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Contents

1. Context
2. Principles
3. Service Remits
4. Transfer Standards
5. Transfer Process
6. Transfer Timescale
7. Dispute Resolution

8. Re-referrals
   
   Appendix - to follow

1. Context 

Social care services within the Children and Young Peoples Directorate are made up of four key operational services which have defined remits and skill bases in staff relative to those remits. This document seeks to clarify the pathways, standards, timescales, process and expectations around case transfer so as to minimise disruption to the children we provide services to as they move through the care system.

2. Principles 

Safeguarding should be the priority when transferring case responsibility. Recording should meet defined standards (see Values and Principles/Section 3, Recording Values and Principles) and allow the receiving service to see any immediate needs, assessments and plans required to keep the child safe.

When a child's circumstances progress to meet the criteria for a service, the transfer will take place regardless of operational capacity in the receiving service and transfer of case responsibility will take place within defined timescales.  In the event the receiving Manager does not have capacity to allocate the case a 5 day period of grace can be provided to allow the TM/STM to consult with Service Head to consider how this can be managed within the receiving service.

At no point should a child assessed as needing a service (including requiring family support or being subject to a Child Protection Plan or Looked After Child) be unallocated.

The family, child/young person and other agencies (including Social Care Legal Team, if proceedings are being progressed) should be informed of the process of transferring the case and when a new worker will be taking over responsibility for the child/young person's case.

Continuity for the child and their family is paramount. Whenever possible, new referrals on siblings of children already allocated in the service should go to existing social worker and/or team. 

3. Service Remits

This summarises the key services provided, click on links to view a description of the service provided.

First Response Teams (Including No Recourse to Public Funds Teams)

Safeguarding and Support Teams

Children in Care Service

Leaving and After Care and Asylum Service

Children with Disabilities Service

4. Transfer Standards 

Where a child is in care, a member of the receiving Children in Care Team will attend the first Child in Care Review. 

Where the child has become subject to a Child Protection Plan,  the receiving team will attend the first Core Group. 

There should be an effective handover between teams and workers and where required, at least one joint visit to the child should be made.

The F-i file will be subject to an audit of recording standards by the receiving team (see Appendix 2 - to follow). 

Where the case does not meet he required standards, the originating service will immediately be given a copy of the completed audit.  The originating service will have two weeks to ensure the file is up to the agreed standards. When the file is at the agreed standards, transfer to the receiving service will take place.

5. Transfer Process

5.1 Transfers Flowchart

5.2 Routes into First Response

• Following the completion of the Common Assessment (CAF) by a professional and where this assessment has concluded the need for an Initial or Core Assessment.
• Where there is an immediate need for a child protection assessment and response.
• Directions from the Courts for a Sec7 or Sec 37 report in Private Proceedings.

5.3 Routes out of First Response

• Where a child has been made subject to a Child Protection Plan.
• Where an IA or CA indicates the child's needs are best met by another service
• To Children in Care where a child 0-15 years has become Accommodated and is expected to remain ( sec20) and has had a first statutory review ( 28 days) and is expected to remain Looked After for at least the next 6 weeks.
• To Leaving care where a young person aged 16 or over is in care and it cannot be reasonably anticipated that they will return home within 13 weeks
• To Children in Care where a child is subject to Care Proceedings. CiC Team to be invited to first Legal Planning Meeting and Initial ICO Hearing. To be transferred once Initial Statement and Initial Care Plan is filed.
• Where assessment concludes that no further input is required from the Directorate.
• Where an IA has been completed on a family who are designated as 'Overstayers' and are destitute will no recourse to public funds.  These will be transferred to the Asylum team 

5.4 No Recourse to Public Funds

Please see detailed procedure: Families with No Recourse to Public Funds Procedure.

Any family with NRPF accessing the Children and Young People's Service will first be referred to the First Response Teams.

The First Response Teams will inform the Unaccompanied Minors Team in order to jointly establish the family's eligibility criteria (point a & b to be undertaken by R&A; points b & c by UMT):

1. Whether the family is ordinarily resident in the borough
2. To ascertain if any services are needed at this stage (i.e. subsistence and/or accommodation)
3. To establish eligibility under immigration legislation
4. Whether the family is destitute (whether the applicant falls within one of the excluded groups under section 54 and schedule 3 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002) and therefore Human Rights assessment is needed in order to comply with Section 17 CA'89 duties.

Once it has been established that the family with NRPF is eligible for an assessment, the First Response Teams will carry out an Initial Assessment. If the Initial Assessment identifies any Child Protection concerns, the family will remain supported by the First Response Teams until CP issues have been resolved

If there are no CP concerns identified, following completion of Initial Assessment the case will be referred to the Unaccompanied Minors Team.

