3.4.2 Looked After Reviews

A Looked After Review must take place before any significant change is made to the child's Care Plan, unless that is not reasonably practicable, including a decision to cease looking after a child.

3.1

The IRO's role is to chair Looked After Reviews and monitor the appropriateness of the Care Plan (on an ongoing basis including whether any safeguarding issues arise), its implementation and to establish whether the milestones set out in the plan are being achieved in a timely way.

See also Appointment and Role of the Independent Reviewing Officer, which sets out in detail to role of the IRO outside the Looked After Review.

In relation to their role at reviews, a key task for all IRO's is to ensure that the review process is child and family centred and that the child's views are heard. They should be satisfied that disabled children's contributions are obtained and effectively presented in the review.

The IRO should consult the child about their Care Plan at each review and at any time that there is a significant change to the Care Plan. The IRO should meet the child before the first Looked After Review and arrange to meet the child as appropriate in advance of subsequent Looked After Reviews.

It will be necessary for the IRO to ensure decisions are clear and establish who is responsible for action and the timescales agreed for completion. The IRO should ensure that the following are considered and accounted for during the review:

1. The effect of any change in the child's circumstances since the last review, any change made to the Care Plan, whether decisions taken at the last review have been successfully implemented and if not the reasons;
2. Whether  any change should be sought in the child's legal status;
3. Whether there is a plan for permanence;
4. Arrangements for contact/whether there is any need for changes to the arrangements in order to promote contact between the child and parents/other Connected Persons;
5. Whether the placement continues to be the most appropriate available, whether any change to the placement agreement or any other aspect of the arrangements is likely to become necessary before the next review;
6. The child's educational needs, progress and development and whether any change is likely to  become necessary or desirable before the next review, including consideration of his/her most recent assessment of progress and development; whether the arrangements are meeting the child's educational needs; whether the child has a Personal Education Plan (PEP) and whether its content provides a clear framework for promoting  educational achievement;
7. The child's leisure interests and activities and whether the arrangements are meeting his/her needs;
8. The child's health report, and whether any change in health care arrangements is likely to be necessary or desirable before the next review; whether the content of the [Health Plan] provides a clear framework for promoting the child's health; whether the arrangements are meeting the child's health needs;
9. Whether the child's needs related to identity are being met and whether any change is required having regard to the child's religious persuasion, racial origin and cultural background;
10. Whether the arrangements for advice, support and assistance continue to be appropriate and understood by the child;
11. Whether any arrangements need to be made for the time when the child will no longer be looked after;
12. The child's wishes and feelings and the views of the IRO about any aspect of the case and in particular about any changes made since the last review or proposed to be made to the Care Plan; whether the plan fulfils the  duty to safeguard and promote the child's welfare and whether it would be in the child's interests for an Independent Visitor to be appointed;
13. Where the child is placed with parents before an assessment is completed, the frequency of the social worker's visits.

After the review, the IRO will notify the Children’s Quality Assurance and Safeguarding Unit of the way in which the child participated in the review, together with the outcome and the date for the next review.

Where there is evidence of poor practice, the IRO will consider what action is needed to bring this to the attention of the relevant and appropriate managers - see Section 15, Monitoring of Review Decisions.

It is also the IRO responsibility to focus on conflict resolution - see Section 16, Conflict Resolution.

The IRO must also advise the child of his or her right to an advocate and assist the child to obtain the appointment of an advocate where there is an issue he or she wishes to take up.

The IRO will set the agenda to reflect the following items:

1. What have been the outcomes of the last review?
2. Is a new assessment of need required?
3. Has the Care Plan been called into question by developments?
4. Should its objectives be reformulated?
5. Do the objectives need to be achieved in a different way?
6. How integrated is the Care Plan?
7. How is the principle of sensitive, open and shared planning being upheld?
8. How cogent is the planning process?
9. How is the current planning process being recorded so that it can be monitored as part of a flexible but continuous long-term process?

The task of the IRO is to evaluate the extent to which the plan for the child is meeting his or her needs and identify any changes required in the light of information presented at the Review.

The final approval rests with the Agency Decision Maker, who will consider the recommendation of the Adoption Panel within a specified timescale - see Placement for Adoption Procedure.

See also Section 16, Role of Looked After Review in Achieving Permanence for the Child

Each case must be reviewed:

1. Within 4 weeks of the child becoming Looked After;
2. The second Review - within 3 months of the first (for Performance Indicator purposes this should be not more than 91 days after the first review);
3. Thereafter at intervals of at least 6 months (for Performance Indicator purposes this should be not more than 183 days after the last review);
4. Earlier if there are significant changes to the child's plan which warrant this.

