7.4 Designated Managers

See Access to Records/Subject Access Requests Guidance

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):

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):

See Adoption Panel Procedure

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

Designated Manager(s):

See Adoption Support Services Procedure

The Manager who approves Adoption Support Plans

Designated Manager(s):

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

Designated Manager(s):Head of Service

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

Designated Manager(s): 

See Decision to Look After and Care Planning Procedure

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): 

Service 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): 

See Protocol for Single Assessments (Agreed with Southwark Safeguarding Children Partnership)

The Manager who may authorise a Child Protection Enquiry

Designated Manager(s): Team Manager

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

Designated Manager(s): Team 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

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 Team 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 Quality Assurance. 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.

See Protocol for SIngle Assessments (Agreed with Southwark Safeguarding Children Partnership)

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.

See Children with Disabilities Procedure

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

Designated Manager(s): 

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

The Manager who is the Designated Complaints Officer

Designated Manager(s): 

See Legal Planning Meetings and Care Proceedings in Southwark: Practice Guidance Procedure

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

Designated Manager(s): 

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):

See Decision to Look After and Care Planning Procedure and Legal Planning Meetings and Care Proceedings in Southwark: Practice Guidance Procedure.

The Manager who must endorse any decision to accommodate a child.

Designated Manager(s): Head of Service

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

Designated Manager(s): Head of Service

The manager who may authorise initiating Care Proceedings. See Legal Planning Meetings and Care Proceedings in Southwark: Practice Guidance Procedure.

See Fostering Panel Procedure

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

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): 

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

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

Designated Manager(s): Service Manager

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

See Extensions and Exemptions / Variations to Foster Carers Approval 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 and Head of Service permanence (requires 2 signatures)

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

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

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

The Manager who may authorise this

See Advocacy and Independent Visitors Procedure

Independent Visitors; the Manager who may authorise the appointment of an Independent Visitor

See Placements with Friends and Family Foster Carers (also known as Connected Persons carers) Procedure

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

See Children's Services Policy, Values and Principles

The Manager who may authorise the taking of legal advice

See Marriage of a Looked After Child Procedure

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

The Manager who may authorise it

Designated Manager(s): Team Manager

Where the medical treatment involves surgery and/or general anaesthetic:

Designated Manager(s): Service Manager in consultation with the treating doctor

Where significant and permanent medical intervention is required e.g. termination, sterilisation, organ transplant:

See Holidays and School Trips Outside the UK

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

Designated Manager(s): 

See Support for Care Leavers – Succeeding into Adulthood Procedure

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

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): 

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

See Placements with Friends and Family Foster Carers (also known as Connected Persons carers) Procedure

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

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):

See Placement with Parents Procedure

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

Designated Manager(s):

Director Children’s Social care

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

See Placements in Secure Accommodation Procedure

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): 

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

See Private Fostering Procedure

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

See Family and Friends Care

The Manager who must approve the payment of Residence Order/Child Arrangements Order Allowances

See Review and Termination of Approval of Foster Carers Procedure

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

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

Designated Manager(s): 

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.

See Secure Accommodation (Criteria) Reviews

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

Designated Manager(s)

See Applications for Special Guardianship Procedure

The manager who must approve Special Guardianship financial support:

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

See Children Missing from Care Procedure.

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

Designated Manager(s)

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

Designated Manager(s): 

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

Designated Manager(s):

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

Designated Manager(s): Head of Service, Head of Quality Assurance and LADO

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 Service Manager

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

Other Agencies:

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): Director Children’s Social Care

Head of Service and Head of 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:

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): Head of Service

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

Designated Manager(s): Director Children’s Social Care and Head of Quality Assurance

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): Director Children’s Social Care

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): Head of Service

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: Head of Service

See Need to Know - Informing the Director Children's Social Care about Serious Issues.

Designated Manager(s):

Allegation of a serious offence committed by a Looked After Child

Designated Manager(s): Head of Service and Head of Quality Assurance