Draft Section 20 Agreement with Spaces
Date / Action / Tools/paperwork
To be completed prior to children being removed. As far in advance as possible. / Requesting placement
Get authorisation from HoS for a placement search. If an IFA placement is required AD authorisation is required. Complete PRF and task to Placements. Email or speak direct to member of ATR (Placements Team). / Episode: Placement Request Form
Agreement should be made before children are removed but can be handwritten and followed up with proper copy ASAP afterwards. / Section 20 agreement and consents
If via section 20, a section 20 agreement must be made and signed by everyone with PR. The agreement must state that the parent can remove consent at any time and must be in clear, understandable language. An interpreter should be used to go through the consent form with parents where English is not their language. It must be translated if English is not a parents’ preferred language and parents must be encouraged to seek legal advice or the advice of friends and family. It is the responsibility of the social worker to be satisfied that the parents have capacity to make the decision and are not being coerced. / Episode: CLA agreements and consent for medical treatment – print out
Docs: Plain language s 20 agreement
To be filled out with parents when children is removed or ASAP afterwards.
To be completed with carers and SSW at placement planning meeting before placement or within 5 working days of child being placed. / Placement plan
Placement Plan to be filled in with parents to establish routines, favourite toys, photos of family etc. Ideally completed when child is removed or before so that toys etc can accompany child to placement.
The plan is then shared with the foster carers and SSW at the Placement Planning Meeting / Episode: Placement Plan – print out
To be provided to foster carers either when the child is placed or at the Placement Planning Meeting. / Red folder
The red folder should contain all important documentation relating to the child and be added to over time. It is held in the placement. / Red folders in team area
The child should be visited on Day 1, weekly up until first CLA review and then at intervals of no less than 42 days unless there is approval otherwise / Visits
Child should be seen alone during visit, dependent on age, and bedroom should be seen. / Episode: Visit
To be completed prior to placement or ASAP afterwards. WCS require notice to arrange contact. / Refer for supervised contact
Referral should be made via email then followed up with telephone call. A contact agreement meeting is required for each adult having contact with the children. Transport can be arranged / Form:
WCS Request for Service
To be arranged after child is placed / Book onto CARE Panel
For any IFA placements, approval is needed from CARE panel, even if retrospectively. Any additional resources can also be considered. CARE is held each Thursday morning and reports are required by Tuesday morning, to include latest assessment, chronology and notes of LPM. / Email Pamela Inniss
As a guideline, within 1 day of child being placed. / Change legal status and add warning / child’s journey / notification of child becoming Looked After
Email Business Support to make them aware that the child is looked after, their legal status and the date from. Email carers’ names, address and tel no so that the system can be updated. Also inform them of any Court dates, any legal planning meetings arranged etc and keep them updated so that the Child’s Journey can be added to. Business Support will also send a letter to the key partner agencies to notify them that the child is Looked After. / Email Business Support
As a guideline, within 3 days of placing child. First Looked After Review must be arranged within 20 days of child becoming Looked After and finding dates can be difficult. / Notify Safeguarding for CLA review to be booked and IRO to be allocated
In addition to notifying Safeguarding about child becoming Looked After, the Conference Chair if the child is on a CPP should also be notified and there should be discussions about whether the CPP will still be required. Children can only be taken off a CPP at a Child Protection Conference but the CPC can be rearranged where there is justification for doing so. / Email Children’s Planning and Review Service
As a guideline, within 3 days of placing child. First PEP should be before initial CLA review. / Notify Virtual School that child is Looked After and PEP
Virtual School will need to know which the school the child attends and what existing educational needs there are, like an EHCP or an IEP. / Email Nova Levine, Virtual School
As a guideline, within 5 days of child becoming Looked After / Update Police Conference Liaison Officers
If the child is the subject of a CPP, CAIT will need to know the child’s change in status and updated address. Even if not the subject of CPP, it would be good practice to ensure that CAIT are aware that a child is now looked after. / Email CAIT direct or the specific officer if known/allocated
Within 5 days of child being placed. / Inform relevant local authority is child placed out of borough
The local authority which covers the area in which the child is placed must be made aware that the child is in their area. A copy of the care plan and the placement request form should be shared. The local authority can be determined via directgov.uk and entering the post code. The email addresses are available online. / Email the MASH/duty of the local authority and the LSCB – Business Support can complete
Following discussions with Team Manager / Legal planning meeting if required
If the child’s removal was unplanned, a legal planning meeting may be required to consider whether to issue care proceedings and what assessments are needed, either during proceedings or pre-proceedings. / Email Genevieve Quarcoopme and the legal department
Within 10 days of becoming Looked After. / Care plan
If the child was not removed via the Court process, they may not have a Care Plan. A Care Plan should be written to outline how their needs will be met in care. If this is part of the initial statement, it is incorporated into the statement itself but sometimes a separate Care Plan is advisable if the child’s needs are complex. If this is not part of an initial statement, the Care Plan should be in the Child and Family assessment being completed for the Initial CLA review. / Episode: Initial statement
As a guideline, birth cert should be obtained prior to initial CLA review where possible.
As a guideline, passport application should begin by initial CLA review. / Birth certificate / passport
Birth certificates can be obtained via Wandsworth Registry Office in the Town Hall if child born in Wandsworth, or from the relevant Registry Office if born elsewhere. The cost is £10 and 3 copies are needed. Finance approval is required.
