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Contents

1.	Placements Process - Planned Placements
	1.1	Definition of Planned Placement
	1.2	Placement Process
	1.3	Placement Planning
	1.4	The Placement Plan
	1.5	Notification of Placement
	1.6	Health Care Registrations and Assessments
2.	Placement Process - Emergency Placements
	2.1	Definition of Emergency Placement
	2.2	Arrangements during Normal Working Hours
	2.3	Arrangements Outside Normal Working Hours
	2.4	Emergency Planning Meetings
3.	Support, Monitoring and Ending of Placements

1. Placements Process - Planned Placements

Emergency Placement procedures are contained on in Section 2, Placements Process - Emergency Placements.

1.1	Definition of Planned Placement
1.2	Placement Process
1.3	Placement Planning
1.4	The Placement Plan
1.5	Notification of Placement
1.6	Health Care Registrations and Assessments

1.1 Definition of Planned Placement

A Planned Placement is the placement of a child where the social worker and manager of the home (or delegate) agree that the placement is suitable for the referred child, having considered the needs of all the other children in the home.

Where agreement is not reached, an Emergency Placement Planning Meeting must be convened within 3 working days of the placement starting to consider the suitability. 

1.2 Placement Process

If not undertaken in the previous three months, the social worker must undertake a Core Assessment in relation to the child and the manager must approve the proposed placement, taking account of the procedures in Decision to Look After (Care and Permanence Planning) Procedure.

In the first instance, the social worker should make a referral to the Residential and Fostering Duty Worker, (See Residential and Fostering Duty Worker Contact Details), who will identify possible homes suitable for the child. 

1.3 Placement Planning

Before the child is placed, the child's social worker will arrange a Placement Planning Meeting after liasing with the registered manager of the children's home or his/her representative  The meeting will usually be held in the new placement. As well as the child's social worker, participants will include:

• The parent;
• The child (if appropriate);
• Representatives of the children's home
• Any other relevant professionals, e.g. a representative from the child's school;
• Anyone else considered appropriate or who will have a role in the placement.

The purpose of the first Placement Planning Meeting is to finalise the Placement Plan (see Section 1.4, The Placement Plan) This will involve a discussion of the child's needs, including the child's personal history, religious persuasion, cultural and linguistic background and racial origin, as well as the child's health and education needs and how these are to be met. It will also include the arrangements for registering the child with local health professionals (GP, dentist and optician).

The Placement Planning Meeting also provides an opportunity to ensure that the registered manager has a copy of any relevant court order and that full information is shared about any behaviour management issues.

Wherever possible, the Placement Planning Meeting should be used to plan any introductions to the placement, for example whether arrangements should be made for the child, parents and the social worker to visit the home and/or whether it may be appropriate to have an introductory overnight stay. If this is not possible, arrangements may be made for residential staff to visit the child and parents; or for information about the home to be sent to the child and/or the parents, for example about routines in the home, bedtimes, meals, visitors, pocket money, school, privacy and the overall expectations in relation to the child's behaviour within the home.

Before the child is placed the social worker should liaise with the manager or staff of the home and ensure that the following plans/records have been completed and circulated or that arrangements are in place to complete/circulate them within the appropriate timescales:

• Care Plan;
• Placement Plan;

• Personal Education Plan;
• Chronology;
• Health Care Plan.

The social worker must ensure that the child is provided with information on using this authority's Complaints Procedure.

In order to avoid placements that disrupt a child's education, the Nominated Officer must approve any change of placement affecting a child in Key Stage 4 except in an emergency/ where the placement is terminated because of an immediate risk of serious harm to the child  or to protect others from  serious injury - for further information about promoting the child's education, see the Education of Looked After Children Procedure.

1.4 The Placement Plan

For children placed in residential care, the Placement Plan should cover the following issues in addition to those for all placements set out in section 6 of the Decision to Look After and Care Planning Procedure:

1. The type of accommodation to be provided and the address;
2. The child's personal history, religious persuasion, cultural and linguistic background and racial origin;
3. Where the child  is Accommodated, the respective responsibilities of the Local Authority and parents/anyone with Parental Responsibility; any delegation of responsibility by parents/anyone with Parental Responsibility to the Local Authority for the child's  day-to-day care; the expected duration of the arrangements and the steps to bring the arrangements to an end, including arrangements for the child  to return to live with parents/anyone with Parental Responsibility; where the child  is aged 16 or over and agrees to being provided with accommodation under Section 20 Children Act 1989, that fact;
4. The circumstances in which it is necessary to obtain in advance the Local Authority's  approval for the child to take part in school trips or overnight stays;
5. The Local Authority's arrangements for the financial support of the child during the placement

1.5 Notification of Placement

Notification of the placement must be sent, in writing, to all those consulted and involved in the decision-making process, including the child's Independent Reviewing Officer.

