3.1.3 Route Map for Looked After Children

Referral

Decision on outcome of Referral within 1 working day

Information received that child may be a Child in Need of services.

See Contact and Referrals Procedure.

Initial Assessment

Within 10 working days

Child seen by social worker. Assessment identifies one of following:

1. Child in Need requiring Core Assessment;
2. Possible Significant Harm; leading to Strategy Discussion and possible Core Assessment with Child Protection Enquiry;
3. Child In Need with service provided and no Core Assessment;
4. Child not in need, signpost to other agencies (via CAF where appropriate) and/or NFA.

If the child is at risk of Significant Harm, there may be a need to take steps to protect the child, including obtaining an Emergency Protection Order

See Initial Assessments Procedure.

See Decision to Look After, Care and Permanence Planning Procedure.

Core Assessment

Within 35 working days

Core Assessment identifies child's needs and services required. Possible Initial Child Protection Conference - may lead to the child being made the subject of a Child Protection Plan and/or a decision to look after the child

See Core Assessments Procedure.

See Decision to Look After, Care and Permanence Planning Procedure.

Consider Additional Support to Maintain Placement at Home.

Referral for services to maintain child within the home

Consider other Family Options

Consider holding a Family Group Conference and supporting Family and Friend Arrangements with support if necessary, which would avoid need for child to be Looked After.

Decide to Look After Child

Decision to look after child approved by Designated Manager (Decision to Look After)

See Decision to Look After, Care and Permanence Planning Procedure.

Consider need for Care Proceedings and the requirement of the Public Law Outline - See Initiating Care Proceedings Procedure.

Seek Parents' Agreement

Consider Looked After Placement Options, including with Connected Persons

Consider Looked After  Placement with Connected Persons, with support if necessary. If suitable relative/friend available assessment as Foster Carer required if placement is to last more than 16 weeks.

Draft Care Plan

Care Plan drafted in outline, identifying purpose of admission to Looked After Service, how the local authority will exercise its responsibilities for the child including type of placement and contact with parents.

See Care Plans Guidance.

Seek Relevant Manager's Approval for Care Plan

Care Plan endorsed and signed by a Designated Manager (Care Plan).

If a Care Plan is not completed at this stage, the manager may authorise that it is completed within 10 working days of the child's placement.

See Decision to Look After, Care and Permanence Planning Procedure.

See Care Plans Guidance.

Seek Placement

See Placements in Foster Care Procedure.

See Placements In Residential Care Procedure.

Initiate Court Action

Where Court action considered necessary, Care Proceedings or other appropriate Court application initiated, evidence prepared and hearing date arranged.

See Initiating Care Proceedings Procedure.

Secure Accommodation Placement Appropriate

Legal advice obtained, referral made to Brokerage and budgetary approval obtained. Designated Manager (Secure Accommodation) can authorise up to 72 hours in Secure Accommodation. 

See Placement in Secure Accommodation Procedure.

First Court Hearing

Unless parents consent to child being Accommodated, Court hearing will occur before placement unless child on Police Protection or, for a secure placement, 72 hours placement has been authorised by the Designated Manager (Secure Placements).

Emergency Protection Order/Interim Care Order/Secure Accommodation Order obtained.

Place Child and Complete Placement Plan/Placement Information Record

before or on day of child's placement

Placement Plan/Placement Information Record completed before or on the day of the placement wherever possible.

If the Placement Information Record cannot be fully completed before or on day of placement, a Placement Planning Meeting must be convened within 5 working days.

Arrange First Looked After Review

Arrange first Looked After Review within 20 working days of placement

Quality Assurance Unit notified of child's placement, Independent Reviewing Officer designated and date for first Looked After Review arranged.

See Looked After Reviews Procedure.

Notification to Education

CLA education worker notified of child's placement in order to set up PEP meeting.

See Education of Looked After Children Procedure.

Emergency Review

Within 72 hours of placement

If child placed in residential care in an emergency, Emergency Review held within 72 hours of placement to ensure placement is suitable. 

See Emergency Review Procedure.

Social Worker Visits

Social worker visits to child made within one week of placement and then weekly for first 4 weeks if child placed with Connected Person and then monthly during temporary approval, or otherwise, if child placed with approved foster carers or in a children's home, at minimum of six weekly intervals in first year for the purposes of monitoring and supporting the placement.

See Social Worker Visits Procedure.

Arrange Health Care Assessment

Arrange Health Care Assessment, to inform the child's Health Care Plan, which should be incorporated into the child's Care Plan and Placement Plan and should be completed in time for the first Looked After Review.

See Health Care Assessments and Plans Procedure.

Promote Family Contact

Detailed contact arrangements made and included within the child's Placement Plan, in the context of the child's Care Plan.

See Contact with Parents and Siblings Procedure.

See Contact with Relatives and Friends Procedure.

Final date for completion of Care Plan.

10 working days after Placement.

If Care Plan was not completed before the placement, and the manager authorised it, the social worker may complete and circulate it within 10 working days of the placement. All parties should be invited to sign the Care Plan.

See Care Plans Guidance.

Placement Plan Review

If a Placement Plan/Placement Information Record has not been drawn up prior to the placement, a Placement Plan Review must be conducted within 5 working days of the placement. Further Placement Plan Reviews will usually be completed at the time of the Looked After Reviews.

Complete Personal Education Plan (PEP) within 10 working days as part of the Care Plan

In time for first Looked After Review 20 working days.

Social Worker to liaise with CLA education worker and child's school and formulate a Personal Education Plan (PEP).

See Education of Looked After Children Procedure.

Implement Care Plan

As required by Care Plan and/or Placement Plan, strategies implemented, further assessments organised (with Court's permission if within Care Proceedings) and time-scales set to explore possibility of rehabilitation and/or other Permanence options including Contingency Planning.

First Looked After Review

Within 20 working days of the Placement.

Progress in implementing aims of Care Plan considered at first Looked After Review, with a view to incorporating time-scales for achieving Permanence for child by second Looked After Review at latest, including Contingency Plan. 

See Looked After Reviews Procedure.

Assess Connected persons as foster carers, where relevant

Assessment of Connected Persons as foster carers completed.

Interim/Final Court Hearing

Detailed Care Plan with recommendations for Court Order approved by Designated Manager (Care Proceedings) and presented to Court.

Rehabilitation Plan Implemented

Where Interim Care Order or Care Order in force, Placement with Parents Procedure followed. Subsequent Looked After Reviews consider need for Care Order to continue.  

Where no Care Order, child discharged from Looked After Service with Child in Need Plan of support and monitoring.

Permanence Plan Agreed

By second Looked After Review

As soon as possible, and by second Looked After Review at the latest, Care Plan includes Permanence Plan for child, with a Contingency Plan.

See Looked After Reviews Procedure.

Ongoing Health Care Assessment

Depending on the age of the child, further Health Care Assessments must be conducted at between 6 and 12-month intervals.

See Health Care Assessments and Health Care Plans Procedure.

Where plan is for Adoption, see Placement for Adoption Procedure.

Where preparation for independence is appropriate.

Referral to Adolescent and After Care Service made and Pathway Plan drawn up and reviewed. 

See CLA Service - Succeeding into Adulthood Procedure.