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4.1.1 Route Map for Looked After Children

SCOPE OF THIS CHAPTER

This Chapter summarises the steps/actions that must be taken in relation to Looked After Children from the point of Referral to Leaving the Looked After Service (Leaving Care). Where appropriate Chapter references are provided; alternatively users may click on Keywords for additional guidance.

RELATED CHAPTERS

This Chapter should be read in conjunction with Decision to Look After a Child (Care and Permanence Planning) Procedure.

AMENDMENT

This route map was updated in October 2011 to take account of the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010 and associated guidance, which became effective from 1 April 2011. In particular the timescales for looked after children have been revised.

Referral

Decision on outcome of Referral within 1 working day

Information received that child may be a Child in Need of services.

See Enquiries and Referrals of Children in Need Procedure

Initial Assessment

Within 7 working days

Child seen by social worker. Assessment identifies one of following:

  1. That the child appears to meet the Threshold Criteria for Children in Need at Level 3 or above, leading to a Core Assessment. If Significant Harm is suspected/alleged a Strategy Discussion should be held first and any subsequent Core Assessment will include a Child Protection Enquiry
  2. Child in Need with service provided and no Core Assessment.
  3. Child not in need, signpost to other agencies and/or NFA.
If the child is at risk of Significant Harm, there may be a need to take steps to protect the child, including obtaining an Emergency Protection Order.

See Initial and Core Assessments and Planning and Procedure.

Core Assessment

Within 35 working days

Core Assessment identifies child's needs and services required. Where the Core Assessment included a Child Protection Enquiry, an Initial Child Protection Conference may be held, leading to the child' being made subject to a Child Protection Plan.

See Initial and Core Assessments and Planning Procedure
Conclusion reached that parent(s) are not meeting child’s needs. Consider requirements of Pre-Proceedings Checklist in Public Law Outline

Support Child's Placement at Home

 Consider additional support in order to keep the child within the home

Consider Other Family Options

Consider supporting arrangements for child to live with other family members, with support if necessary, which would avoid need for child to be Looked After.

Decide to Look After Child

Decision to look after child approved by Team Manager, taking account of the Placements Prioritisation Criteria which are contained in Placements Prioritisation Criteria Guidance and if appropriate, having regard to the requirement of the Public Law Outline. See Decision to Look After a Child (Care and Permanence Planning) Procedure.

Seek Parents’ Agreement

 Where possible, parents' agreement sought for child's admission to Looked After Service.

Consider Looked After Placement Options

Looked After Placement with relative/friend (Connected Person) considered, with support if necessary. If suitable Connected Person available, assessment as foster carer required. If no Connected Person available or suitable to care for child, consider other placement options - as summarised at Seek Other Placement Options. Legal advice and decision required as to whether child should be looked after by being Accommodated or via Care Proceedings.

See:

Public Law Outline Information and Guidance

Family and Friends (Connected Persons) Fostering Procedure

Care Plan Guidance

Draft Care Plan

Care Plan drafted in outline, identifying purpose of the child becoming looked after and placed with relatives or Connected Persons, how the local authority will exercise its responsibilities for the child including type of placement and contact with parents.

See Care Plan Guidance

Manager Approves Care Plan

Care Plan relating to Accommodated children should be approved by the social worker's manager. Care Plan taken before the Court in relation to Care Proceedings must be endorsed and signed by a Designated Manager (Care Proceedings).

If a Care Plan is not completed at this stage, the manager may authorise that it is completed within 10 working days of the child's placement.

See Care Plan Guidance

Initiate Court action

Where Court action considered necessary, Care Proceedings initiated or other appropriate Court application, evidence prepared and hearing date arranged.

For Secure Accommodation, the Designated Manager (Secure Placements) can authorise up to 72 hours in Secure Accommodation without a Court Order).

See Placements in Secure Accommodation Procedure

Seek Other Placement Options

If the child can not be placed with a Connected Person, consult Prioritisation Criteria for Looked After Service (in Placements Prioritisation Criteria Guidance).

and seek placements as required in relevant chapters

See:

Placements in Foster Care (within the Borough) Procedure

Placements in Children's Homes (within the Borough) Procedure

External Placements Procedure

Placements in Secure Accommodation Procedure

First Court hearing

 Unless parents consent to child being Accommodated, Court hearing will occur before placement unless child in Police Protection or, for a Secure Accommodation placement, 72 hours placement has been authorised by the Designated Manager (Secure Placements). Emergency Protection Order or Interim Care Order/Care Order obtained.

Planned Placement

Placement Plan and other Records/Plans

Placement Plan must be completed within 5 working days of the child's placement.

It will also be necessary to draft the following:

  • A Care Plan and Personal Education Plan within 10 working days of the placement starting
  • A Chronology, within 28 days of the placement starting

Emergency (Unplanned) Placement

Emergency Placement Planning Meeting Within 3 working days of placement

If child placed in an Emergency, the social worker should complete as much of the Placement Plan as possible and consideration should be given to convening an Emergency Placement Planning Meeting, within 3 working days of placement (as required in Placement Planning Meeting Procedure) to ensure placement is suitable.