If not consulted during the decision making process, the social worker must also notify the appropriate Health Trust, Local Education Authority and Children's Social Care in the area where the child is placed.  These notifications must be made in writing advising of the placement decision and the name and address of the person with whom the child is to be placed. They must be sent before the placement or within 5 working days of the placement.

1.6 Health Care Registration and Assessments

It will be necessary for the social worker to ensure the child is registered with a GP, Dentist and Optician within a week of the placement, either retaining practices known to them or in the area where they are placed.  See General Practitioners, Dentists and Opticians Procedure.

It will also be necessary to arrange a Health Care Assessment; see Health Care Assessments and Health Care Plans Procedure for these procedures.

2. Placements Process - Emergency Placements 

Planned Placement procedures are contained in Section 1, Placement Process - Planned Placements.

2.1	Definition of Emergency
2.2	Arrangements during Normal Working Hours
2.3	Arrangements Outside Normal Working Hours
2.4	Emergency Planning Meetings

2.1 Definition of Emergency Placement

An Emergency Placement is a placement made without the social worker and manager of the home (or delegate) agreeing that the placement is suitable, having considered the referred child's needs and those of other children living in the home.

2.2 Arrangements during Normal Working Hours

Where an Emergency Placement is required, the social worker should, if possible, follow the consultation and pre-placement planning procedures set out Decision to Look After, Care and Permanence Planning Procedure.  If it is not possible to follow these procedures, the manager may still authorise the placement but may require that the procedures are followed at a later date.

Before the child is placed the social worker should liaise with the manager or staff of the home and ensure that the following plans/records have been completed and circulated or that arrangements are in place to complete/circulate them within the appropriate timescales :

• Care Plan;
• Placement Plan;
• Personal Education Plan;
• Chronology;
• Health Care Plan .

The social worker must ensure that the child is provided with information on using this authority's Complaints Procedure.

Unless agreed by the social worker and set out in the Placement Plan, no contact may be permitted between the child and parents or siblings.  

An Emergency Placement Planning Meeting must then be conducted within 3 days of the placement, when the suitability of the placement can be explored and outstanding procedures followed.  See Placement Planning Meeting Procedure.

2.3 Arrangements outside Normal Working Hours

1. When a placement appears appropriate, the Emergency Duty Team social worker will identify a suitable placement but should seek approval from the Designated Manager (Out of Hours);
2. Before placing the child, the Emergency Duty Team social worker should take account of the procedures outlined in Decision to Look After, Care and Permanence Planning Procedure, regarding consultation, and should take all reasonable steps to ensure these procedures are followed;
3. When a decision is reached the Emergency Duty Team social worker should liaise with the placement staff/carers to agree the time and other suitable arrangements for the child's placement;
4. Before a child is placed, the Emergency Duty Team social worker must ensure that a Placement Information Record is completed and a copy given to the staff/carers. The original must be passed to the relevant social worker without delay;. 
   
   The child's social worker should arrange for other plans/records to be completed/circulated as set out in Section 2.2, Arrangements During Normal Working Hours;
5. If the child is placed at beginning of a holiday period, e.g. Christmas Eve, the Emergency Duty Team social worker placing the child will arrange for the child to be visited at least once during the holiday period to ensure the child's need are being attended to and the staff/carers have all they require to meet the child's needs until the relevant social worker can follow the placement up.

2.4 Emergency Planning Meetings

If a child is placed in an Emergency (as defined in Section 2.1, Definition of Emergency Placements), an Emergency Placement Planning Meeting must be convened within 3 working days of the start of the placement.  

See Placement Planning Meeting Procedure.

3. Support, Monitoring and Ending of Placements

The child's social worker must visit the child in the placement within one week of the placement and then at specified intervals; see procedures in Social Worker Visits Procedure.

Also see Placement Planning Meeting Procedure

If the child's placement is ended but s/he continues to be Looked After, it will be necessary to update the child's Care Plan, Placement Plan, Personal Education Plan, Health Care Plan and Pathway Plan (if appropriate).

End