Children, Families and Adults Directorate

Children and Family Services

Management Action Note23 – Statutory Visits – Revisited

Management Action Note 23 (November 2012) set out expectations for statutory visits following an audit that showed there was some confusion about the practice quality standards for statutory social work visits to children who are subject of child protection plans and children in careand how/where these visits should be recorded.

Recent Serious Case Reviews and inquiries have demonstrated why there are minimum standards for the frequency of visiting and seeing and talking withthe child alone– for all children who are subject of a Child Protection Plan and for Children in Care.

What children and young people tell us reflects the report of the Children’s Right Commissioner (2010) that they want more regular contact with their social worker.

Because statutory visits are so important to the protection of children and young people, they are now monitored and reported under the Framework for Quality Assurance and Performance Management (QAPM).

Children subject of a Child Protection Plan

The child protection conference will agree the visiting frequency to a child subject to a child protection plan that is proportionate to the assessed level of risk:

i)The absolute minimum frequency of visits to undertake direct work with the child and family (and to check on the welfare and safety of the child) is at intervals of two weeks, and may be considerably more frequent depending upon the risks to the child. These visits can be recorded within CaseNotesin Mosaic.

ii)The minimum frequency for Statutory Visits, where the child must be seen at home and alone is every six weeks and, again, may be more frequent (e.g. monthly) depending upon the risks to the child. These visits must be completed and recorded within the Statutory Visit Episode in Mosaic.

Children in Regulated Care Placements

Regulation 28 of the Care Planning Regulations (2010) sets out generalminimum visiting standards (Statutory Visits) for a child in care. However, it has been decided that the minimum standard of 6 weeks should also apply to children in care. The standard for statutory visits to children looked after by Cornwall then are as follows:

i)Within a week of the start of placement (including change of placement).

ii)At intervals, thereafter, of not more than six weeks.

Any exemption to this standard must be agreed in the first instance with the child’s independent reviewing officer and approved by the relevant senior manager.

Children Placed with Parents or temporarily in Unregulated Care Placements

More frequent visits to the child should be undertaken where the placement is considered to be at higher risk and/or is at risk of breakdown:

iii)Where a child in care is placed with a parent before assessment process completed(Regulation 19) the child must be visited at least once a week until the first review has been completed. Thereafter, visits must be not less than every six weeks.

iv)Where a child is living with a relative who has temporary approval as local-authority foster carer(Regulation 24) the child must be visited at least once a week until the first review. Thereafter, visits must be not less than every four weeks.

v)Where a child is placed with a parent under an interim care order, the child must be visited at least once a week until the first review. Thereafter, visits must be not less than every four weeks.

vi)Where a full care order has been made under section 31 of the Children Act 1989and the child is placed with a parent, the child must be visited within one week of the order being made. Thereafter, visits must be at least once every six weeks.

vii)In the case of a child in care where someone other than the local authority is responsible for the child’s living arrangements, the child must be visited within one week of the start of the living arrangements and also within one week of any change to those living arrangements. Other than that, the child must be visited at intervals of not more than six weeks.

Practice Quality Standards for Statutory Visits

The practice quality standards for a statutory visit to a child who is subject of a child protection plan or a child in careare as follows:

a)the visit should be undertaken by the child’s social worker;

b)the visit should be undertaken in the child’s home/care placement;

c)the child should be seen child alone and talked to; and

d)the visit should include an inspection is of the child’s living conditions.

Any increase in concerns about the welfare or safety of the child must be recorded and raised with the supervisor immediately and if they are unavailable with another Team Manager or Principal Social Worker.

An acceptable reason must be given if the child is not seen and spoken to alone:

a)The child, being of sufficient age and understanding to do so, refuses.

b)The social workerconsiders it inappropriate to do so, having regard to the child’s age and understanding, or

c)The social worker is unable to do so for another reason.

If the child is not seen alone, the social worker should raise this with their supervisor at the earliest practicable opportunity to discuss how this safeguarding standard can be achieved.

The social workerundertaking a statutory visit must turn his/her mind to the child’s welfare, taking into account what he/she has observed and heard during the visit. If the practitionerhas concerns that the child’s welfare is not being safeguarded adequately, the child’s plan must be reviewed formally at the earliest practicable opportunity. If a visit indicates actual or likely significant harm, immediate action must be taken to protect the child.

Recording

Statutory visits must be recorded in the Statutory Visit Episode in Mosaic. Other visits may be recorded in Case Notes within Mosaic.

Jack Cordery

Service Director

Children and Family Services

Refreshed January 2017

Review: January 2018

Management Action Note 23 – Statutory Visits Revisited –January 2017 – Version 3