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Contents

1.	Consultation and Planning
2.	Placements Process - Planned Placements
	2.1	Definition of Planned Placement
	2.2	Matching of a Placement
	2.3	Placement Request
	2.4	Identification of Placement
	2.5	Placement Planning
	2.6	Notification of Placement
3.	Placement Process - Emergency Placements
	3.1	Definition of Emergency Placement
	3.2	During Normal Working Hours
	3.3	Outside Normal Working Hours
4.	Support and Ending of Placements
	4.1	Support and Monitoring of Placements
	4.2	Ending of Placements
	4.3	Disruption Meetings

1. Consultation and Planning

1.1 Consultation

At the point that it is determined that a placement may be required, and throughout the subsequent process of identification, planning and placement, the social worker must consult and take account of the views of the following people:

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 who are significant to the child;
5. The child's school or education authority;
6. The Youth Offending Service, if the child is known to them.

The views of these people should be given by them, in writing, or should be recorded by the social worker. If the child's wishes are not acted upon, the reason should be given and recorded.

1.2 Planning

See Decision to Look After, Care and Permanence Planning Procedure for procedures relating to who can authorise the decision to Look After a child, the documentation and plans required for Looked After children and the requirements in relation to the Care and Permanence Plan.

See Paragraph 2.5, Placement Planning.

2. Placements Process - Planned Placements

2.1	Definition of Planned Placement
2.2	Matching of a Placement
2.3	Placement Request
2.4	Identification of Placement
2.5	Placement Planning
2.6	Notification of Placement

2.1 Definition of Planned Placement

A Planned Placement is the placement of a child in a foster home following an assessment and planning process whereby, at the time of the placement, a Care Plan and Placement Plan are in place.

Where the above plans are not in place, the placement is deemed to be an Emergency.

See Section 3, Placement Process - Emergency Placements below.

2.2 Matching of a Placement

The matching process should consider the child's needs especially regarding the following key areas:

• The child's education;
• The expectations around contact with relatives and friends;
• The child's identify/race/culture;
• The child's history;
• The child's behaviour;
• The child's health;
• The focus of the placement.

The matching process should also consider the carer's availability and:

• Their experience;
• Their strengths;
• The family composition;
• The distance from the foster home to the child's school;
• Other children in the placement;
• The foster carer's children.

2.3 Placement Request

In relation to any request for a foster placement, the child's social worker should obtain the authority from his or her team manager or practice supervisor to make a referral to the duty officer in the Fostering Service.

The child's social worker should complete a Placement Referral Form, obtain signed authority from his or her team manager or practice supervisor, and then forward the Referral Form to the duty fostering officer, with information about the child, the type of placement sought, the likely length of time for which the placement is required and the expected level of contact between the child and parents.

2.4 Identification of Placement

After receiving the Referral Form, the duty officer may wish to consult the social worker for clarification or for more information, for example whether the child may be a risk to other children living in the foster home.

The duty officer will take the necessary steps to identify a suitable placement with Southwark approved foster carers. Wherever possible, the child's social worker should visit potential carers and as required consult with other professionals, prior to a decision about the appropriateness of a placement being made.

In relation to the sharing of bedrooms, each child over 3 should have their own bedroom, or where this is not possible, the placing authority must agree to the sharing of the bedroom and this must therefore be addressed during the matching process.

Where a foster carer is identified as potentially suitable, the foster carer will be provided with as much information as possible. The duty officer should also, where possible, consult the fostering social worker linked to the specific foster carers. 

Where a request is made for a foster carer to exceed the number of children they are approved for, it will be necessary to apply for an Exemption.  The Limit on the Number of Children in Foster Homes Procedure, provides procedures on exemptions for foster carers in the borough. 

For foster carers living outside the borough, an application for an exemption must be made to the local authority for the area where the foster carer lives.

Where a request is made for a Southwark foster carer to look after a child beyond the age range approved for, the manager of the fostering service must give authorisation.

As part of the identification process, the social worker may arrange visits to the proposed placement, with the child (if old enough) and parents (if appropriate).

Where a placement with Southwark foster carers has been identified and agreed as suitable, the placement planning can proceed (see Paragraph 2.5, Placement Planning).

If no placement is available with Southwark foster carers, the request may be held pending a suitable placement being available (where time allows) or may be considered for placement with an external provider.

