This consultation exercise was conducted as part of the wider Child Protection Review. It was undertaken in 2001/2002 and comprised of a questionnaire circulated to a wide range of statutory and voluntary sector agencies involved with and concerned about matters relating to child protection; and a web site that was available for members of the general public to record their views and comments on, about matters relating to child protection.
The factors that emerged from this consultation exercise as being most significant in both helping and hindering effective child protection reflected what were generally considered to be both the best and worst aspects of the formal child protection system. Inter agency collaboration and communication and comprehensive policies and procedures that were implemented consistently, featured most prominently as making the biggest difference in achieving effective interventions.