Passport applications are available from the Post Office and are completed by the foster carers, then signed by a Head of Service. / Email Register Office (internal) or google the relevant register office
Prior to initial CLA review / Consultation with Placement Support Team if required
PST hold weekly consultation clinics which social workers and foster carers can attend. Areas of support include 1-1 work via the clinical psychologist with the carers. / Email Madeline Dunne for dates and times of clinic
Prior to initial CLA review / Update chronology
Other workers will use the chronology as a point of reference for case history so it is important that a significant event like becoming Looked After is added. / Episode: Chronology
Once the need is identified, a referral should be made ASAP. The referral meeting will be on Thursday morning unless this is not possible. The assessments usually take 10-12 weeks from referral to filing date. / Referral for Woking Close assessment if required
This can be pre-proceedings or agreed via Court. The referral is made via email. The referral meeting is required between SW and Woking Close prior to WAM. A Working Agreement Meeting will be held with SW, Woking and parent before assessment begins. / Email Lorna Soesman, Halima Mian, Anna Van Den Berg and Leila Farah
Once the need is identified, a referral should be made ASAP. The assessments usually take 12 weeks from referral to filing date. Part 1 of the form is completed by the social worker and is required before midway point of the assessment. / Referral for Connected Persons assessment if required
This can be pre-proceedings or agreed via Court. The referral is via FW but the Adoption and Permanence Team should ideally be emailed as well. The prospective carer should be created on FW alongside all household members and they should understand that they are being assessed as a permanent carer. Where possible, the SW should begin the checks process: LA, Ofsted and NSPCC checks (form from Sharon O’Brien); DBS checks to begin via email (to be shared with Sharon O’Brien) and letter for GP and health pack (letter from Caroline Porton). / Episode: Request for Connected Persons assessment.
Form: Consent for LA, Ofsted and NSPCC checks; letter to GP and health pack
Once the need is identified, a referral should be made at least four weeks prior to PPM. / Referral for Family Finder if required
This is required wherever the potential care plan is one of permanent care outside of the family. The Family Finder assists with identifying permanent families – adoption or long-term fostering – after the order is granted, but can provide outline searches before the order is granted. / Episode: Adoption and Permanence Service Request
Once the need is identified, a referral should be made ASAP. The FGC takes upto 10 weeks to organise. / Refer for Family Group Conference if required
The referral requires contact details of all attendees and clearly formulated questions. The FGC coordinator will be allocated and will meet the SW before contacting family and friends. / Episode: Referral for Family Group Conference.
As a guideline, prior to initial CLA review, unless there is a clear risk, in which case ASAP. / Missing from home and care plans
These are required on all Looked After children. With younger children, the risk may be abduction from care. With older children, the risk may be absconding. Where there is a risk of absconding, the CSE risk assessment tool should also be completed. The form is emailed to the Missing Persons Unit and updated after any missing episodes. SW should ensure there is a photo on the system also. / Episode: Missing from Home and Care Assessment and Plan.
As a guideline, contact CLA team within 3 days of child becoming Looked After to arrange medical.
Medical must occur before first CLA review. Medicals at intervals of 6 months for under 5s and yearly for over 5s.
Optician within one month of placement for over 5s. Dental check within one month of placement for children over 2. / Entry into care medical and PHP
Business Support will email Liz Falcone, administrator in the CLA Team at St George’s Hospital, who will book an appointment for the child to have a Looked After medical.
Business Support will also pre-populate and print out the BAAF paperwork which the parents will be asked to sign and complete with the social worker beforehand.
PHP to be completed with the outcomes of the CLA medical and the placement plan. / BAAF forms
Episode: Personal Health Plan
As a guideline, refer after initial CLA review and aim to attend after midway review of parenting assessment. / Refer to Early Permanence Planning Panel
EPPP is used to discuss different care plans for the child and map timescales. / Email Vera Ralph
PPM should be arranged once the timescales for any care proceedings are clear, or where there is no care proceedings, to occur within four months. / Arrange Permanency Planning Meeting
PPM should be arranged for after all assessments are filed but prior to final evidence being filed. Service Manager, Team Manager, SW should attend, along with any assessors of Connected Persons and the link worker for the Post Permanence Support Service. Where adoption is an option, the allocated Family Finder should attend. Where long-term fostering is an option, Placements Team should attend. Where rehab is an option, Woking may attend the initial part of the meeting to share their views on what is required. / Email all anticipated attendees with proposed date of meeting.
Required for all children who are considered for adoption via an ADM decision (made prior to final care plan being filed) or matched for long-term fostering (which is decided at panel usually after a final order is granted). / Complete Child Permanence Report
This is a comprehensive report which takes time to complete. Good practice is to start it before it is required, which is for an ADM decision (3 days prior to the decision date). Information for the report is needed from parents including photographs. / Documents: Proforma on intranet including Annex B part of PO application
All children aged 11 and over should have DUST screening on entry into care and yearly thereafter. / DUST screening
Substance misuse screening for children. / Episode: DUST screening
All children aged 4-16 years old should have a SDQ completed. Before the initial CLA review would be ideal but the carer may benefit from more time to observe the child before completing it, dependent on the level of concern about the child’s emotional health. / Strengths and difficulties questionnaire
SDQ should be completed by passing a form to the carers to complete and then sent to Business Support, who will calculate and input the score. / Form: SDQ 4-16 parent/carer form
If care plan of permanence outside of parents’ care is likely, consider starting. Must be provided to Special Guardian within one month of order being granted. / Later in Life Letter
Usually involves two letters – one aimed at the child aged 7 and one aimed at the child in late adolescence – 15+. / Document: Proforma on intranet
Start from outset of placement. / Life Story Work
Involves a collection of significant documents relating to their time pre-care and during care and a timeline of their journey through care. Words and Pictures or similar is used to assist the child in making sense of their journey.
PACK:
Draft section 20 agreement with spaces
Episode form: CLA agreements and consent for medical treatment
Episode form: Placement plan with emergency contact details for the service included
BAAF paperwork – Form PH (parental health) etc
Red folder: last assessment; last TAC meeting; educational reports; health reports; photos of family members