9.10 Children's Specialist Services Case Transfers Protocol |
Contents
1. General
The Children’s Specialist Services (CSS) Division includes the Referral & Assessment Service (RAS); the Children in Need Service (CIN); the Family Centre Service; Children Looked After Service (CLA); Family Plus Team (FPT) and Disabled Children’s Team. The RAS and CIN Services also transfer cases to the 16+Independent Living Scheme (ILS) and, when they are operational in 2010, to the three locality Youth Support Teams.
Transfer of cases will be timely, according to defined standards and at critical points in the assessment and case planning process ensuring as much continuity as possible for service users. It is essential that service users, foster carers and relevant professionals, are informed of changes of team or social worker as soon as possible.
When a case meets the criteria for transfer from RAS, it should be transferred to the receiving team with prior discussion between the two team managers involved and an email alert sent three days before transfer and copied to the Service Manager – CiN. If the receiving team are unable to allocate the case, the Team Manager must discuss this with the relevant Service Manager/s and a decision will be made within 24 hours. Delay must be minimised as this could be to the detriment of the service user.
Transfer arrangements will always be mindful of the need to ensure the safeguarding of children. It is essential that full and accurate information is shared between teams to prevent gaps in knowledge and ensure the protection of children is paramount, this includes children who are Looked After.
ICS child’s plans on all cases should be agreed in principle between both transferring and receiving teams. As a minimum there should be consultation at team manager level about the Child’s Plan before transfer.
The Integrated Children’s System (ICS) is a workflow process, with the aim of making sure that the APIR (Assess/Plan/Intervention/Review) cycle operates effectively to deliver positive and timely outcomes for children and families.
St Georges Hospital Team - The St Georges Hospital Team is part of RAS and the procedure described in Section 3 also applies to this team.
It is recognised that some cases, particularly pre-birth assessments, may need to be held slightly longer than the procedure outlined in Section 3. However, this procedure is to be adhered to for the majority of cases and any variation will need to be discussed with the Team Manager at St. George’s.
1.1 Transfer of Cases from RAS Teams to CIN Teams
The RAS Team Manager (AT1, AT2, IRT or Hospital) should give a minimum of 3 working days notice by email, including a short summary of the case to the relevant locality CIN team, copied to Service Manager - CiN. The CIN Team Manager or Deputy should contact directly with the RAS Team Manager to discuss the transfer before the 3 working days expires.
If the CIN Team Manager is unable to allocate this it must be discussed immediately with the Service Manager and a decision made in 24 hours.
When a Section 47 investigation (statutory child protection investigation) is carried out by RAS and an Initial Child Protection Conference (ICPC) is convened, the case will be transferred from RAS to CIN at the point of the ICPC.
1.2 Transfer of Cases from RAS Teams to CLA Teams
Transfers direct from RAS to CLA will occur where a child has become looked after and it is clear that the child will not be returning to the birth family – for example where previous children have been permanently removed and the pre-birth assessment indicates that the new baby is likely to require an adoption plan.
1.3 Transfer of Cases from RAS Teams to Family Centre Teams
Smallwood Road and Woking Close Family Centres both hold case responsibility for some cases. For example, where it is identified that a family requires a time limited period of family support work, and it does not involve legal proceedings. there should be an early discussion between the RAS TM and the Family Centre manager.
The Family Centre Manager will confirm if case responsibility can transfer to the Family Centre. If for any reason the Family Centre is unable to take on case responsibility, then the case will be transferred to the locality CIN Team. The Family Centre Manager will discuss with the relevant CIN manager and advise the RAS Manager within two working days of the outcome
Disputes will be escalated quickly to the relevant Service Managers for resolution. If the Service Managers are unable to resolve the matter, it will be referred to the Head or Heads of Service (Family & Community or Children Looked After) to make a decision. Case responsibility will remain with the referring team in the interim.
1.4 Case Record Standards on Transfer - Checklist
Click here to view Case Record Standards on Transfer - Checklist.
2. Case Transfer from Referral and Assessment Service (RAS)
2.1 Family Support, Section 17 - Initial Plan
Cases will transfer after the completion of a Child and Family Assessment. Every child should have an assessment and Initial Plan outlining why s/he requires longer term intervention, the key agencies involved, and the intervention required.
