2.1.2 Transfers between Homes/Discharges

Contents

1. Decision Making and Notice Period
2. Arrangements for the Transfer or Discharge
3. Notifications
4. Aftercare/Contact

1. Decision Making and Notice Period

Children must remain in the home until moving is in their best interests.

No transfers or changes of placement may be made without consulting the following people:

• the child's Social Worker;
• if the child in Key Stage 4 (year's 10 or 11), the change of placement must be agreed by a senior manager in the placing authority; the senior manager must ensure that the child's wishes and feelings have been obtained and that the Designated Teacher in the child's school has been consulted
• except in an emergency, the child's Independent reviewing Officer (IRO) must also be consulted; if this is not possible i.e. it is an emergency, the IRO must be consulted as soon as practicable after the transfer/change occurs;
• the child's parents.

Preferably such consultation should occur at a Planning Meeting or Looked After Review.

Where it appears that the young person will benefit from a transfer from one CastleCare Resource to another, the Existing Manager should consult the Referrals Manager, who will identify an appropriate internal placement that can meet the child's needs.  This will take into consideration any recommendation from the Child's Looked After Review or possible court instruction.

Any decision to terminate a young person's placement and request that s/he be discharged and moved to a Resource outside CastleCare must be approved by The Regional Operations Manager and a Director.

Normally, young people will remain in their existing resource for a minimum of 28 days or pre agreed contract term made at the time of placement   After the decision to move has been reached. In exceptional circumstances, it may be necessary for a young person to move immediately, from one Resource to another. In such circumstances, the Existing Manager must consult the social worker but the final decision will rest with the Directors and the Operations Manager. The referrals manager will be notified at the earliest opportunity of all or any placement changes

Agreement to the Transfer/discharge must be issued by the placing authority in writing. The referrals team manager will require this in writing before any placement move can be undertaken

2. Arrangements for the Transfer or Discharge

Assuming that the social worker and IRO have been consulted, the Existing Manager should liaise with the New Manager and take all reasonable steps to ensure the young person's transfer or discharge is managed sensitively. Consideration should be given to a disruption meeting to aide a clear planning process

The young person and Parents should be consulted and kept informed of all key decisions and arrangements in relation to any transfer or discharge. If possible, the young person and parents should undertake visits to the new Resource/Placement and should be provided with information such as brochures or guides.

Risk assessment and matching and linking reports should be undertaken in respect of any proposed placement change

The Existing Manager should liaise with the following people to ensure adequate plans and records (see below) are completed or brought up to date before the young person moves:

• The social worker
• Parents or those with Parental Responsibility
• The young person
• The New Manager
• Teacher/School
• Other relevant people/agencies, e.g. Personal Adviser, advocates

The Plans or records that must be brought up to date or completed by the social worker or others, and made available for the New Manager, are:

• The young person's Care Plan - the social worker is responsible for this record
• Where appropriate, the young person's Pathway Plan - the social worker or Personal Adviser is responsible for this plan
• Essential Information Records Part 1 and Part 2- the social worker is responsible for this record
• The young person's Personal Education Plan (PEP), any recent Individual Education Plan (IEP) or, where appropriate, the young person's Statement of Special Educational Needs - the social worker should obtain these plans/reports
• Details, plans or arrangements relating to the young person's Health Care Assessment

For transfers between CastleCare Resources, the Existing and New Managers must liaise with each other to ensure that all appropriate arrangements are made, for example:

a.	The young person's Placement Plan - the New Manager is responsible for this but the Existing Manager should contribute/offer advice on plans/strategies that have been used. As a minimum the Placement Plan must be completed before or upon admission. The exiting manager must produce an End of placement report within 3 days of the child's discharge. No contact may be permitted between the young person and his/her parents, relatives or friends unless agreed with the social worker and set out in the young person's Placement Plan.
b.	The Existing Manager should ensure that the young person's file is brought up to date, collated, tidied then passed to the New Manager.
c.	If it appears necessary, the New Manager should arrange a Planning Meeting, preferably before the move/transfer, but within 5 days. See Placement Plan Reviews Procedure
d.	If there is a risk that the young person may abscond, become missing or may absent him/herself without authority, the New Manager should arrange for a Risk Assessment regarding the safe management of absconding to be completed.
e.	The New Manager should liaise with the social worker to ensure arrangements are in place for the young person to be registered with a GP, Dentist and Optician (see General Practitioners, Dentists, Opticians Procedure) and should liaise with the Existing Manager to obtain information/arrangements for any medication or other healthcare arrangements.
f.	The New Manager should check to ensure that the young person has had a Health Care Assessment in line with set out in Health Care Assessments and Plans Procedure, and liaise with the social worker as necessary if this is required.
g.	The New Manager should ensure the young person is provided with:
	A copy of the CastleCare Children's Guide A copy of the Placing Authority's Complaints Procedure A Discharge Clothing List Details of CastleCare's independent advocate All personal items and belongings (excluding withheld items) Notification of their authorities mentoring support, Children's Rights services, Advocacy services as applicable

For all transfers/discharges within CastleCare or to other placements, the Existing Manager should ensure the following arrangements are made:

1. That the young person takes all his/her clothing and personal belongings or that arrangements are made for them to be passed to the New Manager. The Existing Manager must ensure that the young person's belongings/clothing are packed in a luggage case or other appropriate packaging.
2. Where children have been with CastleCare for an extended period, memento albums and photographs and moments about the home should be prepared for them so they have a record of their period of life at CastleCare.
3. If the young person is discharged from CastleCare, the Existing Manager must ensure that the young person's file is brought up to date, collated, tidied and archived.
4. The Existing and New Manager must ensure that the Referral Manager and others listed in Section 3, Notifications are notified of the transfer/discharge on day of discharge or admission to another CastleCare  home.

3. Notifications

The New Manager should liaise with the social worker to ensure that notifications of the placement are sent, by the social worker, to the Health Trust, Local Education Authority and Children's Services in the area where the child is placed if the move is into another Local Authority Area; these notifications must be made in writing advising of the placement decision and the name and address of the resource where the child will be placed. The social worker should also notify the young person's parents and significant relatives or friends, and should liaise with the New Manager to arrange contact with the young person. NOTE: Contact arrangements between the young person and his/her parents, relatives or friends must be agreed with the social worker and set out in the young person's Placement Plan

4. Aftercare/Contact

Any arrangements for aftercare or contact between CastleCare staff/carers and the young person or his/her parents/family must be agreed with the social worker and set out in the young person's Placement Plan.

End