6.4.8 Pooled Budgets |
Contents
- Organisation of Panel
- Membership of Panel
- Eligibility Criteria for Consideration by the Panel
- Eligibility Criteria for Agreement by the Panel
- Documentation
- Notice for Consideration
- Governance
- Available Budget
Appendix 1: Partnership Agreement Schedule 1 - The Services
Appendix 2: Partnership Agreement - Children's Disability Team
Appendix 3: Partnership Agreement: Core (Multi Agency) Assessment Protocol for Children With Disabilities Living Within The Dudley Borough
1. Organisation of Panel
The Panel shall meet at least monthly
2. Membership of Panel
Membership of Panel shall include:
Voting Members
- A representative of PCTs in Dudley Borough
- A representative of Dudley MBC Directorate of Education and Lifelong Learning
- A representative of Dudley MBC Directorate of Children's Services (Children's Social Care Services)
Advisers
- A Commissioning Officer (Children and Families), Children's Social Care
- Team Manager or Assistant Team Manager (CDT)
- Representative of Finance Directorate, Dudley MBC
- Other advisers and observers shall be invited at the discretion of the voting members.
Each Voting Agency shall nominate a deputy for the voting member who shall attend and vote in the absence of the voting member.
The Panel shall be Chaired by the Representative of the Agency who are the current lead agency for the Pooled Budget as agreed by the Joint Coordinating Group.
The Quorum for the Panel shall be one voting representative from each of the three agencies.
The administration for the Panel shall be managed by the current lead agency. Where Children's Social Care are the Lead agency, this shall be undertaken by CDT.
3. Eligibility Criteria for Consideration by the Panel
The eligibility criteria, for consideration by the panel, shall be identical to the eligibility criteria for access to Children's Disability Team as included as Appendix 2, Partnership Agreement - Children's Disability Team
4. Eligibility Criteria for Agreement by Panel
Criteria for agreement by panel is as recorded in Schedule One of the Partnership Agreement:
- Children aged 0 to 19 years of age
- Children with severe disability (Appendix One of Partnership Agreement)
- 2 or more agencies are unable to deliver a local service
- 3 Agencies acknowledge the need of an out of borough placement
- A core assessment is completed
- Multi agency assessment identifies the need for an external placement
- School age children must have statement (2 years of age or above)
- Local solutions have been explored
The Panel may make recommendations to the Joint Consultation Group on modifying this criteria
5. Documentation
Appendix 3, Partnership Agreement: Core (Multi Agency) Assessment Protocol For Children With Disabilities Living Within The Dudley Borough of the Partnership Agreement identifies the documents Panel will need to consider in the Decision-making process.
The Department for Education/ DH Assessment Framework Core Assessment on the child will be presented to Panel. This shall include assessments by Children's Social Care, NHS and Education staff on the needs of the child.
DELL , Beacon and Castle PCT, Children's Social Care Commissioning Unit and CDT shall have been approached at an early stage of the Assessment process to inform them that there is an intention to undertake a Core Assessment on a particular child for Pooled Budget consideration.
A summary document identifying the most appropriate headings from the Assessment framework may also be presented.
The Documents presented to Panel shall include a document summarising and appraising all options that may be appropriate for the young person.
Verbal reports are not acceptable for consideration for pooled funding.
Absence of documentation by one of the partners shall not preclude discussion, providing there is evidence that that party has been requested to provide an assessment as part of the Core Assessment.
6. Notice for Consideration
All requests for Pooled budgets usage shall be notified to the Administrative Assistant (x5813) in the Children's Disability Team or other Administrative support as notified to Pooled Budget panel members. Documentation shall be forwarded to Panel members no later than three working days before Panel.
7. Governance
Schedule 3 of the Partnership Agreement sets out the Governance Arrangements for the Pooled Budget. Point 4 identifies the External Placement Panel as the Vehicle for making recommendations. The Pooled Budget Panel shall undertake this role on behalf of the External Placements Panel.
Legally, Panel can only make a recommendation to the Joint Coordinating Group representative who is currently the representative of the Lead Partner (Initially the Assistant Director of Children's Social Care responsible for Children and Families) or other Representative of the Joint Coordinating group in her absence. In Law, the Lead Partner's Representative's decision must be based on the Advice of Panel.
No recommendations shall be made without a Panel meeting. Panel meetings may be convened at short notice at other times than scheduled meeting, providing voting members from each of the three Partners agree and a quorum is available.
8. Available Budget
The available budget for Pooled arrangements is stated in the Partnership Agreement.
A report on the current budget shall be made available at each panel meeting.
It is not the expectation that panel agencies be in total in deficit through the use of the Pooled budget arrangements. It is expected that historical placements for children who meet the pooled budget eligibility criteria, e.g. use of short breaks, foster care, etc. shall be taken into account in the decision making in the pooled budget so that voting members are not in deficit on their contributions relative to similar arrangements in past years.
It is an expectation that the voting members in total take a holistic approach in considering placements and not merely look at their own agency's issues.