NB The requirement to hold a Looked After review will cease when the child leaves care or dies or where Authority to Place for Adoption is obtained. In the latter case, the requirement to hold a Looked After Review is superseded by the requirement to hold Adoption Reviews - see Adoption Reviews Procedure.

In order to ensure that Reviews take place on time:

1. Dates for the next Review will be set in the Review meeting. If the IRO cannot achieve this, managers in Children's Quality Assurance will be informed and will negotiate with the service concerned;
2. The second Review will normally be held within two months of the first Review and subsequent Reviews will take place no more than 5 months after the previous Review. There may be a minority of out of borough cases where the need to coordinate travel plans with weather conditions and school holidays make this difficult but these exceptions must be agreed in advance by the relevant line manager. These timescales will ensure greater flexibility if, for exceptional reasons, reviews have to be cancelled;
3. The IRO is the only person who may cancel a review and this will only occur in exceptional circumstances. The IRO must ensure that any review that is cancelled is re-scheduled immediately;
4. IRO's will contact the allocated social worker one week before the scheduled date for all reviews to ensure that they are aware of any changes or difficulties and to ensure that the relevant reports and plans have been or are being completed and will be passed to them as set out in Section 11, Case Allocated Social Worker Actions;
5. When it is apparent that the child, parents, carers or other key parties will be unable to attend the review meeting, the social worker will be expected to ascertain their views through the completion of the consultation papers which should be brought to the review meeting. In these circumstances the next review date may be brought forward by the IRO to promote greater participation for absent parties. Review meetings held in two parts because of difficulties in key parties attending the scheduled date must be kept to an absolute minimum with no more than tow weeks between the first and second meetings. The date for the next review should be set at the first meeting through completion of the monitoring form without exception. This will ensure that statutory timescales for holding reviews are met. There should be one report prepared for the two meetings, with the date of the first meeting recorded as the actual date of the review.

The Children's Quality Assurance and Safeguarding Service will:

1. Identify the venue and send out electronic invitations to professional invitees for first Reviews (including the duty Independent Reviewing Officer);
2. Provide a chair and sometimes a minute taker;
3. Chair the meeting;
4. See the child prior to their attending the meeting;
5. See social workers to offer advice;
6. See carers and other parties outside the meeting, as necessary;
7. Where possible provide consistency of chairing;
8. Provide minutes of the Review within fourteen days of it taking place on the Croydon Pro Forma;
9. Circulate the minutes to the social worker and all invitees, including the child and parents (unless it is agreed that the social worker should deliver the minutes by hand) within 22 working days of the review;
10. Any factual errors communicated to the IRO will be acknowledged in the minutes of the next Review.

The case allocated social worker will:

1. Discuss the purpose of the review with the child, parents and carers and consult the child about invitations at least 20 working days before the review meeting;
2. Place the record of the Review, signed by their Team Leader, on the child's case file;
3. Ensure that the Placement Plan/Placement Information Record, Personal Education Plan and Health Action Plan are up-to-date;
4. Circulate the summary of the Review to all appropriate people;
5. Consult the child about the time, venue and their attendance at reviews, using "Having Your Say at Your Review" as appropriate (for 5 to 10 year olds);
6. Seek the views of relevant others who may have a contribution to make, including the link worker / key worker, teacher, GP, Health Visitor;
7. Invite the child and the parents to the Review;
8. For first Review, complete sections 1 to 23 of the LAC Review Of Arrangements Form and pass this to the IRO together with the child's case file incorporating the Care Plan and any other significant documents at least three days before the meeting;
9. For second and subsequent Reviews, in addition to the above documents, send the child's up-to-date Personal Education Plan, Health Action Plan and, where relevant, Pathway Plan;
10. At least 2 weeks prior to second and subsequent Reviews, circulate LAC Consultation Papers to the following:
    • The child using "Having Your Say at Your Review" as appropriate (for 5 to 10 year olds);
    • The carer and/or Independent Visitor;
    • Birth parents and/or anyone else with Parental Responsibility.
11. Wherever possible, circulate the draft Agenda to participants in advance of the Review;
12. Three days prior to the Review Meeting provide the IRO with information about the consultation that has taken place. This can be included in the Review Of Arrangements Form;
13. When it is apparent that the child, parents, carers or other key parties will be unable to attend the review meeting, the social worker will inform the IRO at least one week prior to the Review meeting - see Section 9.2 paragraph (d).

