7.3 Designated Managers

See Access to Records Procedure

The Manager who must authorise the refusal of a request for access to records and/or a request by an agent for access to records. 

Designated Manager(s):

Caldicott Guardian

See Adoption chapters in Section 3.10 of this handbook which can be accessed via the Contents Button.

The Agency Decision-Maker who may approve recommendations of the Adoption and Permanence Panel

Designated Manager(s):

Business Manager Looked After Children

See Adoption Panel Procedure

The Manager who appoints the Chair and Vice Chair and deals with associated Panel membership matters

Designated Manager(s):

Business Manager Looked After Children

See Adoption Support Services Procedure

The Manager who approves Adoption Support Plans

Designated Manager(s):

Business Manager Looked After Children

The Manager who may authorise bed and breakfast accommodation for Looked After Children.

Designated Manager(s): Service Manager

The Manager who may authorise bed and breakfast accommodation for children who are not Looked After.

Designated Manager(s): 

Service Manager

See Decision to Look After, Care and Permanence Planning Procedure and Route Map for Looked After Children

The manager who must authorise a Care Plan in relation to an Accommodated child and a child the subject of Care Proceedings.

Designated Manager(s): 

Team Manager

See Change of Name of a Looked After Child Procedure

The Manager who may authorise the change of name and the taking of Court Proceedings where parental agreement is not forthcoming

Designated Manager(s): 

Assistant Director Specialist Children's Services via Service Manager

See Core Assessment Procedure

The Manager who may authorise a Child Protection Enquiry

Designated Manager(s): Team Manager or Practice Manager

The Manager who may authorise a social worker to stop a Child Protection Enquiry before its completion.

Designated Manager(s): Team Manager (On the recommendation of the Practice Manager)

The Manager who must endorse a recommendation to hold or not to hold a Child Protection Conference.

Designated Manager(s): Team Manager

The Manager who may authorise a search for a child on the List of Children with a Child Protection Plan who is missing

Designated Manager(s): Team Manager or Practice Manager in consultation with the Quality Assurance Unit who will notify other authorities as required by the London Child Protection Procedures.

The Manager who may agree not to invite a carer to a Child Protection Conference or part of a Conference and who may agree not to invite a child of 12 years or over to a Child Protection Conference or decide to which part to invite the child and how it should be managed.

Designated Manager(s): Conference Chair (on the recommendation of the Practice Manager)

The Manager who may authorise the discontinuation of a Child Protection Plan after the making of an Interim Care Order.

Designated Manager(s): Service Manager (Child Protection). See also Children subject to Dual Planning Process - Looked After Reviews and Child Protection Conferences Procedure

The Manager who may agree that a Child Protection Conference may proceed notwithstanding that it is inquorate.

Designated Manager(s): Conference Chair - following consultation with other agencies.

The Manager who may authorise the discontinuation of a Child Protection Plan when a Child Protection Conference is inquorate

Designated Manager(s): Conference Chair

The Manager who may authorise a decision that a child requires or does not require a Child Protection Plan.

Designated Manager(s): Conference Chair

The Manager who may authorise the cancellation or postponement of a Child Protection Conference.

Designated Manager(s): Conference Chair in consultation with Service Manager Quality Assurance

See Core Assessments Procedure

The Manager who may authorise seeking emergency day nursery provision.

Designated Manager(s): Service Manager

The manager who may authorise seeking services from agencies with Service Level Agreement.

Designated Manager(s): Service Manager

See Children with Disabilities Procedure

Approval of care packages for child with disabilities; decision to look after child with disabilities.

Designated Manager(s): 

Service Manager whichever team holds the case

See Representations, Complaints and Claims Procedure and Complaints and Representations Guidance

The Manager who is the Designated Complaints Officer

Designated Manager(s): 

Quality Assurance Manager.

See Initiating Care Proceedings Procedure

The Manager who may authorise extended contact between Looked After Children and Parents pending a Post Care Proceedings Meeting

Designated Manager(s): 

Team Manager/Practice Manager

See Contact with Parents and Siblings Procedure 

Suspension or termination of contact between a Looked After Child and Parents; the Manager who may authorise termination

Designated Manager(s):

Service Manager

See Decision to Look After, Care and Permanence Planning Procedure
Initiating Care Proceedings Procedure and Route Map for Looked After Children

The Manager who must endorse any decision to accommodate a child (other than a child with disabilities - see above), is:

Designated Manager(s): Service Manager

The Manager who may authorise an application for an Emergency Protection Order and/or a Recovery Order

Designated Manager(s): Service Manager

The Manager who may authorise an application for an Emergency Protection Order and/or a Recovery Order.

