National Procedures



Children's Services Policies, Values and Principles

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This contents list is sub divided into the following sections, each Section contains relevant Chapters/Procedures: (Click on the title to jump to the Section you require):

  1. Early Help
  2. Safeguarding Children
  3. Supporting Disabled Children
  4. Children Looked After and Care Leavers
  5. Fostering, Adoption and Permanence
  6. Case Management and Recording
  7. Contacts, List of Agency Decision Makers and Appendices

1. Early Help

1.1 Thresholds for Intervention
(Wandsworth Safeguarding Children Partnership)		  
1.2 Equality and Diversity  


2. Safeguarding Children

2.1

Contact and Referral

  
2.1.1 Contacts and Referrals Updated
2.1.2 Capacity and Consent  
2.1.3 Children Missing from Home and Care Policy and Protocol
(Wandsworth Safeguarding Children Partnership)		  
2.1.4 Allegations Against Staff or Volunteers who Work with Children  


 

2.2

Assessing Children's Needs

  
2.2.1 Assessments Updated
2.2.2 Pre-Birth Assessments and Pre-Birth Conferences
(Wandsworth Safeguarding Children Partnership)		  
2.2.3 Neglect Strategy
(Wandsworth Safeguarding Children Partnership)		  
2.2.4 Child Protection Enquiries (Section 47)  
  See also: London Safeguarding Children Procedures  
2.2.5 Financial Assistance Section 17 (s17) Children Act 1989  
2.2.6 Prevention of Homelessness and Provision of Accommodation for 16 and 17 year olds who may be Homeless and/or require Accommodation; and Duty to Refer  
2.2.7 Private Fostering  
2.2.8 Young Carers Updated
  See also: Looking After Someone Else's Child (GOV.UK)  
2.2.9 Relinquished Children  


 

2.3

Children from Abroad

  
2.3.1 Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Trafficking and Modern Slavery Updated
2.3.2 Families with No Recourse to Public Funds  


 

2.4

Child in Need of Help or Protection

  
2.4.1 Child in Need Plans and Reviews  
2.4.2 Multi Agency Risk Vulnerability Exploitation Protocol  
2.4.3 Children Missing from Home and Care Policy and Protocol
(Wandsworth Safeguarding Children Partnership) 		 
  See also: London Safeguarding Children Procedures  


 

2.5

Deprivations of Liberty and Mental Capacity

  
2.5.1 Deprivation of Liberty  
2.5.2 Mental Capacity  


 

2.6

Mental Health

  
2.6.1 Aftercare under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983  


 

2.7

Legal Proceedings

  
2.7.1 Applications for Emergency Protection Orders  
2.7.2 Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline Updated
2.7.3 Legal Gateway/Planning Meetings  
2.7.4 Protocol and Good Practice Model: Disclosure of Information in Cases of Alleged Child Abuse and Linked Criminal and Care Direction Hearings (October 2013)  
  See also: Cross-border Child Protection Cases: The 1996 Hague Convention  
  and Family Justice Resource Hub (ADCS)  


3. Supporting Disabled Children

3.1

Supporting Disabled Children

  
3.1.1 Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Updated
3.1.2 Direct Payments  
3.1.3 Short Breaks  
3.1.4 Placing and Visiting Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities or Health Conditions in Long-Term Residential Settings  
3.1.5 Children and Young People's Continuing Care National Framework New
  See also: Wandsworth's Eligibility Criteria for Disabled Children  


4. Children Looked After and Care Leavers

4.1

Decision Making and Care Planning

  
4.1.1 Local Authority's Sufficiency Duty - Accommodation for Children Looked After  
4.1.2 Decision to Look After  
4.1.3 Care Planning  
4.1.4 Ceasing to Look After a Child  
4.1.5 Permanence Planning Guidance  
See also: Early Permanence: Fostering for Adoption, Concurrent Planning and Temporary Approval as Foster Carers of Approved Prospective Adopters  
4.1.6 Wandsworth Family and Friends Care Policy Updated
4.1.7 Placement Planning and Disruption Meetings  
4.1.8 Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority Claims for Children Looked After  
4.1.9 Risk Assessment and Planning  
4.1.10 Family Networks and Family Group Decision Making New
  See also: NICE Guideline: Looked After Children and Young People  
  and Wandsworth Council Local Offer for Care Leavers  


 

4.2

Placements

  
4.2.1 Placements with Parents  
4.2.2 Placements with Connected Persons under Regulation 24  
4.2.3 Placements in Foster Care  
4.2.4 Children Looked After in Residential Care Updated
4.2.5 Placements in Secure Accommodation on Welfare Grounds Updated
4.2.6 Out of Area Placements  
4.2.7 Placements Outside England and Wales  
4.2.8 Placements in Other Arrangements  
4.2.9 Remands to Local Authority Accommodation or to Youth Detention Accommodation  
4.2.10 Notifications of Significant Events  
4.2.11 Notifications from Other Local Authorities/Placement Providers  
4.2.12 Delegation of Authority to Foster Carers and Residential Workers  
4.2.13 Health and Safety  
  See also: Children Looked After and Young People in Contact with Youth Justice Services  


 

4.3

Monitoring and Review

  
4.3.1 Social Worker Visits to Children Looked After  
4.3.2 Looked After Reviews  
4.3.3 Appointment and Role of Independent Reviewing Officers  
4.3.4 Advocacy and Independent Visitors  
4.3.5 Secure Accommodation (Criteria) Reviews  