The Line Manager will:

1. Sign the Care Plan in advance of the Review;
2. Use the Review Meeting summary in supervision to guide case planning;
3. Where it is known that sensitive or contentious issues are likely to arise in the course of a particular Review, the Operational Manager must be consulted beforehand so that s/he can indicate any special aspects of policy or practice s/he wishes to be taken into account in making Review decisions.

Reviews must develop objectives for the immediate and long-term future of the child e.g.

1. What are the child's needs and how will they be met? 
2. What are the resource implications?
3. What statutory action is required?
4. Is an Assessment And Action Record needed and to check progress on summaries from completed Records;
5. What are the contingency plans?
6. Reviews must also determine the tasks that each member of the Review should undertake and the time scale for fulfilling the objectives set.

The following are the most important matters on which it is expected that decisions or recommendations will normally be made within the Review:

1. Rehabilitation - whether this is feasible or in the child's interests, before considering other options for her/ his future;
2. Permanent or Long Term Placement, subject to any necessary reference to the Adoption Panel, Fostering Panel or Commissioning Panel*;
3. Legal Status change. Where a Care Order is in force, consideration must be given during the Review as to whether to make an application to discharge the Order.
   
   (The Local Authority also has a duty to consider whether to discharge a child's Care Order when making arrangements for a placement.);
4. Independence;
5. Changes to current Plans;
6. The safety and protection of children.

See also Section 18, Role of Looked After Review in Achieving Permanence for the Child.

Discussion should take place between the social worker and the child (subject to age and understanding) at least 20 working days before the meeting about who the child would like to attend the meeting and where the meeting will be held.

Invitations to reviews will be sent by the Children’s Quality Assurance and Safeguarding Unit following consultation with the child's social worker and the IRO, who will decide who should be invited in consultation with the child. Invitations to reviews and consultation documents should be sent out to all those participating in the review at least 10 working days before the meeting.

All those individuals and agencies with a significant involvement in the life of the child should be asked to contribute to the Review. Not all, however, should be asked to attend every Review and a written report will usually suffice where progress in a particular part of the child's experience does not need much discussion.

The following should be encouraged to attend and should in any case be notified of the Review outcome, unless there is some reason why not:

1. The Child depending upon her/his level of understanding and her/his own wishes. The child should be encouraged to attend for at least part of the Review. However, even some older children may find it difficult to participate and might prefer to represent their views through a social worker or some other adult in whom they have confidence. In exceptional circumstances, where sensitive matters or potentially disturbing issues have to be discussed (e.g. parents' life-style), the attendance of the child may need to be limited;
2. The Parent/s and those with Parental Responsibility should be present for at least part of the Review unless their attendance is not in the interests of the child. The biological father of a child should be invited if he is likely to become actively involved in the case*;
3. The Care Giver/s usually foster carer/s or members of the residential staff having day-to-day contact with the child;
4. Social Work Staff usually the allocated social worker and her/his supervisor;
5. The Resource Provider a supervising social worker or a residential manager depending on the actual placement of the child or future plans;
6. Other Agencies where the child is placed in a voluntary or private establishment and attendance is appropriate;
7. The Independent Reviewing Officer.

*The authority has a duty to facilitate parents’ attendance at Looked After Reviews. Where the child’s parents are in receipt of an income related benefit (Family Tax Credit, Job Seekers’ Allowance etc.) or do not have recourse to benefits due to their immigration status, travel costs should be paid. The cheapest reasonable means of transport must be used. Parents not in receipt of means tested benefits will be expected to fund their own transport unless they can provide evidence that this would cause serious financial hardship. Decisions to provide support in these circumstances must be taken by a Service Manager.

Additional representatives of the following should be asked to attend or submit reports whenever appropriate:

1. Teaching Staff;
2. Education Welfare;
3. Educational Psychologist;
4. Careers Officer;
5. CAMHS;
6. General Practitioner;
7. Health Visitor;
8. Hospital Consultants;
9. Significant relatives of the child;
10. Council's Solicitor.

Looked After children are sometimes also the subject of a Child Protection Plan because:

1. They are newly Looked After and the Child Protection Plan has not yet been discontinued;
2. They have remained at high risk, possibly placed with parents and a separate Child Protection Plan is necessary;
3. They are considered likely to remain Looked After for less than four weeks and there is a need for a longer term protection plan.