The Child’s Plan is usually undertaken in the CIN teams after the case has been received. There needs to be a discussion between the RAS manager and the receiving team or centre manager about the plan. It is the responsibility of the receiving team or centre manager to ensure the discussion takes place.
2.2 Section 7 and Section 37 Court Reports
These reports are completed by the relevant CiN social worker. When the request is received from the Court a Contact will be created by RAS and the CiN Team Manager notified via email and an alert on FWi.
2.3 Special Guardianship Applications
On receipt of a formal notification of intention to apply for an SGO the Department has three months to complete the Regulation 21 report.
The Team Manager of the Family Plus Team must be alerted to the SGO at point of referral to ensure that the team are able to meet the court deadline. The RAS social worker completes a Child and Family Assessment to ensure there are no significant safeguarding concerns. The transfer of the case to the Family Plus Team for completion of the report must take place within 10 working days of the referral.
2.4 Privately Fostered Children
Please see separate Private Fostering Procedure.
2.5 Young People Requiring the Services of Youth Support Team
When a referral is received regarding a young person the Duty YST worker will complete an assessment. If a safeguarding concern is evident at point of referral regarding the young person or siblings, then the RAS service will undertake a Child and Family Assessment as outlined under Section 4.2 below before transfer to the Youth Support Team or CiN as appropriate.
2.6 Child Protection (S47) Cases
Transfer of a child with a Child Protection Plan from another authority
- Alert received by RAS that a child/ren are resident in Wandsworth and have a formal Child Protection plan in another local authority, RAS opens a contact and notifies the relevant CIN manager, SSU and Service Manager – CiN by email and via an alert on FWi.
- On receipt of the notification the CIN Team Manager will liaise with the transferring Authority as to the reason for the transfer and to confirm permanent accommodation in the borough. If this is an appropriate alert the CIN Manager and the Child Protection Co-ordinator will agree a date for a conference within 15 days of notification.
Child Protection Cases where an Initial CP conference is convened by RAS
- Child Protection cases transfer from RAS to the CIN team at the Initial Child Protection Conference.
- Following a referral, assessment and Section 47 investigation, a Child and Family Assessment is completed to assess the risk to the child.
- An initial child’s plan is completed to run in conjunction with the remaining work on the Child and Family Assessment.
- At any point during the Child and Family Assessment, the RAS team manager consults with the Child Protection Coordinator if it is likely that the child will require an initial child protection conference. If this is decided by agreement with the coordinator, the social worker completes the ICS initial child protection conference report.
- RAS liaises with the Child Protection Unit for the Initial CP conference to be arranged within fifteen days of the last strategy discussion.
- At this point the CIN team manager and Service Manager – CiN are alerted via email with a short summary of the case and the conference date. The report will be available to the CIN team manager through Frameworki.
- The CIN team manager arranges for the child/ren to be allocated to a social worker on receipt of the alert, and liaises with the RAS manager.
2.7 Children Looked After Cases
If a child is placed in accommodation as the result of an application to the court, and, after the initial legal planning meeting, is made subject to proceedings, then the case will transfer from RAS at the first interim hearing, either to the CIN Service or the CLA Service (see Section 2.4, Privately Fostered Children). The receiving manager will be invited to the legal planning meeting and must make arrangements to attend the hearing with the identified worker. If the manager is unable to attend, responsibility must be delegated to a Principal Social Worker. The case will transfer at that hearing.
If a child is accommodated under Section 20, case responsibility will transfer at the first child care review which must be held within 4 weeks of the child becoming looked after. Within 48 hours of placement, RAS team manager will alert the Independent Reviewing Officer, the receiving manager and arrange the first review. The RAS social worker will complete the Child and Family Assessment, the initial care plan and consultation papers.
A transfer visit is undertaken prior to the review and the receiving social worker attends the meeting with the RAS worker.
The relevant ICS forms from CIN/CLA and the Review papers will be completed by the RAS worker.
Case responsibility will transfer to the CIN social worker at the first Child Care Review.
In the case of unaccompanied minors (under the age of 16), the Unaccompanied Minors social worker will hold the case to first review. The child will then transfer to the CLA 3 team. The Unaccompanied Minors social worker will follow the above procedure and their manager will negotiate the transfer.
2.8 Other Case Issues
In the event of a child re-referring to Children’s Specialist Service within twelve weeks of the case being closed in CIN, or another service, the case will be opened in RAS and sent back to the original CIN team.
