ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors consider the question of mandates for Area Child Protection Committees (ACPC) representatives, and how far they have the authority to commit their agencies to particular proposals. In every ACPC, the organisational changes within these agencies were identified as having had an impact on the nature of their participation in ACPCs. As Chairs have a coordinating role and operate at a strategic level within the ACPC, the authors anticipated that they might feel some resistance to the idea that there was differential involvement in, commitment to, or ‘ownership’ of the work of the committee. There appeared to be only one ACPC which had a district committee structure without formal representation from DCPCs into the ACPC. In one other ACPC there had been agreement in principle to have a budget, but it had been harder to agree on how to establish fair shares.
