Cap. 602 Art. 10Reports register. 

(1) The Director (Child Protection) shall keep a register recording therein all reports which he receives in terms of article 9.

(2) The Director (Child Protection) shall, as soon as possible and not later than five (5) days from the receipt of a report, determine, on the basis of the information provided, whether there are or are not sufficient reasons to believe that the minor is suffering, or is at risk of suffering, significant harm or is in need of care and protection.

(3) If the Director (Child Protection) believes that there are sufficient reasons as referred in sub-article (2), he shall proceed to such investigations and evaluations as he considers necessary to determine whether the minor is in need of care and protection, and if he decides that there are no such reasons he shall close the report and provide detailed reasons for his decision.

(4) The Director (Child Protection) shall conclude the investigations and evaluations referred to in sub-article (3) within sixty working days and such period shall start running from the date of the decision of the Director (Child Protection) that the minor is suffering, or is at risk of suffering, significant harm:

Provided that said period may, for good reason and due to the particular circumstances of the case, be extended by the Director (Child Protection) for an additional period of sixty (60) working days.

(5) When the Director (Child Protection) decides that the minor needs care and protection he shall take all necessary measures to protect that minor, which, without prejudice to any other action which the Director (Child Protection) deems appropriate to take, may include one or more of the hereunder:

(a) recommending the provision of support services for the minor while considering the particular needs of the same and ensuring that such recommendations are applied;

(b) recommending the provision of support services for the parents of the minor or for any other person which seems to have responsibility for that minor, and ensuring that such recommendations are applied;

(c) issuing of parental responsibility guidelines;

(d) applying to the Court for it to decree an emergency order;

(e) applying to the Court so that it may decree an appropriate protection order for the minor;

(f) identifying the provision of out-of-home care including if a next-of-kin placement is available unless this is manifestly against the best interest of the minor. All efforts should be made to keep a minor mother and her child together and to keep siblings together:

Provided that in order to place a minor with a next-of-kin, the Director (Child Protection) shall have the authority to request the criminal conduct of that next-of-kin and of any other adults residing with him or her, immediately from the competent authority.

(g) inform the Executive Police of a report so that further investigations are undertaken in any case involving the abuse or abandonment of a minor; or

(h) inform the Executive Police of any criminal offence for which the Executive Police may ex officio initiate criminal proceedings according to law.