NB In addition to the above approvals, in order to avoid placements that disrupt a child's education,the Nominated Officer - in Southwark this is the Business Manager, Children Looked After - must approve any change of placement affecting a child in Key Stage 4  except in an emergency/ where the placement is terminated because of an immediate risk of serious harm to the child  or to protect others from  serious injury - see Education of Looked After Children Procedure.

Placements with independent fostering agencies

If it seems that a placement with an independent fostering agency is appropriate, the child's social worker must obtain authorisation from the Designated Manager (External Placements). Where the placement is with independent foster carers who live outside the local authority area, see also Out of Area Placements Procedure.

Once authority has been obtained the child's social worker should make a referral to the Brokerage Unit. The child's social worker should send the completed Placement Referral Form to the Brokerage Unit. Other relevant written reports on the child may also have to be sent, if appropriate and necessary. The Brokerage Unit will then register the referral and contact appropriate fostering agencies.

The Brokerage officer will record approaches made to each provider, using agencies in the Pan London Directory initially and others if required, liaising with the child's social worker as necessary. All providers contacted should be requested to complete and return a Schedule Form of Quotation in relation to the proposed placement.

Once a possible option for placement has been identified, the Brokerage Unit will obtain a copy of the proposed carers' Form F and ensure that the necessary checks have been carried out on the carers. They will also obtain confirmation that the agency concerned is registered with OFSTED.

Where the agency is not previously known to the authority and this information is not already available on the authority's database, the registration certificate and last inspection report must also be obtained and assessed by the Commissioning Team before the placement can be confirmed.

The Brokerage officer will pass details of possible options to the social worker, including a copy of the proposed carers' Form F. 

Where there is a child already in the proposed foster placement from a different local authority, the Brokerage officer will establish the name, age and local authority responsible for the child. 

As part of the identification process, the social worker may arrange visits to the proposed placement.

The social worker will discuss any proposed placement with the team manager, who will decide in consultation with the Designated Manager (External Placements) whether the placement is acceptable. The team manager will inform the Brokerage Unit of the decision.

The Brokerage officer will contact the fostering agency concerned to confirm the placement with the agency and any necessary arrangements including the fees. The Brokerage officer will then seek a final agreement from the Designated Manager (External Placements) and also inform other agencies previously contacted that a placement is no longer required with them.

Where another child is already in the placement, the Brokerage officer will arrange for that child's local authority to be informed of the proposed placement. 

When a suitable placement has been identified as above, the placement planning process can start.

The Brokerage Unit will arrange to complete a Placement Agreement with the fostering agency concerned. A copy of the Agreement will be sent to the child's social worker for the child's file.

If the proposed placement is for the child to be permanently placed with foster carers, the social worker seeking the placement must be mindful that procedures exist for obtaining approval to the matching of foster carers. These procedures are set out below in Long Term Fostering Procedure.

2.5 Placement Planning

Before the child is placed, the child's social worker should liaise with the foster carer and the fostering social worker or independent fostering agency to arrange a pre-Placement Planning Meeting. Except in emergency placements, the Placement Planning Meeting should be held before the placement.  Where this is not possible, it should be held at the latest within 5 working days of the placement.

Consideration can be given to inviting the child, parents, any other significant family members and relevant professionals to such a meeting.

The purpose of the meeting is to share information about the child and the Care Plan, and also to finalise the Placement Plan (which will be recorded on the Placement Information Record). This will involve a discussion of the child's needs to ensure careful matching, including the child's personal history, religious persuasion, cultural and linguistic background and racial origin, as well as the child's health and education needs and how these are to be met. It will also include the arrangements for registering the child with local health professionals (GP, dentist and optician)

In addition the placement planning meeting will consider the type of introduction process required, for example whether arrangements should be made for the child, parents and the social worker to visit the foster home and/or whether it may be appropriate to have an introductory overnight stay. Children should be able to visit the foster home and talk in private with the carer. If this is not possible, arrangements may be made for the carers to visit the child and parents; or for information about the foster carers to be sent to the child and/or the parents, for example about routines in the foster home, bedtimes, meals, visitors, pocket money, school, privacy and the overall expectations in relation to the child's behaviour within the home.