Designated Manager(s): Service Manager

The manager who may authorise initiating Care Proceedings. See Initiating Care Proceedings Procedure.

Designated Manager(s): Service Manager

See Fostering Panel Procedure

Appointment of the Chair and Vice Chair of the Fostering Panel and associated matters:

Business Manager

See Allegations against Foster Carers, Prospective Adopters and Adopters Procedure

Allegations against Foster Carers; the Manager who may authorise the recommendation of a Strategy Discussion that no further action is taken against a Foster Carer.

Designated Manager(s): 

Service Manager, Adoption and Fostering in conjunction with Quality Assurance Manager (Child Protection).

See Assessment and Approval of Foster Carers Procedure, Review of Foster Carers Procedure and Persons Disqualified from Fostering Procedure

Approval of Approval of Foster Carers: the Manager who may approve the recommendations of the Fostering Panel

Designated Manager(s): Service Manager, Adoption and Fostering

Review of Foster Carers: the Manager who may approve the outcome of the reviews of foster carers

Designated Manager(s): Team Managers and Practice Managers, Adoption and Fostering.

See Limit of the number of Children in Foster Homes Procedure

Approval to exceed upon recommendation of Fostering Panel; the Manager who may approve the recommendations of the Fostering Panel to exceed the usual limit. 

Designated Manager: Service Manager, Adoption and Fostering

Approval for an interim exemption, in an emergency; the Manager who may approve an interim exemption. 

Designated Manager: Team Managers and Practice Managers, Adoption and Fostering

See HIV and AIDS Procedure

HIV and AIDS; the Manager who may authorise test for Looked After Children/authorise sharing of an alleged perpetrator's HIV status

Designated Manager(s): 

Service Manager with the advice of the Team Manager, Children with Disabilities

See Protocol for Joint Work between Housing and Children's Services

The Manager who may authorise this

The Designated Manager(s):

Business Manager

See Advocacy and Independent Visitors Procedure

Independent Visitors; the Manager who may authorise the appointment of an Independent Visitor where there are financial implications.

Designated Manager(s):

Team Manager

See Placements with Connected Persons Procedure

The Manager who may approve Kinship Carers on the recommendation of the Fostering Panel

Designated Manager(s):

Service Manager, Adoption and Fostering

See Children's Services Policy, Values and Principles

The Manager who may authorise the taking of legal advice

Designated Manager(s):

Practice Manager (Protocol), Child Protection Co-ordinator

See Marriage of a Looked After Child Procedure

Marriage of a Looked After Child; the Manager who may authorise it

Designated Manager(s):

Business Manager Looked After Children

The Manager who may authorise it

Designated Manager(s):

Team Manager

See Holidays and School Trips Outside the UK

Passports for Looked After Children, the manager who may authorise passports

Designated Manager(s): 

Assistant Director Specialist Children's Services

See CLA Service - Succeeding into Adulthood

Pathway Plan; the Manager who should approve them, including any amendments

Designated Manager(s): 

Team Manager and Practice Manager

See Placement for Adoption Procedure

See Placement in Foster Care Procedure

Permanence Plan; the Manager who can approve the recommendations of the Adoption or Fostering Panel in relation to Permanence Plans, including matching.

Designated Manager(s): 

Agency Decision Maker: Deputy Director Specialist Children's Services

See Placements outside England and Wales Procedure

Placements outside England and Wales, the Manager who may authorise the placement, including Emigration, of a child outside England and Wales

Designated Manager(s):

Service Manager

See Placements with Connected Persons Procedure

Immediate Placement with Kinship Carers: the Manager who may authorise such placements

Designated Manager(s): 

Business Manager, Children Looked After

See Placements in Foster Care Procedure and Placements in Residential Care Procedure

External Placements, the Manager who can authorise external Placements of children.

Designated Manager(s):

Assistant Director Specialist Children's Services

See Placement with Parents Procedure

Placement with Parents, Planned; the Manager who may authorise such placements

Designated Manager(s):

Business Manager, Children Looked After for planned placements

Placement with Parents, Unplanned; the Manager who may authorise such placements

Designated Manager(s): 

Business Manager, Children Looked After for planned placements

See Placements in Secure Accommodation Procedure and Route Map for Looked After Children

Secure Accommodation; the Manager who may authorise that a child  be placed in secure accommodation for up to 72 hours and/or that an application for a Secure Accommodation Order be made

Designated Manager(s): 

Assistant Director Specialist Children's Service

See Placement in Semi-Independent Accommodation Procedure

Semi-independent Accommodation: the Manager who may authorise that a young person be placed in semi-independent accommodation

Designated Manager(s): 

Service Manager

See Private Fostering Procedure

The Manager who may authorise approvals and other matters in relation to Private Foster Carers

Designated Manager(s): 

Team Manager

See Family and Friends Policy

The Manager who must approve the payment of Residence Order Allowances

Designated Manager(s): 

Business Manager

See Review of Foster Carers Procedure

The Manager who will approve the recommendations of the Fostering Panel in regard to the review of Foster Carers.