Children with Disabilities – The majority of cases dealt with by RAS are outside the remit of the Special Needs team and require transfer after a Child and Family Assessment to a CIN team or Family Centre.
Step-Parent Adoptions - Where a referral is received for these type of cases, the RAS service will enter the case on Framework and pass to the relevant CIN team for allocation.
Siblings of children open to the CIN Service
- Where a referral is received from another agency/person in relation to a sibling of a child already opened to a CIN team, or Family Centre this will be referred to the appropriate CIN team.
- The team opens the sibling on Frameworki but not as a formal referral as the family is already open to the team.
- The sibling is then assessed as part of the work with the whole family.
- If a child protection issue involving a sibling of a child opened to a CIN team or Family Centre is referred to RAS, this will be referred to the CIN or Family Centre.
- There must be no delay in getting the sibling, thought to be at risk of significant harm, immediately assessed.
Children who are not receiving a service from the CIN Service or Family Centre should not have an allocated social worker and should be closed, in line with the recommendations of the Victoria Climbie Inquiry. Before closure the child and parents should be seen at home and other agencies consulted.
2.9. Pre-Birth Assessments
To be read in conjunction with:
- Practice Guidelines in relation to Pre-birth Assessments and Pre-birth Child Protection Conference.
- Pre-birth Assessment Procedures in Children’s Specialist Services.
When a new referral or a family previously known is received by Duty, the referral is subject to a discussion with the St. George’s Hospital Team Manager.
- If the mother is allocated in the CLA or ILS teams, the manager needs to contact the St. George’s manager at the earliest opportunity to refer the unborn child for a separate assessment.
- If a mother or their partner is a high risk to workers, the hospital team need to be alerted to this fact at the time of referral, as there are no secure office facilities at the hospital. In these situations arrangements will be made to see the family at Welbeck House, or the nearest Family Centre to the family home.
The Hospital Team will undertake pre-birth assessment work -whether the mother is registered at St. George’s or in another hospital. Priority however will be given to St. George’s cases if the team is unable to allocate all the referrals.
The RAS duty manager will contact the team manager at St. George’s once a referral is received regarding the mother. A Common Assessment must be completed by the external referring agency where possible. On the agreement of the St. George’s manager, the case is recorded and transferred on Framework(i) as a contact to the team with any files sent to St. George’s to undertake the assessment.
2.10 Relinquished Baby Cases
See Babies Relinquished for Adoption Procedure.
3. Case Transfer from CIN to CLA
3.1 Children Looked After Under S20 of the Children Act 1989
Department of Health Guidance requires the department to confirm a clear permanency plan by the second statutory Child Care Review (CCR). It is the responsibility of the Independent Reviewing Officer to ensure that a permanency plan is discussed and confirmed at the second CCR, indicating whether permanence is to be achieved through:-
- Return to birth family, or
- Adoption, or
- Permanent fostering, or
- Special Guardianship
The Independent Reviewing Officer must also ensure that a target date is set for achieving permanency. The Permanency Plan and target date will be recorded on the Child Care Review Decision Summary sheet and also on the full write up of the Review.
- If the plan is for the child to return to the birth family or Kinship Carer and be discharged from accommodation within 6 months of the second CLR, the case will not be transferred to CLA team.
- The case will be transferred to the CLA team within 4 weeks of the second CCR if return to birth family is not expected to be achieved within 6 months from that date.
3.2 Children Looked After Under Interim Care Orders
Cases will be transferred to the CLA Team within 4 weeks of the completion of the Final Hearing if the Care Plan decided at the Final Hearing does not envisage return of the child to birth family within 6 months.
Where the Care Plan decided at the Final Hearing involves the child returning to the care of the birth family, the case will remain the responsibility of the CIN team.
Where it is expected that the child will not be returning to the birth parents, a new CLA social worker should become formally involved in the care planning 4 weeks prior to the Final Hearing.
3.3 Relinquished Babies - Care Proceedings not Initiated
3.3.1 In these cases a Child and Family Assessment should be completed by the RAS and the case transferred to the CLA team at the first Child Care Review.
3.4 Relinquished Babies - Care Proceedings Initiated
The case should be transferred to the CLA team on the same basis as children who are looked after under Interim Care Order. (Section 3 above).
