Quick Guide |
November 2014
This 'Quick Guide' must be read before accessing the body of the manual.
Contents
- Display and Browser Options
- About this Manual
- Amendments
- Terminology
- Keywords
- Compliance
- Register for Updates
- Copyright
- Printing and Retaining Copies
1. Display and Browser Options
In order to make this manual as accessible as possible, you can change the size of the text/layout - please use these accessibility buttons:
which are on menu bar on the left side of every screen. Click a larger button to increase your text size, the very largest being high visibility mode.
2. About this Manual
This manual contains the policies, procedures and guidance for Rochdale Children’s Services.
In this manual, all Policies, Values and Principles are located in one Chapter, which users are required to familiarise themselves with before proceeding to the main body of the Manual. These Policies, Values and Principles are located in a Chapter called 'Values' - available from the left hand side of the screen.
3. Amendments
This manual will be updated on a regular basis.
If you wish any amendments or additions to be included in an update, or if you have any questions about the operation of these procedures or the process for updating/amending them, please contact: nick.whitbread@rochdale.gov.uk.
When the manual is updated, the contents list will show new chapters and the existing chapters that have been updated. As well, a note of the changes will be included in the relevant chapter.
In addition, a table of amendments will be included in this section.
The following chapters were added or updated in November 2014:
| Updated Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Assessments | A link has been added to the updated Local Assessment Protocol. |
| Rochdale Children’s Social Needs and Risk - Local Assessment Protocol | An updated version has been added. |
| Application for Emergency Protection Orders | This chapter has been updated throughout in line with revised guidance Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities on Court Orders and Pre-Proceedings (2014) and the revised family justice and courts system. A new Section 6, Powers to Assist in Discovery of Children who may be in Need of Emergency Protection has been added. |
| Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline | This chapter reflects the revised family court system. It replaces the previous chapters on Court Proceedings and Public Law Outline. |
| Legal Planning Meetings | This chapter has been updated throughout in line with revised guidance Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities on Court Orders and Pre-Proceedings (2014). |
No Recourse To Public Funds Process Policy And Practice Guidance In Respect Of Those With No Recourse To Public Funds |
These replace the previous procedure. |
| Placement Sufficiency Strategy 2014-2015 | This sets out the strategy for ensuring sufficiency of accommodation in accordance with Sufficiency: Statutory Guidance on Securing Sufficient Accommodation for Looked After Children (2010). |
| Permanence Planning Guidance | This chapter has been updated in line with the Children and Families Act 2014, and the overall aim of speeding up the adoption process. The chapter has been updated throughout and should be re-read. The main changes are in relation to adoption, specifically Fostering for Adoption, Concurrent Planning and Temporary Approval as Foster Carers of Approved Prospective Adopters. |
| Placements in Secure Accommodation | A link has been added to Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities on Court Orders and Pre-Proceedings (2014). |
| Child Trust Funds and Junior Individual Savings Accounts for Looked After Children | The annual allowance figures have been updated. |
| Passports and Holidays / School Trips Outside the UK | A link has been added to letter template ‘Permission For A Child To Leave The Country For Holiday Purposes’. |
| Education of Looked After Children | This chapter has been updated throughout in line with new/updated statutory guidance:
|
| Assessment and Approval of Prospective Adopters | This chapter has been updated in line with the Children and Families Act 2014 and the overall aim of speeding up the adoption process. The chapter has been updated throughout and should be re-read. Information has been added in relation to:
|
| Placement for Adoption | This chapter has been updated in line with the Children and Families Act 2014, and the overall aim of speeding up the adoption process. The chapter has been updated throughout and should be re-read. The main changes are in relation to:
|
| Adoption Support | This chapter has been updated in line with the Children and Families Act 2014. A new Section 2, Duty to Provide Information Concerning Adoption Support, has been added. |
| Procedure Relating to Special Guardianship | An updated procedure has been added. |
| A Foster Carers Guide to Special Guardianship | This provides information for foster carers relating to special guardianship. |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Details |
| Lone Working Procedures | This guidance is written to guide and advise each staff member of safe working practices. |
| Violence and Aggression Policy | This sets out the Council’s overarching principles in relation to working with its employees to maintain a work environment, which is free from aggression, violence, threats of violence, harassment, intimidation, and other disruptive behaviour. |
| Manager Guidance - Managing Violence and Aggression | This guidance is to assist managers to implement the Council’s policy on work-related aggression and violence. |
| Manager Guidance - Procedure For Dealing With Potentially Violent or Aggressive Situations | The measures within this guidance are to deal with situations that escalate beyond the control measures in place that deal with general incidents of violence and aggression and where additional assistance is necessary. |
| Manager Guidance - Risk Assessment | This provides guidance for managers in assessing risks. |
| Safety Fact Sheet - Personal Safety Tips | This provides guidance for staff on personal safety. |
| Psychological Therapy Services Stepped Care Model | This has been added to the Child Sexual Exploitation section. |
| EDT Escalation Process - On Call Managers (Childcare) | This provides guidance on routing out of hours contacts. |
| Discharge of a Care Order | This sets out practice guidance on the process for discharging a Care Order. |
| 2013 Protocol and Good Practice Model: Disclosure of Information in Cases of Alleged Child Abuse - Local Practice Arrangements | This sets out the local arrangements in relation to the Protocol and Good Practice Model: Disclosure of Information in Cases of Alleged Child Abuse and Linked Criminal and Care Directions Hearings. |
| Compliments and Complaints: Children and Young Person’s Guide | This provides user-friendly information on compliments and complaints. |
