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Contents

1. Definition of Emergency Placement 
2. Placement during Normal Working Hours 
3. Placement Outside Normal Working Hours 

1. Definition of Emergency Placement

An Emergency Placement is the placement of a Looked After child in foster care or residential care (including Secure Accommodation) made without the usual planning and/or thorough assessment process having taken place because of the need to ensure the safety and the welfare of the child immediately.

The following placements are deemed to be Emergency Placements:

• The placement of a child outside normal working hours;
• Any placement where the necessary plans are not in place, i.e. where a child is abandoned, has suffered/is at risk of Significant Harm, or where there is an exceptional and immediate need to end an existing placement;
• A placement in Secure Accommodation without a Court Order but authorised by the Designated Manager (Placements - Secure Accommodation) for a maximum of 72 hours.

2. Placement during Normal Working Hours

2.1 Identification of the Placement

Where an Emergency Placement is required, the social worker should still liaise with and provide a written Referral to the duty officer in the Fostering Team, who will attempt to identify an appropriate in-house foster placement, or if a residential or external resource is required, to the Access to Resources Team.

Where an external placement has been identified as necessary, i.e. where no suitable in-house foster or residential placement is available, the referrer must obtain the authority of the Designated Manager (Placements Outside the Authority) before making the referral, pending the request being considered by the Placement Panel.

The Access to Resources Team will consult with staff/providers/carers in relation to the proposed placement, as necessary and as time permits, to ensure the identified placement is appropriate to meet the child’s needs.

Where the proposed placement is with an external provider, the contact will include a discussion about basic costs, any services that would be deemed an extra cost, such as education or therapy, and the notice period.

Where a proposed placement in foster care requires the grant of an exemption from the usual fostering limit, the procedure in Section 4, Limit on the Number of Children in Foster Homes Procedure, will apply.  If the placement is outside the foster carer’s terms of approval, the approval of the Designated Manager (Foster Placement - Exemption) will be required.

If an external placement is confirmed as suitable and a vacancy is available, the Access to Resources Team will undertake the following:

• Obtain references from other local authorities who have placed children with the provider in the last 12 months;
• Cross reference to the Pan London Contract.

As long as no concerns have been raised in the above enquiries, the Access to Resources Team and the referring social worker will decide whether to pursue the placement.

The Access to Resources Team will then liaise with the provider regarding the placement, including the contract for the placement where an external provider is involved.

2.2 The Placement

In all cases, even where a child is placed in an emergency, the social worker must draw up a Placement Plan/Placement Information Record and Consent to Medical Treatment Form , providing as much information as possible given the circumstances.

The child’s social worker will then complete the Placement Procedures as set out in the relevant chapter for Planned Placements including the referral of the placement request to the Placement Panel.

In order to ensure the appropriate arrangements to pay carers/providers are in place, the child’s social worker must complete a Start/Stop Form and forward it to the Access to Resources Team. See Administrative Processes for Start/Stop Forms Procedure.

In addition, the child’s social worker must complete a Change of Circumstances Form, providing the necessary information to the relevant administrative staff so that the child's electronic record can be updated. 

Although a meeting with the provider/carers to plan the placement will not be possible prior to the placement, this must take place within 72 hours of the placement.

See Placement Planning and Keeping the Placement Information Record Up to Date Procedure.

3. Placement Outside Normal Working Hours

1. When a placement appears appropriate, the Emergency Duty Officer will identify a suitable placement using the available placements known to the Team; they may also contact the ‘on call’ Manager for more information if necessary;
2. The Emergency Duty staff should liaise as necessary with the provider/carers, seeking their view on the suitability of the placement.  If there is a significant difference of opinion, the ‘on call’ Manager should be consulted to make a decision;
3. When a decision is reached, the Emergency Duty Officer should liaise with the provider/carers to agree the time and other suitable arrangements for the child’s placement;
4. Before a child is placed, the Emergency Duty Officer must ensure that the following records are completed as far as possible, depending on the information available, and copies are handed to the provider/carers: 
   1. Placement Plan/Placement Information Record;
   2. Consent to Medical Treatment Form.
5. Having placed the child, the Emergency Duty Officer must pass the top copy of the Placement Plan/Placement Information Record to the relevant social work team without delay;
6. If the child is placed at beginning of a holiday period, e.g. Christmas Eve, the Emergency Duty Officer placing the child will arrange for the child to be visited at least once during the holiday period by the Emergency Duty Team to ensure the child’s needs are being attended to and the provider/carers have all they require to meet the child’s needs until the relevant social worker can follow the placement up.

The child’s social worker will then complete the Placement Procedures as set out in the relevant chapter for Planned Placements, including the referral of the placement request to the Placement Panel and a notification of the placement to the Safeguarding and Quality Assurance Unit to trigger an appointment of an Independent Reviewing Officer.

In order to ensure the appropriate arrangements to pay carers/providers are in place, the child’s social worker must complete a Start/Stop Form and forward it to the Access to Resources Team. See Administrative Processes for Start/Stop Forms Procedure.

In addition, the child’s social worker must complete a Change of Circumstances Form, providing the necessary information to the relevant administrative staff so that the child's electronic recording system can be updated. 

Although a meeting with the provider/carers to plan the placement will not be possible prior to the placement, this must take place within 72 hours of the placement.

See Placement Planning and Keeping the Placement Information Record Up to Date Procedure.

End