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Transferring Child Protection Plans
It should be noted that whilst there are procedures in place, exceptional circumstances may mean that a manager will need to negotiate different arrangements with the sending or receiving authority. These should be clearly recorded and a copy sent to the other authority to ensure that they have the same understanding about what has been arranged and where case responsibility lies.
Transfer in
When a child on a child protection plan moves into the area, it is the responsibility of the area where they came from to notify you via a referral. Once received, the case should be allocated and a transfer-in conference should be arranged in the same way an initial case conference is set up. The authority where the child came from keeps case responsibility until the transfer-in conference is held.
Should a transfer in conference not be arranged then the social worker and their manager from the original area should follow this up with the new area to determine what is happening.
Transfer out
Should a child that you are working with under a child protection plan move permanently to another area, then contact should be made with the referrals team in that area, both verbally and followed up in writing, providing details of the child and their address. You should then also notify all the agencies involved with the child in your area so that they can advise their respective counterparts.
Your local authority will retain case responsibility until the new area has held a transfer-in conference. It is expected that you attend the transfer-in conference and submit a report giving the background information, current circumstances and details of the current child protection plan.
There are occasions when a child on a child protection plan moves and your local authority retain case responsibility, usually based around if the move is temporary or if the move is a part of a pattern of frequent moves where consistent oversight is required. Should this be the case there is still a need for clear information sharing with the new area, with arrangements for case responsibility being confirmed in writing.
Temporary child protection plans
If a child moves from another area on either a temporary basis, or where it is agreed that the area where they came from will retain case responsibility, the child must be added to the list of children on child protection plans in a temporary category.
Children who are to be subject of a transfer-in conference must also be added to the list in a temporary category until the transfer-in conference is held.
The list of those in the temporary category should be reviewed once a month to ensure that there are no children on the list who have either moved on or should become the responsibility of your local authority due to living permanently in the area.
Actions
Transfer-in
No. | Action | Person responsible | Timescale |
1. | Transfer-in request received and allocated to social worker | ***Who does this?*** | Within 24 hours of request being received |
2. | ***Name of team*** to be notified that child on a child protection plan has moved into the area. | ***Who does this?*** | Within 24 hours of request being received |
3. | ***Name of team*** to enter child's name on list of children subject to child protection plans in the temporary category | ***Who does this?*** | Within 24 hours of request being received |
4. | Case conference to be booked with ***name of team***. | Social worker | Within 1 working day of case being allocated |
5. | Invites to be sent out for conference to include social worker from original area | ***Who does this?*** | ***Timescale required*** |
6. | Social worker to meet with child and family to complete brief assessment of current situation in order to inform the conference | Social worker | Within 3 working days of case being allocated |
7. | Report for conference to be completed and sent to manager for countersigning | Social worker | 4 working days before conference |
8. | Report to be countersigned by manager | First line social work manager | 3 working days before conference |
9. | Report to be shared with parents / those with parental responsibility | Social worker | 2 working days before conference |
10. | Report to be sent to conference chair | Social worker / Business support | 1 working day before conference |
11. | Attendance at conference | Social worker and first line social work manager | Day of conference |
12. | Decision to be made about whether the child requires a child protection plan in your area | Conference | At end of conference |
13. | Child's name to be removed from the temporary category on the list of children subject to child protection plans | ***Who does this?*** | Within 1 working day of conference |
14. | Letter to be sent to area where the child moved from notifying them of outcome of conference | Chair | Within 1 working day of conference |
Transfer-out
No. | Action | Person responsible | Timescale |
1. | Verbal contact made with new area, advising them that child subject to child protection plan is living in their area | Social worker | When information about move received |
2. | Letter to be sent to new area confirming details of child, providing historic information (e.g. why on child protection plan, category of plan) and details of new address, etc. Letter should request a transfer-in conference is arranged. | Social worker | Within 24 hours of verbal contact being made with new area |
3. | All other Local_Authority based agencies involved with the child to be advised of move and advised of need to share information with colleagues in new area | Social worker | Within 24 hours of information about move being received |
4. | Report to be written for conference and sent to manager for countersigning | Social worker | 5 working days prior to conference in new area |
4. | Report to be countersigned by manager | First line social work manager | 4 working days prior to conference in new area |
5. | Where possible, report to be shared with parents / those with parental responsibility | Social worker | 2 working days before conference |
6. | Report to be sent to conference chair in new area | Social worker / Business support | 2 working days before conference |
7. | Attendance at conference | Social worker | Day of conference |
8. | ***Name of Unit*** to be notified that child moved and therefore can be de-planned | Social worker | Within 1 working day of conference |
8. | Any identified actions from conference to be completed and case closed | Social worker | Within timescales of any actions that may be outstanding |
Temporary child protection plans
No. | Action | Person responsible | Timescale |
1. | Child's name to be entered on the list of children subject to child protection plans in the temporary category | ***Who does this?*** | Immediately on receipt of notification that a child subject to a child protection plan is living in Local_Authority |
2. | Child's name to be removed from list of children subject to child protection plans if notification received that they have moved out of area | ***Who does this?*** | Within 24 hours of receipt of information that child has left Local_Authority |
3. | Review of details of children recorded on list of children subject to children protection plans in the temporary category | ***Who does this?*** | Monthly basis |