1.3.5 Transfer of Cases between Teams

AMENDMENTS

This chapter was amended in October 2009 to reflect that the Family Support Teams and Child Protection Teams have now merged to become Children and Families Support Teams.

Responsibility of Teams
Transfer of Cases
Protocol for Transfer of Cases Between CIN Teams
Re-Referrals

1. Responsibility of Teams

1.1	The Referral and Assessment Team generally deals with cases from the point of Referral to the completion of the Core Assessment. (See Contact Details Appendix)
1.2	The Children and Families Support Team has responsibility for the Keyworker role for all children who are the subject of a Child Protection Plan.
1.3	The Children and Families Support Team has responsibility for all children in need of family support as evidenced by a Family Support Agreement following an Initial Assessment or Core Assessment, including Looked After children where rehabilitation to a child's family is planned/active and Looked After Children who are placed with their parents under the terms of Care Orders.
1.4	LAC Teams have responsibility for Looked After Children where a decision has been made that the child cannot return to their birth family/carer and they will need to be Looked After by the local authority for the foreseeable future.

2. Transfer of Cases

2.1 Transfers from Referral and Assessment Team to Children and Families Support Teams

Where a Child Protection Enquiry is being undertaken as part of a Core Assessment and a decision has been made in a Strategy Discussion/Meeting that an Initial Child Protection Conference should be called, arrangements should commence for the transfer of the case.

Where the child is not Looked After, the allocated social worker in the Referral and Assessment Team will:

Send a copy of the Strategy Discussion/Meeting minutes to the Children and Families Support Team Manager with the date of the Initial Child Protection Conference.
Complete a Report to the Conference and send a copy of the above to the Conference Chair and the Children and Families Support Team Manager at least 48 hours before the Conference.

If the Core Assessment has not been completed by the date of the Initial Child Protection Conference:

If the child is made the subject of a Child Protection Plan, case responsibility will transfer to the Children and Families Support Team at the Initial Child Protection Conference or at the latest by the date of the first Core Group.
If the child is not made the subject of a Child Protection Plan and the family agrees, the allocated social worker in the Referral and Assessment Team will complete the Core Assessment before the case is transferred to the Children and Families Support Team or other appropriate team or service with a clear plan of services and support to be offered to the family.

2.2 Transfers from the Referral and Assessment Team to the Children and Families Support/LAC Teams

If a child has been Accommodated as an emergency or during a Child Protection Enquiry, the child’s social worker must complete the following tasks before the case can be transferred to another Team:

Escort the child to their placement
Complete a Placement Information Record
Visit the child the next day
Book the first Looked After Review
Pass the invitation list to the Admin Worker booking review
Book a meeting for the Personal Education Plan to be started in school.
Arrange for the child’s first Health Care Assessment.
Ensure that the case is presented at the next Placement Panel.

If the plan is that the child is likely to return home, the case should be transferred to the Children and Families Support Team.

If the likelihood is for permanency, and the child is not the subject of a Child Protection Plan, the case should be transferred to the LAC Team after the first or second Looked After Review.

2.3 Transfer of cases from Children and Families Support Team and Family Support Team to LAC Team

Cases will transfer from the Children and Families Support Teams to the LAC Teams when a decision has been taken that the child is not able to return to their birth family/carer and that they will need to be Looked After by the local authority for the rest of their childhood. This will include children in Care Proceedings who will be transferred to the LAC Team after the first court hearing.

Regular meetings will be held between LAC and CP/FS managers to discuss cases that are likely to transfer to LAC in future and to make arrangements for cases that are ready for transfer.

2.4 Transfer of cases from LAC teams to Leaving Care Team

(See Leaving Care Procedure)

