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Contents

1. Introduction
2. Interface With the Leaving Care and Independent Service
3. Interface With Other Services
4. Referrals - Routine and Urgent During Office Hours
5. Referrals - Out of Office Hours
6. Assessment of Need
7. Register of Young People / Children With a Disability
8. Referrals for Resources
9. Reviews

1. Introduction

This chapter describes that the role of the Assessment and Childcare Team within the Children with Disabilities Service.

The Assessment and Child Care Team deals with children who meet the criteria for specialist services - see Children with Disabilities - Assessments and Services Procedure.

The response to referrals for those who satisfy the criteria will focus on the child in question, taking account of the needs of the whole family, including carers and siblings.

Where the subject of a referral is not disabled but a disabled child (about whom there may or may not be concern) lives in the household, the responsibility for service provision will be that of the Assessment and Child Care Team whose staff will take account of all relevant circumstances including those of siblings and carers.

The CWD (Assessment Team) consists of a Team Manager, Assistant Team Manager, Social Workers and a Family Worker plus administrative support and Occupational Therapy expertise provided by Croydon Community Health Trust.

2. Interface With the Leaving Care and Independent Service

There is a clear need for continuity of service into adulthood for young people who have a disability and distinct areas of expertise exist within the Services for Children with Disabilities and the Leaving Care and Independence Service.  Clarity of roles and effective cooperation between the services are therefore critical in recognising and meeting the needs of service users and inform the following agreed procedures.

Case accountability for all Looked After young people aged 16 or over who have a disability remains with the Services for Children with Disabilities who are responsible for Pathway Plans for these young people (seeking advice and resources from the Leaving Care and Independence Service as required).

3. Interface With Other Services

In any situation where uncertainty or disagreement arises between services about definitions or responsibility, the agreed protocol is that the Team or Operational Manager of the Service which first received the referral remains responsible pending resolution.  Referrers from amongst professionals or the public must not be unilaterally "referred on".

4. Referrals - Routine and Urgent During Office Hours

The Assessment and Child Care Team Manager will oversee arrangements which ensure that written, telephone and walk-in referrals received during normal office hours receive a prompt and appropriate response.

Referrals relating to service users already allocated to a social worker in the Team will be passed on to that social worker and a Referral Form need not be completed.

All other referrals must be recorded on a Referral Form CR1 and details including ethnicity, preferred language and SWIFT coding captured in accordance with established procedures.

The Duty Manager will have access to Section 17 funding and be able, in situations where emergency accommodation is required, to approve actions consistent with the Divisional arrangements for care and accommodation (see Module 4).

5. Referrals - Out of Office Hours

Referrals out of hours are dealt with by the Emergency Duty Team and passed to the Children with Disabilities Service as set out in the Emergency Duty Team Procedure.

6. Assessment of Need

Where the child meets the eligibility criteria for the Team and the parents consent to the referral, Initial Assessments and Core Assessments are completed in line with the requirements of the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and Their Families. 

Full details can be found in Initial Assessmenst Procedure, Core Assessments Procedure and Universal Assessments Guidance.

The Team will undertake Section 47 Enquiries as part of a Core Assessment as necessary.

The decision whether or not the child meets the eligibility criteria for an assessment will rest with the Team Manager or Assistant Team Manager. In these circumstances a Core Assessment will be completed.

7. Register of Young People / Children With a Disability

The Children act 1989 requires Children's Services to keep a register of those under 18 years of age who have a disability as defined in Section 17(11) of that Act.  Staff should inform families with whom they have contact about the register and its relevance and value to them.

The maintenance of the register in Croydon is undertaken by another agency on behalf of the Local Authority.

8. Referrals for Resources

Where an assessment of need indicates the need for more than simply immediate advice or very short-term Section 17 support, a Child in Need Plan will be drawn up setting out the package of support.

The Service Manager and Team Leader agree the allocation of resources on the basis of priority of need, subject to resources costing more than £1000 per week which must be referred to the High Cost Placement Panel for approval. For the details of this process, please see the High Cost Placement Panel Terms of Reference and Procedure.

Arrangements for a suitable package of services could include:

• Allocation of the case to ensure social work support or assistance.
• Aids or equipment.
• Major adaptations to existing property.
• Domiciliary care.
• Home or residentially based short breaks, e.g. Calleydown Short Break Unit).
• After School and Holiday schemes
• Direct Payments

9. Reviews

Potential service users should be made aware that all resources allocated will be reviewed at regular intervals.

The relevant review process will depend on whether or not the child is Looked After.

Where the package of support does not include provision for short breaks involving overnight stays away from home for the child, the review will be held at least annually and will involve a face-to-face meeting with a duty social worker, the child, family and the service provider/s.

Where the package includes short breaks incorporating overnight stays, the child will be Looked After under Section 20 during the period of the stay, and therefore should have chaired by a Independent Reviewing Officer.

Children provided with accommodation for a period of short stays at the same place so that no single placement is to last for more than four weeks (28 days), and the total duration of the placements is not to exceed 120 days in any year, must have:

• A first Looked After Review within 3 months of the commencement of the placement
• Subsequent Reviews at intervals of no more than 6 months

Otherwise, children accommodated in a series of short breaks must have reviews at the timescales as set out in the Looked After Reviews Procedure.

End