Designated Manager(s):  

Service Manager, Adoption and Fostering

The Manager who must approve the revocation of a Care Order before an application is made.

Designated Manager(s): 

Service Manager - calling of Child Protection Conference to be considered

See Holidays and School Trips Outside the UK Procedure

See Leisure and Recreation Procedure

School or Educational Trips/Holidays Abroad or Outdoor Activities:; the Manager who may authorise such trips for Looked After Children.

Designated Manager(s): 

Service Manager

See Secure Accommodation (Criteria) Reviews and Route Map for Looked After Children

The Manager who should be informed of the outcome of these reviews

Designated Manager(s)

Deputy Director, Children's Specialist Services or his/her nominated deputy

See Applications for Special Guardianship Procedure

Special Guardianship requests for further assessments and reviews are undertaken by Welcare.

The manager who must approve Special Guardianship financial support:

Designated Manager(s)

Business Manager for Looked After Children

Abduction or attempted abduction of a child receiving services, the Manager who should be notified

Designated Manager(s): 

Service Manager

See Absent Children Procedure

The Manager who must be notified if a Looked After Child has been absent for five days

Designated Manager(s)

Assistant Director of Specialist Children's Services via Service Manager

Business Manager Looked After Children

Business Manager Quality Assurance

Attempted suicide of a child receiving services, the Manager who should be notified

Designated Manager(s): 

Business Manager and Business Manager, Quality Assurance

Where a social worker is unable to see a child on the Child Protection Plan, the Manager who should be notified

Designated Manager(s):

Service Manager and Service Manager Quality Assurance

Where a Child Protection allegation is made in relation a member of staff the Manager who must be notified

Designated Manager(s): Business Manager and Business Manager, Quality Assurance

Where a Child Protection allegation is made in relation to a child in receipt of a service; the Manager who must be notified

Designated Manager(s): Service Manager and Quality Assurance Manager, Child Protection

If the child is placed in a Children's Home or Foster Home, see additional managers/agencies that should be notified.

Other Agencies:

If the child is placed in a Children's Home or Foster Home, the Regulatory Authority must be notified.

Death or serious injury of a Looked After Child, or any child receiving services, or any child resulting from Significant Harm, the Manager who should be notified.

Designated Manager(s): Assistant Director Specialist Children's Services

Business Manager and Business Manager Quality Assurance

In the event of the death or serious injury of a Looked After Child, the following agencies must also be notified.

Other Agencies:

Department for Education, the Regulatory Authority, and the relevant Health Trust.

Where an Incident results in the police being called to provide assistance in a Children's Home or Foster Home, the Manager must be notified

Designated Manager(s): Service Manager.

Other Agencies: It will also be necessary to notify the Regulatory Authority.

Involvement or suspected involvement of a Looked After Child in prostitution or sexual exploitation

Designated Manager(s): Service Manager and Quality Assurance Manager, Child Protection

Other Agencies: Also, if the child is placed in a Children's Home or Foster Home, the Regulatory Authority and Police must be notified.

Referral to the Secretary of State under Sec 2 (1) (a) of the Protection of Children Act 1999 (a) of an individual working at the home, the people/agencies who should be notified

Designated Manager(s): Assistant Director Specialist Children's Services

Other Agencies: If the Child is placed in a Children's Home or Foster Home, the Regulatory Authority must be notified, and the Protection of Children Team.

Where an Incident results in serious damage being caused to a Children's Home or Foster Home; the Manager who must be notified.

Designated Manager(s): Service Manager

Other Agencies: If the Police are called for assistance, the Regulatory Authority must also be notified.

Serious illness or serious accident sustained by a Looked After Child;

Outbreak of any infectious or Notifiable disease relating to a Looked After Child that, in the opinion of a registered medical practitioner, is sufficiently serious to require notification.

Designated Manager(s) for both: Service Manager

Other Agencies: If the child is placed in a Children's Home or Foster Home, the Regulatory Authority must be notified. The Health Authority must additionally be notified if there is an Outbreak of an Infectious Disease.

Allegation of a serious offence committed by a Looked After Child

Designated Manager(s): Service Manager

Business Manager Looked After Children

Business Manager Quality Assurance

Other Agencies: Also, if the child is placed in a Children's Home or Foster Home, the Police must be notified.