4. Transfer of Cases from CIN or CLA to Family Plus Team
If a child has been made subject to a Special Guardianship order and is open to the CIN or CLA team, carer should be referred to the Family Plus Team for ongoing support and review.
Upon transfer, the Family Plus Team should be given a copy of Regulation 21 report; the Support Plan, and a Transfer Summary. (See also the Family Plus Check List).
If the CLA/CIN team are requesting a child/children to be placed in a Kinship Foster Care placement, the team manager must alert the FPT manager by the second CCR. The alert to the FP team must take place before approval at the Permanency Panel.
If the plan for a child allocated in a CIN/CLA team is to support a relative to obtain a Residence Order and an allowance is to be paid, then this must be discussed with the FPT manager by the second CCR. The case must transfer within 10 working days of the completion of the proceedings and the FPT worker must be involved in the formulation of the support plan. A transfer summary, completed Family Plus checklist and Section 7 report are required prior to transfer.
If the Adoption or CLA team are placing a child/children for adoption and the adoptive parents require a support plan, the FPT manager must be alerted at the conclusion of proceedings or decision by Permanency Panel. The FPT manager must allocate a worker to be involved with the adoptive family prior to panel approval. The Adoption Support plan is drawn up with the FPT worker with a clear breakdown of the financial support required.
Please also refer to the Departmental procedures on adoption support.
S47 Enquiries where the family is worked with by FPT: the child will be referred to RAS for a strategy discussion while the carer will continue to be supported by the Family Plus Team.
5. Case Transfer from CIN to CLA to 16+
5.1 Standards
The following information/forms regarding the young person have been identified as Essential and should be available in the young person’s file at the point of transfer:
- Completed and up to date Essential Information Records (EIR) parts 1 and 2.
- A statutory LAC Review should have been held within 6 months prior to the young person reaching 16 years of age.
- An invitation to attend the review should be sent to the 16+ Service at least three months prior to the review taking place.
- Review minutes should highlight all ongoing education, health, employment and accommodation issues, criminal justice issues/offending history re the young person.
- A completed transfer summary checklist for young people aged 15 years should be completed (see Section 5.6, 16+ Transfer Checklist).
- A chronology of significant events in the young person’s life
5.2 Transfer Meetings
- Should take place between team managers in CLA and 16+. The aim of these meetings are:
- Must agree dates of transfer for the looked after child approaching 16 years throughout the year.
- Should clarify what information is going to be available at point of transfer.
- Should highlight the ongoing practical and financial commitments to the young person beyond their 16th birthday.
- Identify tracking arrangements of money spent on young person.
5.3 Responsibilities of Child’s Social Worker Prior to Transfer to 16+
- The young person’s National Insurance number has been applied for at the appropriate time during their age of 15 years and this is recorded in the front section of the young person’s file.
- Contact information re the young person is included on the Transfer Summary Checklist form.
- Details regarding any criminal injury compensation awards granted or applications made awaiting a decision are highlighted in the appropriate section of the Transfer Summary Checklist Form.
- All recording is up to date and correctly filed on Framework(i) and the paper file.
- All Looked After Children forms should be up to date.
- That a Needs Assessment is completed prior to the case being transferred to the 16+ Service, using the Child and Family Assessment format.
5.4 Preferred Information
- For the purposes of these protocols the completion of an up to date Assessment and Action Record form (i.e. no more than a year before the young person’s 16th birthday) is desirable, although the aim will be to work towards this becoming essential.
5.5 Handover of Cases
It is expected that Social Workers holding cases that are to be transferred to the 16+ team should undertake a joint visit with the 16+ worker who is to be allocated the case. The plan for handover will be established at the LAC Review prior to the young person’s 16th birthday.
5.6 16+ Transfer Checklist
This checklist should be completed by the allocated social worker in CLA/CIN or Diversion prior to transfer to the 16+ Service.
Click here to view 16+ Transfer Checklist.
Appendix 1: Case Transfer Flow Chart
Click here to view Appendix 1: Case Transfer Flow Chart.
Appendix 2: CIN - CLA Case Transfer Protocol
Click here to view Appendix 2: CIN - CLA Case Transfer Protocol.
Appendix 3: Making a Referral
Click here to view Appendix 3: Making a Referral.
Appendix 4: Transfers to CIN, CLA 16+
Click here to view Appendix 4: Transfers to CIN, CLA 16+.
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