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Contents

1. Who must have a Care Plan
2. Who is Responsible for the Plan
3. Timescales for Completion
4. Approval of the Plan
5. The Contents of the Care Plan
6. Consultation
7. Review
8. Circulation

1. Who must have a Care Plan

Every Looked After child must have a Care Plan. 

The Integrated Children’s System ‘Care Plan’ is suitable for this purpose.

When a child becomes Looked After, if there is a Core Assessment it should be used to inform the Care Plan. See Decision to Look After (Care and Permanence Planning) Procedure

A Care Plan should be made before any child/young person is looked after, even if only for a few days. 

It is important that the child and family, and the Carers are clear about the purpose of the placement. Therefore, the Care Plan should be completed before a child is placed. In some cases, for example in emergencies where this is not practicable, the Care Plan should be completed as soon as possible after the child is placed - at the latest, within 10 days of the placement.

Where a child is the subject of legal proceedings in the Family Court the Care Plan should form the basis of the plan to be presented to the Court.

The Care Plan should identify the overall aim, for the child of being in care and the potential timescales involved. Without these it will be difficult to establish whether the placement is achieving its aim.

The purpose of the placement and action and services provided should be informed by an up to date assessment. For children becoming looked after this will be provided by a Core Assessment, which will have been completed prior to or within 35 working days of the child  or young person becoming Looked After. Research indicates that most  children who become looked after are already known to Children’s Social Care Services. Therefore, many will already have an up to  date Core Assessment and Child’s Plan. These should be used to inform the Care Plan.

2. Who is Responsible for the Plan

The Care Plan must be completed and updated by the child’s Social Worker.

3. Timescales for Completion

A Care Plan must be prepared prior to a child's first placement, or, if it is not practicable to do so, within 10 working days of the child's first placement. See Decision to Look After (Care and Permanence Planning) Procedure.

If there are exceptional reasons that prevent the Care Plan from being drawn up prior to the child’s placement, the key objectives of the child’s admission to the looked after service and the proposed placement must still be identified and recorded.

4. Approval of the Plan

Care Plans relating to Accommodated children can be authorise by Team Managers, Care Plans in relation to Care Proceedings should be approved by Designated Manager (Care Proceedings).

5. The Contents of the Care Plan

The child's overarching Care Plan should include:

• Placement Plan (setting out why the placement was chosen and how the placement will contribute to meeting the child's needs);
• Permanence Plan (long-term plans for the child's upbringing including timescales);
• Pathway Plan (where appropriate, for young people leaving care);
• Health Plan (please see Health Care Assessments and Health Care Plans Procedure);
• Personal Education Plan (please see Education of Looked After Children).

In addition, it should include the arrangements made to meet the child's needs in relation to:

• Emotional and behavioural development;
• The child's identity in relation to religious persuasion, racial origin and cultural and linguistic background;
• Family and social relationships: arrangements for contact with sibling(s) accommodated by the authority or another local authority; details of any Section 8 Order in relation to a Looked After child; details of any order in relation to contact with a child in care; arrangements for contact with  parents/anyone with Parental Responsibility/any other Connected Person; arrangements for the appointment of an Independent Visitor for a Looked After child;
• Social presentation;
• Self-care skills.

It should include the name of the child's Independent Reviewing Officer.

It should also include the wishes and feelings of the following about the arrangements and about any proposed changes to the Care Plan:  the child; parents/person(s) with Parental Responsibility; any other person whose wishes and feelings the Authority considers relevant.

6. Consultation

This guidance must be read in conjunction with guidance on Consultation contained in Children and Families Values and Principles Chapter.

The Social Worker is responsible for drawing up and updating the Care Plan in consultation with:

1. The child;
2. The child’s Parents/those with Parental Responsibility;
3. anyone who is not a Parent but has been caring for or looking after the child;
4. Other members of the child’s family network who are significant to the child;
5. The child’s school or education authority;
6. The relevant health trust;
7. The Youth Offending Service, if the child is known to them;
8. Any other agency involved with the child’s care;
9. The child's Independent reviewing Officer.

7. Review

The Care Plan must be regularly reviewed at each Looked After Review and this guidance should be read in conjunction with the Looked After Review Procedure.

By the time of the child's second Looked After Review, the Care Plan must contain a plan for achieving permanence for the child within a timescale that is realistic, achievable and meets the child’s needs. If it is considered that the chosen avenue to permanence is not viable, the Independent Reviewing Officer should ensure that a planning meeting is convened as a matter of urgency to consider the most appropriate permanent alternative.

At the third Looked After Review, a Contingency Plan must be made where the plan for permanence has not been achieved.  No further rehabilitation plan should be included in the plan unless there are exceptional reasons to justify it or where further assessment is specifically directed by the Court in which case, the Contingency Plan must include the active pursuit of an alternative placement for the child.

All subsequent Reviews should review the progress and validity of the Permanence Plan.

8. Circulation

The Care Plan must be circulated to the following people:

• The child - care must be taken to ensure the child understands it;
• If necessary, the child should be given additional material, suitable to his/her needs and abilities, which can better explain the Care Plan;
• The Parent(s) - who may also require help to understand the plan Providers/Carers - if no Care Plan has been drawn up prior to the child’s placement, the Social Worker must ensure that the providers/Carers understand the key objectives of the plan, and  how the placement will help achieve these objectives;
• The child's independent Reviewing Officer.

End