Appendix 1: Partnership Agreement Schedule 1 - The Services
The Agreement is in respect of services commissioned specifically for children under 19 years of age who have severe disabilities, meeting the criteria of the Children's Disability Team and who require a placement to meet those needs outside of Dudley Borough or within the Borough from a Voluntary or Independent sector provider.
To be eligible for services they must:
- Reside in Dudley Borough, or
- Have originated in Dudley Borough, and while living outside the Borough, local agencies continue to have financial responsibility, or
- Be within the Primary Care Trust responsible population,
- Meet the criteria of the Children's Disability Team which based at 8 Ednam Road, Dudley. (Appendix 2, Partnership Agreement - Children's Disability Team)
- Have had a multi-agency assessment (Appendix 3, Partnership Agreement: Core (Multi Agency) Assessment Protocol For Children With Disabilities Living Within The Dudley Borough)
- Have the agreement of the 3 Partner Agencies that the child's needs can best be met by an external placement and at least 2 of the partners cannot meet the needs locally or within agency provision.
- Have a Statement of their Educational Needs where they are of school age under the Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs 2001
Appendix 2: Partnership Agreement - Children's Disability Team
Elective Criteria
The criteria outlined below provides guidance in relation to children and young people in need for whom referral for intervention by the Children's Disability Team may be considered.
The criteria related both to children who have a disability at birth and to children/young people who, during childhood or adolescence, become disabled as a result of illness, accident or injury. Children's eligibility may be reviewed if progress is made.
Criteria
| 1. | Children who at birth or during childhood have a clearly identified severe disability, or who follow a multi agency assessment are identified with the severe disability group. Severe disability is defined as one or more of the following:
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| 2. | Children who have a number of disabilities that alone are not deemed as severe, that combined, produce sufficient/significant needs to warrant support from the Children's Disability Team. It should be noted that children within this group are rare and could only be accepted for service following negotiation with a Team Manager for Children with Disabilities. |
Appendix 3: Partnership Agreement: Core (Multi Agency) Assessment Protocol For Children With Disabilities Living Within The Dudley Borough
Introduction
The protocol has been agreed by the Dudley Health Authority; Priority Health NHS Trust; Dudley Education and Children's Social Care Departments. There will also be a need for agreement to be reached by other organisations such as Primary Care Groups/Trusts.
It is intended to be agreed and implemented by all agencies who may have contact with children with severe disabilities and their parents or carers.
The protocol should not prevent early working together of the three major agencies where a child with severe disabilities clearly needs this, particularly as early planning may in fact prevent the need for the use of the protocol.
Philosophy
As with other children's cases, Health, Education and Children's Social Care need to work together from the earliest possible stage in order to plan for the holistic needs of children with severe disabilities.
Wherever possible the needs of the child should be met within it's own family with support from the three major agencies.
The above agencies need to work to ensure that the child does not need to be placed outside of the borough where contact with family, siblings, peers and friends cannot easily be maintained. There may of course be very rare occasions where the need of the child cannot be met in borough but this will be identified by the core (multi agency) assessment.
Core Assessments are currently being implemented following the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families, being issued by the Department of Health, Department of Education and Employment and the Home Office (2000). The framework covers information gathering, summary, analysis and plans. It gives additional guidance for completing a core assessment with a disabled child. (See Appendix 2: Partnership Agreement - Children's Disability Team)
Process
When an agency or a member of staff (e.g. consultant, social worker, statementing offices, teacher or other professional) is made aware of a situation relating to a child with severe disabilities which is likely to lead to a breakdown of school placement and/or a breakdown within the home situation, that could have complications for other agencies then the following steps should be taken.
They should immediately call a planning meeting, which should take place within 7 working days to look at the potential care options available for the child. The meeting must include a representative from the three financing organisations. (Health, Education and Children's Social Care).
The meeting should plan how the core (multi agency) assessment will proceed, who will be the lead from each agency and decide what services are required immediately from the agencies whilst the assessment proceeds.
The originating agency should inform the family carer of this protocol, that a planning meeting will take place, and that a core (multi agency) assessment will be required, but must not prejudge any outcome decisions by indicating what solutions are likely to emerge.
The core (multi agency) assessment which also includes the views of parents/carers and the child must be concluded in advance of any decision being relayed to the family.
The core (multi agency) assessment will include the child's education, health and social needs all as the framework for Assessment of Children in Need and the statutory process for the assessment of special educational needs.
The conclusion of the core (multi agency) assessment should be given to the Health Authority by the Health Assessor and taken to the Children's Social Care Panel where Education join discussions, for agreement of the proposed plan and importantly any emerging increased service provision and so that costs can be appropriately agreed by the three agencies systems.
Partnership Agreement Schedule 3 - The Governance Arrangements
| 1. | The Children and Young People's Strategic Partnership
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| 2. | The Joint Co-ordinating Group
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| 3. | The Pool Manager
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| 4. | External Placements Panel
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End