In the event of a young person's apprehension on suspicion of having committed murder, social services personnel should consider: (1) how they, as persons statutorily responsible, ensure the child's welfare in this situation; (2) what they should be doing at this stage to ensure the protection of the public; (3) the national political consequences of this event; and (4) local political issues, i.e., pressures from the local community. Additional factors which should be considered by social services personnel and others responsible for the apprehended child's welfare during judicial proceedings include: (5) securing appropriate legal representation; (6) preparing other children in the placement to which the young offender is going while awaiting trial; (7) the effect of the proceedings on other children in the offender's family; (8) the desirability of relocating the offender's family; (9) how to deal with the media; and (10) pretrial matters such as the guilty/not guilty plea and preparation of the offender, family members and staff persons for their appearances in the courtroom. Tables