4.2 Children Moving Across Local Authority Boundaries

AMENDMENTS

This chapter was amended in September 2010 to reflect the change of terminology in Working Together to Safeguard Children 2010 from 'Keyworker' to Lead Social Worker.

1. Movement of Children and Families

The general principle is that local authorities have responsibility for taking any necessary action to safeguard and promote the welfare of any child in their area.

At any stage in the process of working with children and their families, the parents and/or the child/children may move from one household to another, possibly to another local authority area.

The move may be planned and relevant information shared in advance with the professionals and workers involved with the family and child/children.

In some circumstances, however, the move may take place in haste and as an attempt to avoid the involvement of professionals and agencies. In such circumstances, the agencies involved must assess the impact of the change in circumstances on the child/children and there needs to be clarity about which local authority is responsible for taking any necessary action. Every effort must be made to ensure that the information to safeguard the child is shared with the relevant local agencies.

The child’s move may be temporary or permanent. An example of a temporary move is where a Looked After child is placed in the area of a different local authority. All such placements will be notified by the local authority looking after the child to the relevant health, children’s social care and education agencies in accordance with their own internal procedures and all changes of addresses must be carefully noted when such notifications are received – see also Children Living Away from Home Procedure.

This chapter sets out the actions to be taken in relation to children and families who move across local authority boundaries, either on a temporary or permanent basis, where there is contact with the family by the statutory agencies, and some degree of concern for the child.

2. Children who are Being Assessed

Work with children and their families may be taking place in the context of the Common Assessment Framework, or the child may be considered a Child in Need and an Initial Assessment or Core Assessment/Section 47 Enquiry may be in progress when the child/children and family moves to another local authority area.

Each agency should have their own internal procedures which set out how information about children and families is provided to their equivalent agency in the new area when such movements take place.

A decision must be made by the responsible professionals (in partnership with parents and children whenever possible) where the move is known and planned as to how the information is best shared with the new area.

There should never be any delay in sharing information as all information about a child should be available to agencies where the child is residing.

Where there are concerns about a Child in Need who moves across local authority boundaries, and a Section 47 Enquiry is being considered or is in progress, it is the responsibility of the local authority where the concerns originated to make decisions as to how to proceed. This, however, must be done in close consultation with the new authority.

If it is agreed by the new authority that the case can be transferred to them, then this should only take place after written confirmation has been received from the new authority. Cases are deemed to have been transferred only after such written confirmation has been received.

If children and families about whom there are concerns move and cannot be contacted, this in itself will heighten such concerns and lead professionals to consider that the children may be at risk of Significant Harm.

In such circumstances the agencies involved must share information with one another so that every effort is made to locate the child/children and, where Children and Young People’s Services are not already involved, consider whether a referral should be made under the Referrals Procedure.

Where the child is already subject to a referral to Children and Young People’s Services and the child cannot be located, the Children and Families who go Missing Procedure should be followed.

3. Where there are Concerns about Significant Harm

3.1

Emergency Action

Where emergency action is required because of concerns that the child is suffering or likely to suffer Significant Harm, the local authority in whose area the child is found is responsible for taking that action.

Where the child is Looked After by or the subject of a Child Protection Plan in another local authority, the authority where the child is should consult the child’s ‘home’ local authority before taking emergency action. Only when the child’s home local authority explicitly accepts responsibility is the local authority where the child is found relieved of the responsibility to take action. Such acceptance should subsequently be confirmed in writing.

3.2

Further enquiries

Where further enquiries are required, the agencies primarily involved with the child and family should then assess the needs and circumstances of the child and family, and agree action to safeguard and promote the welfare of the child in the longer term.

4. Children Subject to a Child Protection Plan

4.1

Actions to be taken in the child’s originating area

Where a child subject to a Child Protection Plan moves out of the home area, anyone who becomes aware of the plan to move or the move taking place, must inform the child’s Lead Social Worker or, if not available, the Designated Manager (Children with a Child Protection Plan) for the area where the child is.

The Lead Social Worker will:

Immediately inform the Children and Young People’s Services in the new area of the change in the child’s circumstances
Send the child’s relevant personal details to the new area including a copy of the most recent Child Protection Plan
Inform the ‘home’ Designated Manager (Children with a Child Protection Plan) and relevant Conference Chairperson of the changes
Inform the Core Group of the change in circumstances
Attend any Child Protection Conference to be held in the new area

The Designated Manager (Children with a Child Protection Plan) will:

Ensure that all information is updated and the correct address is displayed on the Record of Children subject to a Child Protection Plan.
Inform the new area’s Designated Manager (Children with a Child Protection Plan) of the current details and forward any relevant documentation such as copies of minutes of the Initial Child Protection Conference and the most recent Child Protection Review Conference
Inform the local Designated Nurse of the relevant information in order for the health agencies in the new area to be informed

Only when the new area has held a Transfer Child Protection Conference and a decision has been made whether or not the child is to become subject to a Child Protection Plan should the child’s details be removed from the Record of Children who have a Child Protection Plan in the original area

The date that the child’s name is removed from this Record in the original area will therefore be the date of the Transfer Child Protection Conference in the new area when the decision is made.

4.2

Actions to be taken in the child’s new area

At the point of notification, the Designated Manager (Children with a Child Protection Plan) or their nominated representative in the child’s new area will be expected to:

Place the child’s name, address and relevant known personal details on the Record of Children with a Child Protection Plan
Request information from the originating local authority, including copies of the Initial Child Protection Conference and the last Child Protection Review Conference minutes
Ensure that the relevant children’s social work team are informed of the details of the incoming child
Inform the Designated Nurse
Confirm the outcome of the Transfer Child Protection Conference with the originating local authority’s Designated Manager (Children with a Child Protection Plan) and ensure they receive a copy of the Conference Minutes for their records.

The relevant children’s social work team will:

Undertake enquiries to ensure that protective action is taken in order to safeguard the child in the new area until the Transfer Child Protection Conference has taken place
Make arrangements to hold a Transfer Child Protection Conference within 15 working days of the notification of the child moving in
Request representation from the originating local authority’s Children and Young People’s Services to attend the conference and that a report is prepared by them to ensure that up to date and accurate information is shared and discussed
Undertake an assessment to determine whether the child is likely to be at continuing risk of Significant Harm in the new area and work with the child and family to prepare for the Transfer Child Protection Conference

4.3

Temporary moves

A temporary move could cover a range of situations from holiday stays to short stay placement moves to relatives or residential units; the circumstances should always be checked with the child’s Lead Social Worker.

Where it is known that the child has moved out of the area for a temporary period, however long or short, the area where the child is temporarily residing must be provided with the relevant information and contact numbers as follows:

The Lead Social Worker must contact the Designated Manager (Children with a Child Protection Plan) and the children’s social work team where the child is temporarily resident, providing them with the relevant personal details and the last Child Protection Plan.
The ‘home’ Designated Manager (Children with a Child Protection Plan) must write to the Designated Manager (Children with a Child Protection Plan) in the area of the temporary residence and include any relevant information

The child ‘s name and details will remain on the Record of Children subject to Child Protection Plans in the permanent home area until the criteria for discontinuing the Child Protection Plan are met – see Section 7, Child Protection Review Conferences Procedure.