Halton Children's Services Online Procedures

Policies and Procedures

1. All Children

CAPTION: All children

1.1	Policies, Values and Principles
1.1.1	Children's Services Policies, Values and Principles
1.1.2	Children's Consultation and Participation
1.1.3	Equality and Diversity
1.1.4	Capacity and Consent
	See also: Early Intervention: Policy and Provision (House of Commons Library)
1.2	Early Help and Thresholds for Children's Social Care Services
1.2.2	Halton MAP Guidance
1.2.2	Halton Levels of Need Framework
1.2.3	Step Up / Step Down Protocol (Halton Children and Young People Safeguarding Partnership)
1.2.4	Everyone Early Help Strategy 2018 - 2021 - under review
1.3	Children's Social Care - Assessment and Planning
1.3.1	Contacts and Referrals
1.3.2	Assessments
1.3.3	Child Protection Enquiries (Section 47)
	See also: Pan Cheshire Safeguarding Children Procedures
1.3.4	Transfer of Cases between Teams
1.3.5	North West Notification and Transfer of Children Subject to Child Protection Plans Across Local Authority Boundaries Procedure
1.4	Child in Need
1.4.1	Child in Need Plans and Reviews
1.4.2	North West Children in Need Moving Across Local Authority Boundaries Procedure
1.5	Legal Proceedings
1.5.1	Applications for Emergency Protection Orders
1.5.2	Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline	Updated
1.5.3	Legal Planning Meetings
1.5.4	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 (DfE)
	and Family Justice Resource Hub (ADCS) - This hosts a series of practical resources, such as templates, tools and practice guidance, which will be of interest to those working in the family justice system.
1.5.5	North West Pre-Care and Care Proceedings Notification and Transfer Across Local Authority Boundaries Procedure
1.6	Complaints and Whistleblowing
1.6.1	Complaints and Representations
1.6.2	Halton Borough Council Whistleblowing Policy
1.7	Notifications
1.7.1	Death of or Serious Injury to a Child (Child in Care and Child in Need)
1.8	Staffing
1.8.1	North West Protocol for Standards in Supervision of Children and Families Social Workers
	See also: Local Resources and Documents

2. Case Management and Recording

CAPTION: Case management

2.1	Recording Policy and Guidelines
2.2	Case Records and Retention
2.3	Access to Records / Subject Access Requests
2.4	Confidentiality Policy
2.5	Electronic Recording of Meetings and Conversations
2.6	Use of Social Media Sites by Social Care and Safeguarding Staff
2.7	Storage of Data on Mobile Devices

3. Children in Particular Circumstances

CAPTION: Children in Particular

3.1	Children with Disabilities
3.1.1	Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
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
3.2	Deprivation of Liberty and Mental Capacity
3.2.1	Deprivation of Liberty
3.2.2	Mental Capacity
3.3	Children from Abroad
3.3.1	Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Trafficking and Modern Slavery	Updated
3.3.2	Families with No Recourse to Public Funds	Updated
3.4	Homelessness
3.4.1	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
3.5	Family and Friends Care
3.5.1	Halton Borough Council Family and Friends Care Policy
3.5.2	Private Fostering
3.6	Young Carers
3.6.1	Young Carers
3.7	Relinquished Children
3.7.1	Relinquished Children
3.8	Mental Health
3.8.1	Aftercare under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983	Updated

