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1.6.1 Transfer Protocol between Assessment and Community (A&C) and Children Looked After (CLA)

AMENDMENTS

This chapter was reviewed and updated in March 2011.


Contents

  1. Principles
  2. When should a case be Transferred?
  3. Transfer Process and Standards
  4. Standards
  5. Performance Issues
  6. Relinquished Baby
  7. Siblings Groups
  8. Administrative Arrangements
  9. Conflict Resolution
  10. Review

    Appendix 1: Internal Transfer Protocol within Assessment and Community


1. Principles

  • No Delay

    Transfer of cases should not cause delay to social work intervention with families.
  • Flexibility

    The protocol outlined below must be used flexibly and with discretion between the two service areas. The protocol is here to provide guidance - not rigid rules.
  • One Service

    Standards of service delivery across Children's Social Care are the responsibility of all managers and staff. The attitude of sole concern for the service within which staff are located should be discouraged.
  • Continuity of Approach

    As far as possible families should experience a smooth transition between service areas.  The transfer process should not be disruptive to families and they should feel that there is a similar understanding and approach to addressing their needs from the originating service area and the receiving one.


2. When should a case be Transferred?

  • Assessment and Community Service should transfer Section 20 Looked After Children cases to Children Looked After (CLA) at the second Looked Child After Review (usually held at fourth months after the child was received into care).
  • Where the case is subject to proceedings the case should transfer following the outcome of the Best Interests decision.
  • In respect of Children aged 0 to 3 years old, Assessment and Community service should transfer these cases to CLA as soon as a the legal planning meeting confirms that threshold for care proceedings are met and when the Diversion and Accommodation Panel agrees that alternative care arrangement is in the child's best interest. The administrative transfer process outlined in this Protocol follows.
  • CLA should transfer cases to Assessment and Community Service immediately after the Court makes a Residence Order or Special Guardianship Order or Supervision Order.
  • In respect of Section 20 cases, CLA should transfer cases to the Assessment and Community Service when the rehabilitation plan is implemented and immediately after the child is returned to the care of the birth parent or kinship carer. If a Child Protection Plan is integral to the overall rehabilitation plan, CLA should convene an Initial Case Conference. Case responsibility will be transferred to A&C at the Initial Conference. A&C will chair the first Core Group meeting. 


3. Transfer Process and Standards

A&C to CLA

  • A&C should notify CLA designated business support as soon as the date of the second LAC Review is decided, usually at the Permanence Planning Meeting.
  • Designated CLA worker will attend second LAC Review and be introduced to the child and relevant professionals. Allocation should then be amended on ICS after the LAC Review. A&C would ensure that all the paper files are delivered to the office of the allocated CLA worker. The receiving team will sign to confirm receipt of case files.

CLA to A&C

Care Proceedings Cases

  • In respect of care proceedings cases where RO, SGO or SO is a likely outcome, CLA should notify A&C designated business support the date of final hearing as soon as possible or no later than the pre-hearing review.
  • Designated A&C worker will attend the final hearing and be introduced to the key parties.
  • A joint (CLA and A&C) home visit should take place within 5 working days after the final hearing. A&C worker to be introduced to the child. If joint home visit does not take place within 5 working days after the final hearing, case transfer should go ahead. The reasons why joint home visit does not take place should be made explicit on case note.  Allocation should then be amended on ICS.  CLA would ensure that all the paper files are delivered to the office of the allocated A&C worker. The receiving team will sign to confirm receipt of case files.

Section 20 Cases

  • In respect of S20 rehabilitation cases, CLA should notify A&C designated business support as soon as the rehabilitation plan is being implemented and a date for the child's return home is decided.
  • A joint (CLA and A&C) home visit should take place within 5 working days of the child's return home. A&C worker to be introduced to the child and carer. If joint home visit does not take place within 5 working days of the child's return home, case transfer should go ahead. The reasons why joint home visit does not take place should be made explicit on case note. Allocation should then be amended on ICS. CLA would ensure that all the paper files are delivered to the office of the allocated A&C worker. The receiving team will sign to confirm receipt of case files.
  • CLA must inform in writing the child/children, carers and all relevant professionals the planned transfer and contact details of the receiving team.
  • If a Child Protection Plan is integral to the overall rehabilitation plan, a CP Plan should be put in place before the child is returned home.


4. Standards

A&C to CLA at the second Looked After Review:

  • Public Law Outline requirements are fully met; e.g. Family Group Conference is held and kinship care is exhausted. Explicit evidence (about the robust search of possible kinship carer) on the case note or supervision record is needed as well as minutes of the Family Group Meeting.
  • All the relevant LAC papers are on file: e.g. Essential Information Part 1 and 2; LAC Care Plan; minutes of the Placement Agreement Meeting; minutes of the first LAC Review; Consultation Forms etc.
  • Minutes of the Permanence Planning Meeting, which should be held no later than week seven after the child was received into care. Care & Resources must be invited to Permanence Planning Meeting. All looked after children, regardless of their care status i.e. Section 20 or Interim Care Order should be presented to the Permanence Planning Meeting.
  • Up to date case note and case supervision record on ICS.
  • Up to date Core Assessment and Chronology.
  • Up to date personal details of the child and of placement details on ICS.
  • A&C worker must inform in writing the child/children, carer and all relevant professional the planned transfer and contact details of the receiving team.
  • Team leaders and Operational Managers are held accountable for compliance of practice standards. Transfer Audit Form must be signed off by a team leader of the originating team.