| Homeless Young People Aged 16 and 17 | The purpose of this protocol is to provide an overarching framework that identifies the housing and support needs of young people, through use of an agreed assessment process, which can be completed by Housing and Social Care Staff. |
| Interagency Protocol for Children with Complex/Continuing Health Care Needs | This protocol has been developed to formalise the partnership arrangements between Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Clinical Commissioning Group (HMRCCG) and Children’s Services Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC) to support the assessment and decision making processes for children and young people up to the age of 18 years or (19 years if the young person has special educational needs) with complex, persistent and severe behavioural, medical and mental health needs. |
| Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities | This procedure sets out the specific provision under the Children and Families Act 2014 in relation to children and young people aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs or disabilities. |
| Leaving Care and Transition: Young Person’s Guide | This document explains how Rochdale Children’s Services will support care leavers to move successfully into adulthood and independence. |
| Financial Assistance Procedure and Guidance | The Financial Assistance Guidance for Looked After Young People aged 16 years plus supports young people looked after in making life choices and maximising their allowances and the support available to them. |
| Finance Policy - Looked After Young People 16+ | The Finance Policy for Looked After Young People aged 16 years plus should be read in conjunction with the Children’s Social Care Finance Policy and Procedures. |
| Financial Assistance 16+ Young Person’s Leaflet 2014 | This provides information for care leavers on their financial assistance entitlements. |
| Virtual Spending - Setting Up Home Allowance: Young Person’s Guide | This exercise is to help care leavers prepare for using their setting up home allowance before they need to do it for real. |
| Second Chance Protocol | This protocol applies where care leavers have received a setting up home allowance, but where things go wrong and they may need additional help ‘second time around’. |
| Second Chance Protocol: Young Person’s Guide | This provides information for young people on the Second Chance Protocol which applies where care leavers have received a setting up home allowance, but where things go wrong and they may need additional help ‘second time around’. |
| Staying Put Arrangements: Foster Carer’s Guide | This provides information for foster carers on Staying Put arrangements. |
| Staying Put Arrangements: Foster Carer’s Leaflet | This provides information for foster carers on Staying Put arrangements. |
| Staying Put Arrangements: Young Person’s Guide | This provides information for care leavers on Staying Put arrangements. |
| Staying Put Arrangements: Young Person’s Leaflet | This provides information for care leavers on Staying Put arrangements. |
| Placement Order Revocations | This sets out practice guidance relating to adoption placement orders. |
| Fostering for Adoption, Concurrent Planning and Temporary Approval as Foster Carers of Approved Prospective Adopters | This procedure deals with placement of a child with carers who are dually approved, i.e. approved both as prospective adopters and as local authority foster carers. |
| Statement of Special Educational Needs | References to Statement of Special Educational Needs have been amended as necessary to Education, Health and Care Plans, throughout the manual. |
UK Border Agency |
References to the UK Border Agency have been updated to UK Visas and Immigration, as necessary throughout the manual. |
4. Terminology
We believe it is crucial to use consistent terminology, which we agree with individual customers, for example:
| 'Home' and 'Resource' | this is a generic term which means Children's Home, Foster Home |
| 'Child' or 'Young Person' | both these terms are used to mean any child under the age of 18 |
| 'Staff' or 'Carer' | means all Staff and Carers (including) whether employed or not |
| 'Manager' | means Team Manager, it also means YOT Team Manager |
| 'Line Manager' | means the first Line Manager of a team/service |
| 'Parent' | means person with Parental Responsibility |
| 'Regulatory Authority' | Regulatory Authority is the generic term used in this manual to describe the independent regulatory body responsible for inspecting and regulating services e.g. Ofsted. |
| 'Social Worker' | This means the worker allocated to the child/family. If there is no allocated worker, the Duty Social Worker or Team Manager is responsible. |
5. Keywords
The manual is accessed by practitioners from varying agencies, who may find terms that they are not familiar with. Therefore, a large glossary (Keywords) of terms such as Significant Harm (Try it: click on the highlighted text). We call them 'Keywords'. Once clicked, the definitions will appear in a new window or tab, depending on your browser. You can leave it open for reference, or close it using the "close" button at the bottom.
Many Keywords are highlighted in the body of procedures, but you can search for the Keyword you need: Go to the Keywords Index, on the left hand side of the screen.
6. Compliance
Regulatory Compliance
Every effort has been taken to ensure regulatory compliance. If you discover any errors or mistakes, please alert your manager.
W3C Compliance
This manual meets the double A Standards of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), for example, it can be accessed by people with high levels of visual impairment. To find out more, click on 'Display Options' on the left hand side of the screen.
7. Register for Updates
We recommend that you register with us to automatically receive notification when the manual is updated, and be informed about the briefing papers we regularly publish. Click on the ‘Register for Updates’ button on the left side of the screen, to complete and send your details to us.
8. Copyright
The content of this website can be accessed, printed and downloaded in an unaltered form, on a temporary basis, for personal study or reference purposes. However any content printed or downloaded may not be sold, licensed, transferred, copied or reproduced in whole or in part in any manner or in or on any media to any person without the prior written consent of tri.x and Rochdale Council.
9. Printing and Retaining Copies
The Manual should normally be viewed on line but can be printed, for reference only.
To print a chapter, click on the 
icon which is in the top right hand corner of the relevant procedure
Please note, the Manual will be updated regularly, so staff should avoid retaining printed versions - hard copies are only valid for 72 hours.
End