks) ^[1]
2. Describe how you would prepare your written report for the conference, including structure and calibration of certainty. (4 marks) ^{[5] [11]}
3. Explain the principles of lawful information sharing at the conference, including how statutory duties interact with confidentiality. (3 marks) ^[1]

Model answer

Definition and functions (3). A multidisciplinary child-protection case conference is a formal, structured meeting convened by the statutory child-protection authority that brings together the professionals and agencies involved with a child and family. It is not a clinical meeting — it has statutory weight and its decisions may lead to a protection plan, change of placement, or care proceedings. The four core functions are information sharing (each agency contributes what it knows), risk assessment (the group assesses ongoing significant harm), decision-making (whether the child needs a protection plan), and care planning (coordinated actions with named leads and timelines). Gilbert and colleagues framed these as the backbone of the multi-agency response. ^[1]

Written report preparation (4). The report is the primary vehicle for your evidence, and Lo and colleagues showed that medical documentation quality directly influences conference outcomes. Structure it systematically: history (from each informant, noting discrepancies), examination findings (with body map and photograph references), investigations (skeletal survey, neuroimaging, bleeding screen results), differential diagnosis (what has been excluded), and opinion. Separate fact from opinion throughout — observations are factual; interpretations are opinion. Calibrate certainty carefully: healing posterior rib fractures are highly specific for inflicted injury and you can state that with confidence; the spiral femur fracture is consistent with inflicted injury given the implausible mechanism. Do not attribute perpetrator identity — that is for the investigation and the court. Submit by the deadline, formatted clearly, and confirm it has been circulated. ^{[5] [11]}

Information sharing principles (3). Information sharing for the purpose of protecting a child overrides common-law confidentiality obligations. You share what is relevant and necessary for the protective purpose — not everything you know about the family, but everything relevant to the child's safety. Document what you shared and why. The statutory framework exists because the conference's integrative function depends on each agency contributing its piece; without full information sharing, the group cannot assess risk accurately. You do not need the family's consent to share information for child-protection purposes at a statutory conference, though you should be transparent with the family about what you are doing and why. ^[1]