4. Children in Care

CAPTION: Children in Care

	See also: Halton Strategy for Children in Care and Care Leavers
4.1	Decision to Look After and Care Planning
4.1.1	Placement Sufficiency Strategy: Children in Care and Care Leavers
4.1.2	Decision to Look After
4.1.3	Care Planning
4.1.4	Ceasing to Care for a Child
4.1.5	Permanence Planning Guidance
	See also: Fostering for Adoption / Early Permanence Placements
4.1.6	Placement Planning and Disruption Meetings
4.1.7	Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority Claims for Children in Care
	See also: NICE Guideline: Looked After Children and Young People
4.2	Placements
4.2.1	Placements with Parents
4.2.2	Placements with Connected Persons
4.2.3	Placements in Foster Care
4.2.4	Placements in Residential Care	Updated
4.2.5	Placements in Secure Accommodation on Welfare Grounds	Updated
4.2.6	Out of Borough Placements
4.2.7	Placements Outside England and Wales
4.2.8	Placements in Other Arrangements	Updated
4.2.9	Remands to Local Authority Accommodation or to Youth Detention Accommodation
4.2.10	Notifications from Other Local Authorities/Placement Providers
4.2.11	Delegation of Authority to Foster Carers and Residential Workers
	See also: Children and Young People in Care who are in Contact with Youth Justice Services
4.3	Monitoring and Reviews
4.3.1	Social Worker Visits to Children in Care	Updated
4.3.2	Advocacy and Independent Visitors
4.3.3	Children in Care Reviews
4.3.4	Appointment and Role of Independent Reviewing Managers
4.3.5	Secure Accommodation (Criteria) Reviews
4.3.6	Notifications of Significant Events
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)
4.4.3	Risk Assessment and Planning
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 Achievement 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 and Restraint
4.6.5	Providing Personalised Care
4.6.6	Health and Safety Policy and Guidance for Foster Carers
	See also: Promoting Wellbeing and Positive Identity for a Child or Young Person Who is Looked After: A Quick Guide for Social Workers and Social Care Practitioners (SCIE)
4.7	Change of Name and Marriage
4.7.1	Change of Name of a Child in Care
4.7.2	Marriage/Civil Partnership of a Child in Care
4.8	Leaving Care and Transition
	See also: Charter for Care Leavers
4.8.1	Leaving Care and Transition	Updated
4.8.2	Staying Put
4.8.3	Financial Policy for Young People Leaving Care
	See also: Responsibilities of the Local Authority to Former Children in Care who are in Custody
4.9	Youth Justice
4.9.1	Children and Young People in Care who are in Contact with Youth Justice Services
4.9.2	Responsibilities of the Local Authority to Former Children in Care who are in Custody
4.9.3	Children Involved in the Youth Justice System: Additional National Guidance

5. Fostering and Adoption

CAPTION: Foster and Adopt

5.1	Fostering Services
5.1.1	Fostering 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
	See also: Fostering for Adoption / Early Permanence Placements
5.1.8	Whistleblowing (Confidential Reporting; Fostering Service)
5.2	Adoption and Permanence Services
	See also: Together for Adoption - Regional Adoption Agency Procedures
5.2.1	Together for Adoption - Statement of Purpose
5.2.2	Recruitment, Assessment and Approvals of Prospective Adopters
5.2.3	Adoption Panel
5.2.4	Placement for Adoption
5.2.5	Adoption Support
5.2.6	Monitoring and Supervision of Adoptive Placements
5.2.7	Adoption Reviews
5.2.8	Disruption of Adoptive Placements
5.2.9	Allegations Against Prospective Adopters and in Relation to Children Placed for Adoption or Already Adopted
5.2.10	Inter Country Adoption
5.2.11	Non Agency Adoption
5.2.12	Adoption Case Records
5.2.13	Access to Birth Records and Adoption Case Records
5.2.14	Intermediary Services
5.2.15	Life Story Books Guidance
5.2.16	Later Life Letters
5.2.17	Fostering for Adoption / Early Permanence Placements	Updated
	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 Adoption/Special Guardianship Guidance

6. Contacts, List of Agency Decision Makers and Appendices

CAPTION: Contacts and appendices

6.1	List of Agency Decision Makers, Designated Managers and Nominated Officers
6.2	Working Together to Safeguard Children (DfE, Statutory Guidance)
6.3	Ofsted Inspection Framework	New
6.4	Amendments