The research examined Reporter decisions on the referrals of 200 children made in April 2013 and covered three key stages:
- The referring agency and the information contained in the referral
- The Reporter’s initial decision on the level of investigation required
- The Reporter’s final assessment and decision made.
It is the reporter who decides whether compulsory measures are needed to protect children or address their behavior and provides the legal evidence that supports this. The report gave key findings and key recommendations.