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Contents

1. Decision to Look After Child
2. The Care Plan
3. Timescales for Completion of the Care Plan
4. Approval of the Care Plan
5. Circulation of the Care Plan
6. Other Required Plans and Documentation

1. Decision to Look After Child

A decision to Look After a child will be made by the Placement Panel or Designated Manager (Decision to Look After) where an Initial Assessment and/or Core Assessment has identified that a placement and a structured package of support is required to meet the child’s needs.

In an emergency outside office hours, the Emergency Duty Officer can make the decision to look after a child and any such decision will be communicated by fax or email to the relevant team by the beginning of the next working day.

A decision to commence Care Proceedings for a Care Order or Supervision Order must take account of the requirements of the Public Law Outline and can only be made by the Placement Panel or in an emergency, by the Designated Manager (Decision to Look After). No requests for planned Care Proceedings will be considered where a FGC has not first been considered - see Family Group Conference Procedure. Where a decision is made to commence Care Proceedings, see Care Proceedings Procedure.

The circumstances in which a decision to look after a child is made will be that:

• All attempts at early intervention to maintain and support the child with his or her family have broken down and there are elements of risk in the child staying in the family which cannot be managed safely; or
• The child would be at risk of Significant Harm by remaining with the family and the risk cannot be managed safely; or
• The child is a Disabled Child and a series of short break placements is necessary to provide respite for his or her carers.

The decision to look after a child will only be made where the Placement Panel or Designated Manager is satisfied that the child is Enfield’s responsibility, appropriate consultation has taken place with the child, parents, other significant family members and relevant professionals on the necessity, purpose and nature of the proposed placement, or where the Designated Manager is satisfied that the circumstances constitute an emergency and opportunities for consultation are limited.

Before a decision is made to look after a child, checks should be made of the child’s current legal status and who has Parental Responsibility. Consideration should also have been given to any other extended family members or friends who might be prepared to care for the child without the need for the child to be Looked After.

Any such arrangement for the child to live with a family member would have to be agreed with the parent, and the social worker and manager must be satisfied that such an arrangement is sufficiently secure to meet the child’s needs and is supported by a Children's Plan.

Alternatively, the child may come within the definition of Privately Fostered after 27 days, in which case the Private Fostering Procedure will apply.

NB Any arrangements whereby the child is not regarded as Looked After would have to be agreed with the parent or a person with Parental Responsibility, and the social worker must be satisfied that such an arrangement is sufficiently secure to meet the child's needs and is supported by a Child in Need Plan.

If no such arrangement can be identified or such an arrangement would not meet the child’s needs, a Planning Meeting will be held wherever possible to plan or consider:

• The date for the child’s admission to the Looked After Service;
• The child’s immediate placement needs including the child's views, the views of the parents, those with Parental Responsibility and any other person whose wishes and feelings the authority consider to be relevant, including whether a Looked After placement with a relative or friend - Connected Person - may be possible - see Friends and Family Care Policy and Placement of Looked After Children with Connected Persons Procedure;
• The longer term plan set out in the Care Plan;
• The timescales for the placement including a date for the child to return home or when the decision will be reviewed;
• An action plan of support and work set out in the Care Plan to enable the necessary change for the child to return home;
• The obtaining of parental consent to look after the child and parental consent to medical care/treatment;
• The contact arrangements with birth parents, siblings, extended family and friends;
• The need for Care Proceedings to secure the child’s placement.

The social worker will be responsible for seeking an appropriate placement for the child and making the necessary arrangements in relation to the placement, in accordance with the Placement Procedures contained in this manual.

If a foster or residential placement is required, the relevant procedure to be followed, including the need to hold a Placement Planning Meeting, will be found in the Placements in Foster Care Procedure or the Placements in Residential Care Procedure.

For secure placements, see Placements in Secure Accommodation Procedure.

Where a decision is made to pursue a Looked After placement with a Connected Person and the placement is likely to be for longer than 16 (sixteen) weeks, the assessment of the Connected Person as a foster carer must be arranged to commence immediately. See Friends and Family Care Policy and Placement of Looked After Children with Connected Persons Procedure.

NB Any decision that a child should be the subject of Care Proceedings should have regard to the requirements of the Public Law Outline, and in particular the Pre-Proceedings Checklist which is set out in Public Law Outline – see Care Proceedings and the Public Law Outline (PLO) Procedure.

2. The Care Plan

In all circumstances where a decision is made to look after a child, the child must have a Care Plan completed by the social worker and signed by the relevant team manager. The child’s overarching Care Plan should include:

• A Placement Plan setting out why the placement was chosen and how the placement will contribute to meeting the child’s needs (within 5 working days of the start of the placement);
• Nominate the type of placement being sought;
• Identify and prioritise long term needs in key areas of the child's life; including a Permanence Plan (long-term plans for the child’s upbringing including timescales) where applicable;
• A Pathway Plan (where appropriate, for young people leaving care);
• A Health Care Plan;
• A Personal Education Plan;
• A contingency plan;
• The date of the child's first Looked After Review (within 20 working days).

In addition the Care Plan 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.

Where there is no recent Core Assessment in relation to the child, the Care Plan must provide for a Core Assessment to be completed.

The child's social worker is responsible for drawing up and updating the Care Plan in consultation with:

1. The child;
2. The child's parents;
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 most relevant teacher at the child’s school which, where appropriate, should be the designated teacher for looked after children;
6. The officer with lead responsibility for implementing the local authority’s duty to promote the educational achievement of its looked after children;
7. The relevant health trust;
8. The Youth Offending Service, if the child is known to them;
9. Any other agency involved with the child's care;
10. Any Advocate or Independent Visitor if one has been appointed.