2.4.1	Criteria for transfer: The young person is 16 years old The young person comes within the definition of Eligible Young People for Leaving Care Services
2.4.2	Procedure for transfer: A Representative from the Leaving Care Team will be invited to the last Looked After Review in the young person’s 15th Year, to prepare the transition through the Care Pathway Planning process. (See Contact Details Appendix) The Leaving Care Team will allocate a worker for the young person who will ideally attend the 15yrs+ Looked After Review. If the Leaving Care Team allocated worker cannot attend this Looked After Review, the arrangements for a transfer meeting will be made at this Review and it is expected that the new allocated worker will respect the timetable arranged in their absence. Whenever possible, the transfer should take place around the young person’s 16th birthday, unless agreed tasks or situations dictate a delayed transfer. The young person will have discussed this transition process with their allocated social worker in the LAC Team prior to this Review and should be kept informed and updated throughout. The Leaving Care Assessment of Need of the young person will be completed by the allocated social worker in the LAC Team. (See Leaving Care Procedure). An analysis of the young person’s strengths and areas for development and support will be drawn up, with a clear plan showing who how these will be achieved and over what timescale. This will be done in collaboration with the young person. This plan should be presented at the above-mentioned Looked After Review meeting. Details of the individual transition process, who does what and when, will be drawn up at this Looked After Review meeting. This will include the introduction of the young person to the new worker and the identification of a transfer date.
2.4.3	Procedure for transfer of funding to the Leaving Care Team Responsibility for funding 16 year old Eligible Young People or Relevant Young People rests with the budget holder for Looked After Children’s placements until the young person’s 17th birthday. Funding then transfers to the Leaving Care Service. Exceptions are for Qualifying Young People who, if supported, are the financial responsibility of the Leaving Care Service. Changes of placements and the funding of the new placement as part of this transition process must be presented to and agreed by the Placement Panel. For 15-16 years olds this will be the responsibility of the LAC Social Worker, for 16 + the Leaving Care Team Worker.
2.4.4	Transfer of documents: When the date for transfer from the LAC Team to the Leaving Care team is reached, the LAC Team social worker will provide the Leaving Care Team with: A transfer summary outlining the young person’s history prior to being Looked After and during the period that they have been Looked After. A copy of the current Care Plan and the minutes of the last Looked After Review. A current assessment (Leaving Care Assessment of Need) of the young person’s developmental needs and identified strengths. This will, of course, include a PEP and an up to date Health Care Assessment. Up to date financial information about the young person’s placement costs and all other additional funding required. Change of Circumstances Form completed by the LAC Team worker When the file is ready for transfer, the Managers of the LAC Team and the Leaving Care Team will hold a transfer meeting to formally hand over case responsibility etc.
2.4.5	Looked After Children that will not transfer to the LCT at 16 years. Disabled young people who will need continuing care into adulthood and who will remain the responsibility of the Cheviots Children’s Disability Service.
2.4.6	Young People discharged from accommodation before their 16th Birthday. When a young person is discharged from accommodation before their 16th birthday a closing summary must be completed by the LAC Team social worker, identifying areas of vulnerability where further support may be required in the future. If the young person presents as ‘in need’ in the future, the Referral and Assessment Team Manager and the Leaving Care Team Manager will discuss what services are appropriate.
2.4.7	Young People closed by the Leaving Care Service who have children in need. For young people that no longer require services from the Leaving Care Team and the case is closed, whose own child is or has been the subject of a Child Protection Plan, a closing summary must be sent to the Children in Need Service to be placed on the child’s file.

3. Protocol for Transfer of Cases Between CIN Teams

3.1	It is important to remember that cases should be transferred as soon as the work of the team is completed. It is delay that causes confusion and practice concerns.
3.2	The principle should be that work is transferred with the minimum disruption to the child and their family. This means that each stage of the work should be completed within time scales and that, wherever possible, an allocated worker should be identified in the receiving team to allow for continuity.
3.3	One Management meeting in four in the CIN service will be given over to case transfer discussion. The purpose of the meeting will be to alert team managers to work coming into their teams and identify time scales. If work has to be transferred in earlier, then a discussion should take place between the relevant team managers. It should not be expected, unless in very unusual circumstances, that work be transferred on the day of the discussion.

Generally it should be possible to have the discussion at the meeting. It is not reasonable to expect a new team manager/ worker to pick up work when an important meeting is scheduled for the next day for example.

3.4

Any discussion of time scales should include:

A clear timetable of future events
A date for the new allocated worker (or manager) to meet with the current worker to discuss the work in more detail.
The time of transfer. Wherever possible the transfer should take place in a planned meeting e.g. a Looked After Review; a Core Group meeting; or another meeting arranged with the child or family.

3.5

Prior to transfer the following should be completed:

The child and their family, carer and other relevant people should be informed.
All the immediate relevant meetings for the child should be booked, e.g. Looked After Review; PEP; Contact; Core Group Meeting.
The record and relevant documentation should be properly completed.
The chronology should be complete
Future dates for meetings, contact dates etc should be clearly marked.
The transfer summary should be completed with an up to date Children's Plan or Care Plan or assessment.
Administrative staff should be notified.

3.6

Any difficulties in transferring the work within agreed timescales should be discussed amongst team managers in the first instance. If the difficulties cannot be resolved the Service Head should be informed.

4. Re-Referrals

If a case is re-referred within 3 months, the Team Manager in the Team that held case responsibility and completed the work with the child/family should review the file.

A decision should be made regarding further action. This can be done in consultation with the Service Centre Manager if necessary.

In an emergency the case will be dealt with by the Referral and Assessment Team and future work plans discussed with the previous Team Manager.

End