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Accommodating a child
PRIOR TO CHILD BECOMING LOOKED AFTER | |
o | Complete assessment |
o | Determine whether immediate action required / legal orders |
o | If immediate action not required take to Access to Resources Panel (requires completed assessment and chronology) |
o | If following PLO then Family Group Conference must be held within six weeks |
o | Complete Care Plan |
o | Complete PEP |
ON PLACEMENT OF CHILD | |||
o | If s20 get signed consent for placement | Social worker | On placement |
o | Discuss consent for medical treatment with parents and get relevant forms signed | Social worker | On placement |
o | Request the child's Health Record (Red Book) | Social worker | On placement |
o | Help parents to complete relevant Initial Health Assessment form | Social worker | On placement |
o | Provide child with information on their placement, about how to make a complaint and data protection | Social worker | On placement |
WITHIN FIRST WEEK OF PLACEMENT | |||
o | Notify IROs of placement | Social worker | Within one working day of placement |
o | Request Health Assessment | Social worker | Within two working days of placement |
o | Education Service (inc. SEN advisor if child statemented) / School to be informed of placement | Social worker | Within two working days of placement |
o | PEP meeting to be arranged (if not done before placement) | Social worker | Within two working days of placement |
o | Establish contact arrangements | Social worker | Within three working days of placement (sooner if possible) |
o | Visit to be completed to placement | Social worker | Within five working days of placement |
o | Complete Placement Plan | Social worker | Within five working days of placement |
WITHIN FIRST TWO WEEKS OF PLACEMENT | |||
o | Send out SDQ questionnaires for completion | Social worker | Within 10 working days of placement |
o | Complete substance misuse screen (for children of secondary school age) | Social worker | Within 10 working days of placement |
o | Complete assessment (if not completed prior to placement) | Social worker | Within 10 working days of placement |
o | Complete Care Plan (if not done prior to placement) | Social worker | Within 10 working days of placement |
o | PEP to be completed (if not completed before placement) | Social worker / School | Within 10 working days of placement |
o | If child cannot remain in their own school, new education provision to be secured | Social worker / Education Team | Within 20 working days of placement |
WITHIN FIRST MONTH OF PLACEMENT | |||
o | Send copy of Placement Information Record to LAC Health Team | Social Worker | Within 20 working days of placement |
o | LAC medical to take place | Health Services | Within 20 working days of placement (before review) |
o | Review report to be completed | Social worker | No less than three days before review date |
o | LAC review to take place | Social worker / IRO / Placement | Within 20 working days of placement |
BY SECOND REVIEW | |||
o | Announced and unannounced visits to placement | Social worker | At least every six weeks as a minimum (or if requested by child) |
o | Review report to be completed | Social worker | No less than three days before review date |
o | Care Plan to be updated | Social worker | Prior to each review |
o | LAC review to be held | IRO | Within three months of first review |
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Care Plan
A child's care plan is the most important document relating to children accommodated by the Local Authority. It sets out the immediate and long term aims for the child and is a means for the parents and all professionals working with a child to ensure that they are meeting the child's assessed needs.
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Relationships & Contact
When a child is placed in care their whole world changes. It is therefore important to maintain positive relationships and activities wherever possible in order to reduce the emotional impact of being in care.
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Planning to look after a child
Accommodating a child is a big decision which has huge consequences for all involved. It is therefore important that when such as decision is made, it is made for the right reasons with checks and balances to confirm the decision is right for the child. This page goes through these steps.
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Access to Resources Panel
This panel reviews new accommodations, placement changes and placement breakdowns. It reviews and monitors all Independent Fostering Agency placements. It monitors all placements at risk of disruption. It does not cover Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children.
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Secure accommodation
Secure accommodation is the most restrictive option when considering where best to keep children and young people who are looked after safe. It is essential that any decision taken to place a child or young person in such accommodation should be taken carefully and with all available information considered, evaluated and risk assessed.
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Placement plan
Also known as the Placement Information Record, placement plans are different to care plans in that they provide information about how the day to day parenting tasks will be shared between the parent and the carer. They also include information about who will pay for what.
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Residential placements
Looking for residential provision is a significant step for both the child and the department. It is therefore important that the needs of the child are clearly matched to the placement and that the placement is considered to be able to meet those needs and keep the child safe.
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