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5.1.6 Post Placement Arrangements/Notifications

SCOPE OF THIS CHAPTER

The chapter summarises the key arrangements and notifications that must be made after a child becomes Looked After.

AMENDMENTS

This Chapter was amended in June 2009 with a new section: Section 6, Passports.

It was also amended in October 2009, to clarify the notification arrangements for children placed in Wales - see the following sections:

Section 2, Notifications

Section 4, Health Care


Contents

  1. The Care Plan
  2. Notifications
  3. Looked After Reviews and Placement Planning Meetings
  4. Health Care
  5. Education
  6. Passports
  7. Complaints and Advocacy
  8. Support and Monitoring of Placements


1. The Care Plan

Where a decision is made to look after a child, the child must have a Care Plan.

The child’s social worker should have made arrangements for the Care Plan and other plans (e.g. Placement Plan/Placement Information Record) to be drawn up, as set out in Section 2, Decision to Look After Procedure.


2. Notifications

After the child becomes Looked After (including changes in placement or placement endings), the social worker should also notify all those consulted and involved in the decision-making process. NOTE: If the Child is placed in Wales, the notifications must be made prior to the placement or not later than 10 days after the placement.

If not consulted in the decision making process, the social worker must notify the child’s parent(s), significant relatives or friends and previous carers.

The social worker should liaise with the Placements Team to ensure the following notifications are made (notifications must be in writing, notifying them of the placement decision and the name and address of the person with whom the child has been placed):

  1. Looked After Review and, if placed in Secure Accommodation, Secure Accommodation (Criteria) Review
  2. The Health Trust in the area where the child is placed and in Haringey
  3. Local Education Authority in the area where the child is placed and in Haringey, and child’s school.
  4. If the child is placed outside the authority, Children’s Services Department in the area where the child is placed.


3. Looked After Reviews and Placement Planning Meetings

3.1 Looked After Reviews

The social worker should make arrangements for the child's first Looked After Review, see Looked After Review Procedure.

3.2 Placement Planning Meetings

If the child is placed on a planned basis, the social worker must liaise with the carer/home to conduct a Placement Planning Meeting within 7 days of the placement.

If the child is placed in an emergency/outside office hours, the social worker must conduct an Emergency Review within 3 working days to review the suitability of the placement.

See Planning and Disruption Meetings Procedure.


4. Health Care

The social worker should arrange for the child to have a Health Care Assessment and draw up a Health Care Plan(see Health Care Assessments and Health Plans Procedure) and ensure the child is registered with a GP, Dentist and Optician. NOTE: If the Child is placed in Wales, the first Health Care Assessment must be undertaken prior to the placement or not later than 14 days of the placement date.


5. Education

The social worker should liaise with the Education of Looked After Service for advice on ensuring there is minimal disruption to the child's education, if necessary, for arranging a school place and for drawing up a Personal Education Plan.  See Personal Education Plans Procedure

If the child cannot continue to attend his/her previous school, the social worker should liaise with the carer/home to ensure the child is registered with a school or that his/her educational needs are addressed. See Moving to a new School/Authority Procedure.

This will include ensuring that a Personal Education Plan (PEP) is drawn up within required timescales.


6. Passports

When a child becomes Looked After, the social worker should ascertain the immigration status of the child, and whether s/he has a Passport.

If the child does not have a Passport, the social worker must make arrangements to obtain one after the child has been Looked After for six months - see Passports, Immigration and Naturalisation Procedure.


7. Complaints and Advocacy

The social worker should ensure the child is given literature/information about:

  • The Children and Families Complaints Procedure
  • Advocacy Services provided by the authority


8. Support and Monitoring of Placements

If the child is placed out of hours, the EDT Worker must consult carers/the home and provide necessary immediate support to the placement.

The social worker must undertake a visit within a week of the placement and then at intervals required in Social Work Visits to Looked After Children Procedure.

If the child is placed with Foster Carers, the carers will receive support and supervision as set out in the following chapter: Supervision of Foster Carers Procedure

End