It will be necessary to draft the following:

  • A Care Plan, incorporating a Personal Education Plan, within 10 working days of the placement starting
  • A Chronology, within 28 days of the placement starting

First Placement Planning Meeting

Within 5 working days of the placement

A Placement Planning Meeting must be conducted for all Looked After Placements, wherever possible before the placement or otherwise within 5 working days of the placement. Placement Planning Meetings can additional be convened within other timescales.

See Placement Planning Meeting Procedure

Arrange First Looked After Review

Arrange first Looked After Review within 20 working days of placement

Social Workers or Young Person's Advisor must contact the Review Unit within 72 hours of the child becoming looked after with a view to arranging the initial Looked After Review which must occur within 20 working days of the child's placement.

See Looked After Review Procedure

Notifications

Notifications to be sent within 5 working days of the placement

Notification of the placement must be sent, in writing, to all those consulted and involved in the decision-making process. If not consulted during the decision making process, the appropriate Health Trust, Local Education Authority and Children's Social Services Department in the area where the child is placed must also be notified. Notifications must be sent within 5 working days of the placement.

Social worker visits

The first visit should occur within 1 week of the child's placement

Social worker visits to child made within one week of placement and then weekly until first Looked After Review if child placed with Connected Person, or otherwise at minimum of six weekly intervals in first year for the purposes of monitoring and supporting the placement.

See Social Worker Visits Procedure

Health Care Assessment

Within 20 working days*

The Health Care Assessment should contribute to the child's Health Care Plan, which should be presented to the Looked After Review, within 20 working days of the child's placement. *Therefore the assessment should be arranged as soon as possible after the placement.

See Health Care Assessments and Health Care Plans Procedure

Promote Family Contact

Detailed contact arrangements made and included within the child's Placement Information Record, in the context of the child's Care Plan.

Contact with Parents and Siblings Procedure

Contact with Relatives, Friends and Visitors (Including Overnight Stays) Procedure

Final date for completion of Care Plan.

10 working days after Placement.

If Care Plan was not completed before the placement, and the manager authorised it, the social worker may complete and circulate it within 7 days of the placement. All parties should be invited to sign the Care Plan.

See Care Plan Guidance

Personal Education Plan (PEP)

Within 10 working days of the placement starting.

Social Worker to liaise with child's school and the Education Support Team and formulate a Personal Education Plan (PEP).

See Education of Looked After Children Procedure

Implement Care Plan

As required by Care Plan and/or Placement Plan, strategies implemented, further assessments organised (with Court's permission if within Care Proceedings) and time-scales set to explore possibility of rehabilitation and/or other permanence options including Twin Track Planning.

See Guidance on Permanency Planning

Assess carers, where placement is with Connected Person.

Within 6 and 12 weeks of the placement starting

Assessment of Connected Person as foster carer completed and presented to Fostering Panel.

See Family and Friends (Connected Persons) Fostering Procedure

Convene First Looked After Review

Within 20 working days of the Placement

Progress in implementing aims of Care Plan considered at first Looked After Review, in order to incorporate time-scales for Permanence for child by second Looked After Review at latest, and including Contingency Plan if Permanence not achieved by third Looked After Review. Consideration of Twin Track Planning.

See Looked After Review Procedure
Where plan is for Adoption, either as preferred plan or Twin Track Plan, Adoption Procedures to be followed. See Placements for Adoption Procedure
Where plan is for placement within extended family, either as preferred plan or Twin Track Plan, possible placements with family to be explored and assessed as appropriate. See Placement with Parents Procedure or Family and Friends (Connected Persons) Fostering Procedure

Ongoing Health Care Assessment

For timescales see procedure

Depending on the age of the child, further Health Care Assessments must be conducted at between 6 and 12 month intervals.

See Health Care Assessments and Health Care Plans Procedure

Interim/Final Court Hearing

Detailed Care Plan with recommendations for Court Order approved by Designated Manager (Care Proceedings) and presented to Court.

Rehabilitation Plan Implemented

 Where Interim Care Order or Care Order in force, Placements with Parents Procedure should be followed. Subsequent Looked After Reviews consider need for Care Order to continue. Where no Care Order, child discharged from Looked After Service with Children and Young People's Plan if necessary.

Permanence Plan Agreed

By second Looked After Review

As soon as possible, and by second Looked After Review at the latest, Permanence Plan to be implemented for child.

Consideration will be given Contingency Plan (if Permanence Plan not achieved by third Looked After Review) and, where appropriate, Twin Track Plan.

See:

Looked After Review Procedure

Guidance on Permanency Planning

Where plan is for Adoption, either as preferred plan or Twin Track Plan, Adoption Procedures to be followed. See Placements for Adoption Procedure
Where plan is for placement within extended family, either as preferred plan or Twin Track Plan, possible placements with family to be explored and assessed as appropriate. Seer Family and Friends (Connected Persons) Fostering Procedure

Permanence Plan Implementation

By third Looked After Review

Where rehabilitation plan not implemented by third Looked After Review, implement Contingency Plan.

See:

Looked After Review Procedure

Guidance on Permanency Planning

Where plan is for Adoption, Adoption Procedures to be followed. See Placements for Adoption Procedure

Where plan is for placement within extended family, See Placement with Parents Procedure or Family and Friends (Connected Persons) Fostering Procedure
Where preparation for independence appropriate.

Personal Adviser appointed and Pathway Plan drawn up and reviewed. 

See Leaving the Looked After Service Procedure

End