For children placed in foster care, the Placement Plan should cover the following issues in addition to those for all placements set out in the Decision to Look After and Care Planning Procedure:

1. The type of accommodation to be provided and the address;
2. The child's personal history, religious persuasion, cultural and linguistic background and racial origin;
3. Where the child  is Accommodated, the respective responsibilities of the Local Authority and parents/anyone with Parental Responsibility; any delegation of responsibility by parents/anyone with Parental Responsibility to the Local Authority for the child's  day-to-day care; the expected duration of the arrangements and the steps to bring the arrangements to an end, including arrangements for the child  to return to live with parents/anyone with Parental Responsibility; where the child  is aged 16 or over and agrees to being provided with accommodation under Section 20 Children Act 1989, that fact;
4. The circumstances in which it is necessary to obtain in advance the Local Authority's  approval for the child to take part in school trips or overnight stays;
5. The Local Authority's arrangements for the financial support of the child during the placement;
6. The obligation on the carers to comply with the terms of the foster care agreement. 

Following the meeting, the child's social worker will complete and arrange for the circulation of the Care Plan and Placement Plan to the child, parents and foster carers. The relevant administrative staff will record the dates when documents were circulated on CareFirst.

In all cases, the child should be accompanied to the placement by the social worker and helped to settle in. This procedure applies equally where the child is placed outside of the local authority.

The social worker should ensure that any Children's Guide or other information about the placement that is available for the child is obtained and given to him/her. Children must understand house expectations before the placement is made.

When the child is placed, the social worker must also ensure that the child is provided with information on using the authority's Complaints Procedure.

Where the placement is with Southwark foster carers, the social worker must  ensure arrangements are made for the child to view the video 'Just Ask'.

2.6 Notification of Placement

Notification of the placement must be sent to all those consulted and involved in the decision-making process, and confirmation of the date of an in-house placement must be sent to the Fostering Team. Unless otherwise stated, the notifications should be sent within 5 working days of the placement.

The child's social worker must provide the necessary information to the relevant administrative staff in a LAC Change Report so the child's records can be updated, and a Financial Trigger Form must be completed to inform the Finance section of the costs associated with the placement.

Where the placement is with a foster carer from an independent agency living outside the borough, the Brokerage officer will write to the local authority for the area where the foster carer lives and inform them of the name and address of the foster carer and the date of the placement.

The social worker must also notify the following:

1. The Quality Assurance and Safeguarding Unit. This notification must be given within one working day of the placement. It may be must always be confirmed in writing. For a child's first placement, this notification will trigger the appointment of an Independent Reviewing Officer who will contact the social worker to make arrangements for a Looked After Review;
2. The appropriate Health Trust, Education Service and Children's Social Care Services for the area where the child is placed. These notifications must be made within two working days of the placement and must be in writing advising of the placement decision and the name and address of the home where the child is to be placed;
   
   It will necessary for the social worker to ensure the child is registered with a GP, Dentist and Optician, either retaining practices known to them or in the area where they are placed. In relation to a child's first placement it will also be necessary for the social worker to arrange a Health Care Assessment (See procedures contained in Health Care Assessments and Health Care Plans Procedure) and Personal Education Plan (see procedures contained in Education of Looked After Children Procedure);
3. In relation to a child's first Looked After placement, it will also be necessary to notify the date of the first Looked After Review to the team manager for the relevant Children Looked After Team who will be responsible for the case when it is transferred after the first Looked After Review. This notification can be made on a Transfer document via the team manager. It does not imply that the case will transfer but will provide an early notification warning. (See Transfer between Teams Protocol.) 

3. Placements Process - Emergency Placements

3.1	Definition of Emergency Placement
3.2	During Normal Working Hours
3.3	Outside Normal Working Hours

3.1 Definition of Emergency Placement

An Emergency Placement is a Looked After placement 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.

Therefore the following placements are deemed to be Emergency Placements:

• The placement of a child out of normal working hours, made by the Emergency Duty Team;
• Any other placements where the necessary plans are not in place, for example because of a family crisis or illness, or where a child is abandoned, or where the child is at risk of Significant Harm.

3.2 During Normal Working Hours

Where an Emergency Placement is required, the social worker should still liaise with the duty officer at the Fostering Service, and provide a completed Placement Referral Form.

The duty officer will then attempt to find the most suitable placement for the child given the availability of resources, and will consult with fostering social workers for specific foster carers as necessary. 

Where a request is made for a foster carer to exceed the number of children they are approved for, the team manager can approve an Interim Exemption  Thereafter it will be necessary for the Manager of the Fostering Service to give due consideration to the decision. See the Procedure on Exemptions contained in Limit on the number of Children in Foster Homes Procedure.