5. Performance Issues

  • The Operational Manager of the receiving team should raise formally with her/his counterpart in the originating team when practice standards of a transfer case are not met.
  • The Operational Manager of the originating team must pursue performance concerns with the relevant staff robustly and in accordance with the departmental policy and procedure.
  • Performance issues must not delay transfer.


6. Relinquished Baby

  • As soon as the parent decides to relinquish her child and kinship care is exhausted, A&C should notify the designated business support in CLA and transfer case to CLA at the first LAC Review. Allocation on ICS should then be amended. A&C will deliver the paper files to the receiving team, which will sign to confirm receipt of case file.
  • Instead of a Core Assessment, A&C is expected to complete a Relinquished Baby Assessment prior to transfer.
  • The standards stated above (except the Core Assessment) apply.
  • CLA will convene a Permanence Planning Meeting by week seven after the child was received into care.


7. Siblings Groups

  • A child who is subject to a Child Protection Plan and is a sibling of a looked after child should remain with A&C. The respective allocated workers in A&C and CLA should share information about their respective child/children regularly and attend key meetings such as case conference and LAC Review.
  • In view of the age demarcations (0 - 10 & 10 - 18) within the CLA service, the deciding factor should be the number of siblings that fall within a specific age group. For example, if 2 siblings fall within 0 - 10 and one sibling fall within 10-18, the allocated worker for 0 - 10 should be working with all the 3 siblings.
  • Staff must report promptly concerns about a child's welfare; e.g. alerting the allocated worker if case is allocated or managers or make an appropriate referral if the child has no allocated worker.


8. Administrative Arrangements

  • The originating team should ensure that paper files are hand-delivered to the office of the receiving team. At NO time should files be sent either by the internal post system or via the royal mail.
  • All files should be appropriately packaged up with the name and address of the receiving team clearly marked on the outside packaging
  • An email should be sent by the originating Business Support officer to the receiving Business Support with details of the case being handed over, number of volumes and any other significant information
  • At the point of dispatching the paper files by the Business Support of the originating team, the key worker involvement will be ended on SWIFT, but NOT the Key Team involvement. In the notes field on the involvement screen, details of where the case is transferring to and date of transfer will be recorded. On receipt of the paper files at the receiving team, business support will enter on ICS  the receiving team as the key team and the originating team's involvement ended.


9. Conflict Resolution

  • This transfer protocol provides a framework only. Respective Team Leaders and Operational Managers from A&C and CLA are expected to uphold the principles stated above in matters relating to case transfer.
  • Should conflicts remain unresolved amongst the Operational Managers, the respective Service Managers of both services should be informed in writing and make explicit the reasons why the conflicts cannot be resolved. The Service Managers will then decide the next course of action and inform the respective Operational Managers accordingly.


10. Review

  • Service Managers should review this transfer protocol in 6 months initially and then yearly.


Appendix 1 – Internal Transfer Protocol within Assessment and Community

  1. Introduction

    The core principles set out within the Transfer protocol document apply to all cases transferred within the Teams in the Assessment and Community Team. The overriding principle in all cases is to ensure that the needs of children will be central to any decisions.  These processes will therefore provide a framework for transfers and not rigid procedures. In this document, Duty and Intake Team also includes the Mayday Hospital team.
  2. Transfers

    Each team will provide, on a rotating basis a Manager to liaise with Duty and Intake and to receive cases ready for transfer. Cases will transfer to the relevant Assessment and Community Team at the point when the case reaches the designated transfer point (outlined below).

  3. Child Protection

    Child protection cases will transfer to the A & C team immediately following the Child protection conference which identifies the need for a Child Protection Plan. The Team rota to liaise with Duty and Intake on the week of the Initial conference will attend the conference and confirm the Plan at the conference.
  4. Children Looked After

    Looked After Children will transfer to the A & C Team immediately following the child or young person becoming accommodated. This would ordinarily follow the initial placement once the child or young person is settled in a sable placement.
  5. Children subject to Proceedings

    Where Duty has initiated Court Proceedings, The case will transfer to the A & C team, following the first Interim application. Ordinarily the Rota Manager would attend the first court application to ensure consistency and allow for sign up to the plan. Where a Child protection investigation has already been initiated by the Duty Team, the case will remain with the Duty team until the Child protection Investigation is concluded.
  6. Child in Need cases

    Cases which require further support or intervention should pass from Duty at the Child in need meeting which establishes the care plan. At this meeting the rota manager from the relevant team will attend the Child in Need Meeting, ensuring involvement and sign up to the plan.
  7. Immediate Transfers from Duty

    There are a number of referral types which would warrant immediate transfer to the relevant A & C Team. In these circumstances, the Duty team will be responsible for recording the referral and confirming the appropriateness of that referral and then for immediate onward transfer to the rota Team.  Such circumstances would include:

Click here to view Case Ready to Leave Duty/Intake Flowchart

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