The social worker should ensure that the child, those with Parental Responsibility and the carer understand the Care Plan and their role in contributing to its implementation.

The Care Plan is subject to scrutiny at each Looked After Review.

See also Care Planning Guidance.

3. Timescales for Completion of the Care Plan

The Care Plan must be drawn up as soon as the need for the child to be Looked After has been identified and should be completed at the Placement Planning Meeting prior to the child’s first placement.

The Care Plan must be in place within 10 working days of the child’s first placement if it has not been concluded prior to placement.

4. Approval of the Care Plan

Any Final Care Plan taken before the Court within Care Proceedings must be approved by the Placement Panel. The social worker should submit the Care Plan to the Placement Panel for approval at least five working days prior to the date when it has to be filed with the Court.

All other Care Plans must be endorsed and signed by the social worker’s manager.  A copy of the signed Plan will need to be scanned into the child’s electronic record.

The Care Plan can be updated by the social worker, with the manager’s approval, at any time. 

The Care Plan is subject to scrutiny at each Looked After Review.

5. Circulation of the Care Plan

The Care Plan must be circulated to the following people:

• The child;
• The parent(s);
• 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.

6. Other Required Plans and Documentation

6.1 Placement Plan (recorded on the Placement Information Record)

The child must have a Placement Plan at the time of the placement.  Wherever possible, the Placement Plan should be completed at the time of the placement, but if this is not possible, it must be filled in so far as possible and then completed within 5 working days.

The Placement Plan should include the parent’s consent to the placement (if applicable) and to the child’s medical treatment.

The information to be included in the Placement Plan will include:

1. How on a day-to-day basis the child will be cared for and the child’s welfare will be safeguarded and promoted by the appropriate person;
2. Any arrangements for contact between the child and parents/anyone with Parental Responsibility/any other connected person, including, if appropriate, reasons why contact is not reasonably practicable or not consistent with the child’s welfare; details of any Contact Order (under Section 8 or 34 of the Children Act 1989); the arrangements for notifying any changes in contact arrangements;
3. Arrangements for the child’s health (physical, emotional and mental) and dental care, including the name and address of registered medical and dental practitioners; arrangements for giving/withholding consent to medical/dental examination/treatment;
4. Arrangements for the child’s education and training, including the name and address of the child’s school/other educational institution/provider and designated teacher; the Local Authority maintaining any statement of Special Educational Needs;
5. The arrangements for and frequency of visits by the child’s social worker; and for advice, support and assistance between visits;
6. If an Independent Visitor is appointed, the arrangements for them to visit the child;
7. The circumstances in which the placement may be terminated;
8. The name and contact details of  the Independent Reviewing Officer, the Independent Visitor if one is appointed, the social worker who will be visiting the child, and the Personal Adviser for an  Eligible Young Person.

The Placement Plan will be recorded on the Placement Information Record on the child’s electronic database.

Copies of the Placement Plan must be provided to the child (if of sufficient age and understanding), the parents and must be handed to the residential staff/carers before the child is placed. Where a child is placed in an in-house foster placement, one copy should also be sent to the Fostering Team - to be kept in the confidential section of the foster carer's file and returned at the end of the placement.

At the time of the placement, the residential staff/carers should also be given any additional information about details of the child's day to day needs which are not covered by the Placement Plan but are important to ensure that the staff/carers are in the best possible position to help the child settle in the new placement, for example any particular fears at night-time or the child's favourite toys.

6.2 Notifications

The social worker should notify relevant agencies of the child’s placement. This notification should be given in writing within 5 working days of the placement. The Safeguarding and Quality Assurance Unit should also be informed. This will trigger the appointment of an Independent Reviewing Officer, who will liaise with the social worker to arrange a date for the child’s first Looked After Review. This appointment should be made within 5 working days. Sibling groups, whether or not placed together, should have the same IRO, except where conflict of interest between siblings makes this inappropriate or the size of the sibling group makes this unmanageable.

The social worker must ensure that the child's electronic records are updated on ICS and any financial arrangements are made as required to pay the carers or provider. See Administrative Process for Start/Stop Forms Procedure.

Whenever a new placement is made or the child moves placement, the child's Chronology should be updated.

6.3 Health Care

Before or at the time of the placement, the social worker should request the parent to transfer the child’s Personal Child Health Record and should arrange a Health Care Assessment to be undertaken within 20 working days of the placement and in time for the child’s first Looked After Review. The social worker should also complete a Health Care Plan in time for the first Looked After Review. (In relation to a subsequent change of placement, the child's social worker must email the new placement address to the Designated Nurse for LAC and Health Clerical Officer so that arrangements for subsequent Health Care Assessments can be made with the relevant medical practitioner.)

In addition, the social worker should inform the carer of any medication the child is taking, and ensure that a supply of medication is provided in a clearly labelled bottle with the child's name, required dosage and the time the medication is to be given.

See Joint Protocol for the Health of Looked After Children and Young People.

6.4 Personal Education Plan (PEP)

The social worker should also notify the education department of the child’s placement and the Designated Teacher so that a Personal Education Plan (PEP) can be initiated as part of the Care Plan before the child  becomes looked after (or within 10 working days in the case of an emergency placement), and be available for the first Looked After Review. See Education of Looked After Children Procedure.

6.5 Provision of Information

The child's social worker must provide the child and parents with written information about the placement.

The child and parents must also be provided with information about the Complaints process and the availability of advocates.

6.6 Changes in Legal Status

Any changes in a child's legal status as a result of court proceedings must be recorded on the child's electronic record.

End