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Supporting children
The Care Plan and Placement Plan should set out the immediate, medium and long term aims of the placement. They should also set out what support will be provided by the multi-agency team around the child to achieve these aims.
If the child is placed in foster care then the carers will have their own social worker. This is an important form of support for the carers as the social worker will look out specifically for the needs of the carer and their family. These relationships have often been in place for a long time and in many cases the fostering social worker can identify and address issues whilst they are still in their infancy, instead of when the placement is at the point of breakdown.
Where a child is in residential care, then it is important their relationships with the other young people in placement are monitored to ensure that they remain safe and that any changes in the placement are closely monitored.
Ultimately the question that should always be asked is - "what would I do if this were my child?"
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Visiting Looked After Children
Once a child is placed, there is a need and a statutory requirement for you to visit the child and their placement regularly. There are also certain tasks to be undertaken during visits. This page details the expectations around the frequency of visits and gives indicators as to what should be discussed.
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Change of placement
Despite best efforts to maintain a child in their current placement, there may become a need for the child to move placement during their time in the care of the Department. This page considers the types of changes that may take place and process around these.
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Leisure and holidays
All children will have the opportunity to take part in leisure activities, and the procedures set out below should not inhibit their participation in day to day activities. There will however be times where children are able to take part in more hazardous activities (e.g. outward bound activities) or where they can go on activity based holidays (e.g. with school). The procedures below consider these circumstances. Wherever possible the aim at the outset should be for the child to be able to take part alongside their peers.
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Sex and sexuality
All children will require support and advice when growing up in relation to sex and sexuality, and it is never too late to provide support. Children in care, who may already feel isolated and discriminated against may therefore not know how to deal with their feelings around sexuality, particularly if they believe that this may further label them. This page looks at how to support children around their developing sense of sexuality.
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Advocacy
For children the various meetings and other formal structures that come with being in care (e.g. making a complaint) can often be daunting, particularly with everything being about about them the whole time. An advocate can be a useful intermediary for the child, helping them to partake in meetings (for example) and get their voice heard without having to stand up in front of a room full of adults. This page looks at the process of securing an advocate for a child.
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Transport procedure
Children who are looked after need to be safely transported to school and appointments. This procedure provides guidance for staff booking transport and maintains the over-riding principle that the child remains safe.
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