Where a request is made for a foster carer to look after a child beyond the age range approved for, the Manager of the Fostering Service must give authorisation. Emergency placements with a local authority approved foster carer outside the terms of approval can be made for up to 6 working days.

Where no Southwark foster placement is available, and an emergency placement with an independent fostering agency is required, a referral to the Brokerage Unit should be made and the procedure for Planned Placements in Paragraph 2.4, Identification of Placements above must be followed.

In all cases, even where a child is placed in an emergency, the social worker must complete a Placement Information Record, providing as much information as possible given the circumstances.

The child's social worker will then complete the Placement Procedures as set out in Paragraph 2.5, Placement Planning and Paragraph 2.6, Notification of Placement above for Planned Placements. The Placement Planning Meeting must be held within 5 working days of the placement.

3.3 Outside Normal Working Hours

See Out of Hours Protocol for Responding to Children and Adolescents who might present Outside Office Hours Procedure for details.

This summarises the procedures for Out of Hours Placements:

1. When a placement appears appropriate, the Emergency Duty Officer must identify a suitable placement using the available emergency placements;
2. The Emergency Duty staff should liaise as necessary with the foster carers, seeking their view on the suitability of the proposed placement. If there is a significant difference of opinion, the 'on call' Manager should be consulted to make a decision;
3. Before placing the child, the Emergency Duty Officer should take account of the procedures outlined in Section 1, Consultation and Planning, regarding Consultation, and should take all reasonable steps to ensure these procedures are followed;
4. When a decision is reached the Emergency Duty Officer should liaise with the foster carers to agree the time and other suitable arrangements for the child's placement;
5. Before a child is placed, the Emergency Duty Officer must provide as much information as possible to the foster carers;
6. The Emergency Duty Officer should if possible arrange an emergency Health Care Assessment of the child;
7. Having placed the child, the Emergency Duty Officer must send a CareFirst message/e-mail to the Referral and Assessment Team Manager or,where the child is already an open case, to the allocated social worker's team office without delay;
8. The child's social worker will then complete the Placement Procedures as set out in Paragraph 2.5, Placement Planning and Paragraph 2.6, Notification of Placement above for Planned Placements. The Placement Planning Meeting must be held within 5 working days of the placement.

4. Support and Ending of Placements

4.1	Support and Monitoring of Placements
4.2	Ending of Placements
4.3	Disruption Meetings

4.1 Support and Monitoring of Placements

The child's social worker must visit the child in the placement within one week of the placement and then at specified intervals; See Social Worker Visits Procedure.

Also see Placement Plan Review Procedure.

The records should be monitored for quality, adequacy and retention.

4.2 Ending of Placements

All those notified of the placement should be notified also when a placement ends, including the Fostering Service (in the case of a placement with Southwark foster carers) and the Brokerage Unit (in the case of a placement with an external fostering agency).

Children must, when they leave the home, be helped to understand the reasons and be supported with the transition - including return home and independence.

Foster carers must be supported to maintain links with children who leave their care, where appropriate.The finance team must be notified immediately of the ending of the placement through the use of a Change Report.

In the case of a placement with Southwark foster carers, at the end of a foster placement, all written information on the child, which the foster carer holds, should be transferred to the child's social worker.

Where a former carer's records are requested by a new agency, these must be made available within one month of the request.

4.3 Disruption Meetings

Where a placement breaks down, the child's social worker will arrange a disruption meeting to:

• Help the child by understanding his or her needs better;
• Improve practice by understanding what went wrong;
• Recognise all the positive work and good experiences for the child, among the difficulties;
• Support every-one involved and enable them to carry on and recover;
• Demonstrate that disruption is never the fault of one or two people or the result of a single factor, but the outcome of a series of connected factors;
• Attempt to put into place a new agreement that will lead to the placement continuing.

The Chair of the meeting should be independent of the placement.

Those invited should be:

1. The foster carers and the foster carer's supervising social worker;
2. The child's social worker and manager;
3. The present carers, where appropriate.

The agenda should consider the following:

• The child's early history before being Looked After;
• The child's care history before the placement;
• The assessment and preparation of the foster carers and the child;
• The matching decision in relation to the placement;
• The introductory period;
• The actual placement;
• What has happened since the disruption;
• The child's current priority needs.

End