Notifications from Other Local Authorities/Placement Providers
SCOPE OF THIS CHAPTER
This chapter addresses the action to be taken on receipt of a notification from another local authority that a Child in Care has been placed at an address in this authority.
Contents
1. Introduction
Where a Child in Care is placed by a local authority in the area of another local authority, notification must be made by the placing authority to the local authority's Children's Social Care Services where the child's placement is located.
The Education Service and the relevant Health Trust for the area in which the Child in Care is placed must also be notified.
The notification will include the address where the child is placed.
The Local Authority where the child is placed must maintain a register of Children in Care for whom it is responsible and all Children in Care placed in its area, including those children who are the responsibility of another local authority.
Under the Children's Homes and Looked After Children (Miscellaneous Amendments) (England) Regulations 2013, the Manager of a children's home must notify without delay the area local authority (if different from the placing authority) of the admission to/discharge from the Home of any child.
The notification must state:
- The child's name and date of birth;
- Whether the child is Accommodated under Section 20 or subject to a Care Order or Supervision Order;
- The contact details for:
- The child's placing authority; and
- The child's Independent Reviewing Manager;
- Whether the child has an Education, Health and Care Plan, if so, details of the local authority which maintains the Plan.
1.1 The Register of Children in Care
The Register should include the following information in relation to each child:
- The name, gender and date of birth of the child;
- The name and address of the person with whom the child is placed and, if different, the name and address of the child's parents and all those with Parental Responsibility;
- The name of the placing authority;
- Whether the child has a Child Protection Plan;
- Whether the child is disabled;
- The date on which the placement was made and the date when it terminated including the reason for the termination;
- The child's legal status;
- Where arrangements have been made by the host local Children's Social Care Services to undertake the duties of the placing local authority; what those arrangements are and the name of the person within the placing authority with whom they were agreed.
2. Procedure on Receipt of Notifications in Relation to a Child in Care
2.1 Responsibilities of the Children's Social Care teams
Prior to any placement being made, the placing authority should contact the host authority to determine whether the prospective placement is appropriate, the host authority will undertake checks and share this information with the placing authority in order to inform their decision to place the child.
Where a significant incident arises in the placement whilst the child is placed, the authority where the child is placed will be expected to respond to the presenting needs and initiate a strategy discussion to determine any immediate actions required to safeguard the child/ren. However, except in an absolute emergency (e.g. where it is not possible to contact the child's social worker or their Team Manager, or if out of hours the placing local authority's Emergency Duty Team), the authority should not take any significant action or remove the child, without consultation with placing local authority.
The authority should never take action on the basis of the placing authority's verbal authority, but must be certain that required actions are as a result of a written request.
At all times case management responsibility remains with the placing authority.
In the event that the authority where the child is placed has to have an involvement in an emergency situation where the child is at risk of Significant Harm and the placing authority cannot be contacted, any action should be on the basis of the requirements of local Safeguarding Children Procedures.
2.2 Maintaining the Register
The Designated Manager (Notifications) is responsible for maintaining the register of Children in Care (see Section 1, Introduction).
This register must include:
- Children in Care in the authority;
- Children placed in Care by another local authority but placed within the authority, where there has been agreement that the authority will carry out some of the responsibilities of the placing local authority;
- Children placed in Care by another local authority but placed within the authority, where the placing local authority continues to carry out all the functions in relation to the child.
The Designated Manager (Notifications) will ensure that the following teams /agencies are notified:
- The Health Service;
- The Education Welfare Service;
- The Children in Care Education Team/Virtual Head.