UM Team: Following referral from First Response Team, case to be allocated within 48 hours. After allocation, the following should occur:

1. To carry out a CPC/request to the Home Office on adults + children
2. To carry a NRUC check on children to ascertain if they have been  supported by any other local authority (when applicable)
3. To follow up on any concerns identified in the initial assessment in  relation to the  family's health (HIV, disabilities, mental health issues)  and liaise with Vulnerable Adults Team when necessary. Team Manager needs to consider at this stage if any one off payment/other services are required.

In addition to the above, the following assessments will take place:

Core Assessment to be completed within 35 working days following Initial Assessment. Following completion of Core Assessment

Human Rights Assessment to be completed within 35 working days following the completion of the Human Rights; however flexibility will apply on a case by case basis.

If outcome of Human Rights Assessment is that family is 'destitute', to  address the needs of the family in a tailor made manner (i.e. do they need subs  only or subs + accommodation + linking with services, etc.)

Following completion of Human Rights Assessment, a review of the situation  will take place every 6 months.

If outcome of Human Rights is that family is not deemed destitute, to assess if linking them with services is necessary prior to the case being closed.

NOTE: If at any moment following referral to UM Team, CP concerns come to light, these will be referred to the R&A Team for investigation. Case responsibility will lie within the UM Team until investigation is completed. It will then be decided if case is to remain in the UM Team or R&A Team (depending of positive outcome following CP investigation)

5.5 Transfer Procedures Between First Response Teams and the Unaccompanied Minors Team in Relation to Families With NRPF

In order to ascertain eligibility test on the family, the First Response Teams will alert UM Team of any new families who appear to fall within the NRPF remit. R&A to contact UMT firstly via phone (Duty Social Worker ext. 4951) and/or e-mail to arantzazu.faiges@haringey.gov.uk

Transfer of cases (and case responsibility) between the First Response Teams and UM Team will occur:

Following Initial Assessment, if CP have not been identified, to transfer the case to UM Team with the following information:

1. Initial Assessment completed on system
2. To write on case notes information gathered re actions needed in relation to education, health and other concerns identified & recommendations re. level of subsistence needed (i.e. if family in immediate need due to imminent homelessness, to notify to UM Team if any action has been taken place by R&A Team)
3. To send referral via FW-I  AND e-mail to TM arantzazu.faiges@haringey.gov.uk or in her absence to oran.nashir@haringey.gov.uk

Following transfer of case to UMT, if CP concerns appear:

1. If CP concerns come to light, UMT to refer the matter to the A&R Team, via phone call & e-mail (details to be confirmed)

5.6 Routes into Safeguarding and Support

• Following a Core Assessment a CIN Plan has been formulated
• A child is subject to a Child Protection Plan
• A Court has directed a sec7 or sec37 report on a case  open to the team
• Transfers of  cases of children subject to a CP Plan from other local authorities
• Transfer of children formerly in care with CIC Teams but now subject to a Section 31 Supervision Order

5.7 Routes out of Safeguarding and Support

• To Children in Care where a child 0-15 years has become Accommodated and is expected to remain ( sec20) and has had a first statutory review ( 28 days) and is expected to remain Looked After for at least the next 6 weeks. 
• To Leaving care when a young person is aged 16 or over and has been in care for at least 13 consecutive weeks
• Where a child is no longer subject to a CIN plan and any additional needs can/should be met at tier2

6. Transfer Timescale

Transfer of case responsibility between services should take no longer than two weeks after the criteria for the receiving service are met. This does not include the turnaround time for originating services to rectify case files with inadequate recording, which are subject to a further two week period as detailed in Section 4, Transfer Standards.

7. Dispute Resolution 

Where a child's circumstances dictate that their assessed needs meet the criteria for more than one service, it is expected that Team Managers in the respective services will resolve any dispute over case allocation between them in the best interests of the child.

In exceptional circumstances where clarification is required or an agreement cannot be reached, Team Managers will escalate the dispute to their respective Head of Service and a four-way meeting will be arranged between the two services to reach resolution.

8. Re-referrals 

Where a child or young person is the subject of a new referral following the end of a previous involvement with Children's Social Care, the following guidelines should be adhered to;

• Where the re-referral occurs within three months of the end date of the previous service's involvement, it will be allocated again to that service and not follow the usual transfer route.
• Where the child is a sibling in the same household as a child or young person who has an active involvement with the Safeguarding/CiN or Children in Care service, the child will be allocated to the same service.

Appendix

Business process flowchart to follow (this details the process, timescales and responsibilities for each service area).

End