 

4.4

Contact and Overnight Stays

  
  See also: Delegation of Authority to Foster Carers and Residential Workers  
4.4.1 Contact with Parents/Adults and Siblings  
4.4.2 Social Visits (Including Overnight Stays)  


 

4.5

Education, School Trips and Holidays

  
  See also: Delegation of Authority to Foster Carers and Residential Workers  
4.5.1 Supporting the Education and Promoting the Achievements of Children with a Social Worker, Looked After and Previously Looked After Children Updated
4.5.2 Holidays and School Trips In and Outside the UK  
4.5.3 Leisure Activities  


 

4.6

Health and Wellbeing

  
4.6.1 Health Care Assessments and Plans  
4.6.2 Personal Care and Relationships  
4.6.3 Positive Relationships and Behaviour Management  
4.6.4 Restrictive Physical Intervention  
4.6.5 Providing Personalised Care  


 

4.7

Change of Name and Marriage

  
4.7.1 Change of Name of a Child Looked After  
4.7.2 Marriage/Civil Partnership of a Child Looked After  


 

4.8

Leaving Care and Transition

  
4.8.1 Leaving Care and Transition  
4.8.2 Staying Put Updated
4.8.3 Financial Arrangements for Care Leavers (Resources)  
  See also: Responsibilities of the Local Authority to Former Children Looked After and Young People in Custody  


 

4.9

Children Involved in the Youth Justice System

  
4.9.1 Children Looked After and Young People in Contact with Youth Justice Services  
4.9.2 Responsibilities of the Local Authority to Former Children Looked After and Young People in Custody  
4.9.3 Children Involved in the Youth Justice System: Additional National Guidance  
  See also: Remands to Local Authority Accommodation or to Youth Detention Accommodation  


5. Fostering, Adoption and Permanence

5.1

Fostering Services

  
5.1.1 Fostering and Permanence Panel  
5.1.2 Persons Disqualified from Fostering  
5.1.3 Assessment and Approvals of Foster Carers  
5.1.4 Exemptions and Extensions/Variations to Foster Carer Approval  
5.1.5 Supervision and Support of Foster Carers  
5.1.6 Review and Termination of Approval of Foster Carers  
5.1.7 Allegations Against Foster Carers  
5.1.8 Training and Development of Foster Carers  
  See also: Early Permanence: Fostering for Adoption, Concurrent Planning and Temporary Approval as Foster Carers of Approved Prospective Adopters  


 

5.2

Adoption and Permanence Services

  
  Please note: Wandsworth has joined with a number of other London Boroughs to form Adopt London South with the aim of quicker matching for children and improved support for adoptive parents across the region. As part of joining Adoption London South, Wandsworth's policy and procedures relating to some adoption chapters will be updated in accordance with Adopt London South's new guidance.  
5.2.1 Recruitment, Assessment and Approval of Prospective Adopters  
5.2.2 Adoption and Permanence Panel  
5.2.3 Placement for Adoption  
5.2.4 Adoption Support  
5.2.5 Monitoring and Supervision of Adoptive Placements  
5.2.6 Adoption Reviews  
5.2.7 Disruption of Adoptive Placements  
5.2.8 Allegations Against Prospective Adopters and in Relation to Children Placed for Adoption or Already Adopted  
5.2.9 Inter Country Adoption  
5.2.10 Non Agency Adoption  
5.2.11 Adoption Case Records  
5.2.12 Access to Birth Records and Adoption Case Records  
5.2.13 Intermediary Services  
5.2.14 Life Story Books Guidance  
5.2.15 Later Life Letters  
5.2.16 Early Permanence: Fostering for Adoption, Concurrent Planning and Temporary Approval as Foster Carers of Approved Prospective Adopters  
  See also: Adoption Strategy: Achieving Excellence Everywhere  


 

5.3

Special Guardianship

  
5.3.1 Applications for Special Guardianship Orders Updated
5.3.2 Court Reports in Placement Order Applications and Adoption/Special Guardianship Guidance  


6. Case Management and Recording

6.1

Recording Policy

  
6.1.1 Recording Policy and Guidelines  
6.1.2 Records Management  
6.1.3 Access to Records/Subject Access Requests  
6.1.4 Confidentiality Policy  
6.1.5 Electronic Recording of Meetings and Conversations  
6.1.6 Accessing Service User Social Media Sites  
6.1.7 Storage of Data on Mobile Devices  


 

6.2

Notifications

  
6.2.1 Death or Serious Injury to a Child (Looked After, Child in Need or Care Leaver Up to and Including the Age of 24) Updated
6.2.2 Senior Management Need to Know (Resources)  
6.2.3 Notifications of Significant Events Updated


 

6.3

Supervision

  
6.3.1 Supervision Policy (Resources)  
6.3.2 Management Oversight (Resources)  


 

6.4

Quality Assurance

  
6.4.1 Quality Assurance Framework  


 

6.5

Complaints and Whistleblowing

  
6.5.1 Complaints and Representations  


7. Contacts, List of Agency Decision Makers and Appendices

7.1 Local Contacts (Resources)  
7.2 List of Agency Decision Makers, Designated Managers and Nominated Officers  
7.3 Ofsted Inspection Framework  
7.4 Working Together to Safeguard Children  
7.5 Amendments