Contents

1. All Children

Caption: ection 1 of contents

1.1	Policy, Values and Principles
1.1.1	Sandwell Children's Trust Policies, Values and Principles
1.1.2	Children's Consultation and Participation
1.1.3	Equality and Diversity
1.2	Targeted Services and Thresholds for Sandwell Children's Trust
1.2.1	Early Help
1.2.2	Strengthening Families Service
1.2.3	Multi-Agency Thresholds Document
1.2.4	Capacity and Consent
1.3	Children's Trust - Assessment and Planning
1.3.1	Contacts and Referrals
1.3.2	Assessments
1.3.3	Child Protection Enquiries (Section 47)
	See also: Regional Child Protection Procedures
1.3.4	Guidance for Children Missing from Home or Care
1.3.5	Child Sexual Exploitation
1.3.6	Lone Working
1.4	Child in Need
1.4.1	Child in Need Plans and Reviews
1.4.2	Aftercare under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983	Updated
1.5	Complaints and Whistleblowing
1.5.1	Complaints and Representations
1.5.2	Whistleblowing
1.6	Notifications
1.6.1	Death or Serious Injury to a Child (Looked After, Child in Need or Care Leaver Up to and Including the Age of 24)	Updated

2. Children in Particular Circumstances

Caption: section 2 of contents

2.1	Children with Disabilities and Complex Health Needs
2.1.1	Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities	Updated
2.1.2	Direct Payments
2.1.3	Short Breaks
2.1.4	Placing and Visiting Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities or Health Conditions in Long-Term Residential Settings
2.2	Deprivation of Liberty and Mental Capacity
2.2.1	Deprivation of Liberty
2.2.2	Mental Capacity
2.3	Children from Abroad
2.3.1	Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Trafficking and Modern Slavery
2.3.2	Families with No Recourse to Public Funds
2.4	Homelessness
2.4.1	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
2.5	Family and Friends Care
2.5.1	Family and Friends Care	Updated
2.5.2	Private Fostering
2.6	Young Carers
2.6.1	Young Carers	Updated

3. Court Proceedings and Legal Planning

Caption: section 3 of contents

3.1	Applications for Emergency Protection Orders
3.2	Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline
3.3	Public Law Outline Documentation
3.4	Legal Gateway/Planning Meetings
3.5	Applications for Special Guardianship Orders
3.6	Court Reports in Placement Order Applications and Adoption/Special Guardianship Guidance
3.7	Family Justice Resource Hub (ADCS)
	Disclosure of information between family and criminal agencies and jurisdictions: 2024 protocol	Updated
	See also: Cross-border Child Protection Cases: The 1996 Hague Convention

4. Looked After Children

Caption: section 4 of contents

4.1	Decision to Look After and Care Planning
4.1.1	Local Authority's Sufficiency Duty - Accommodation for Looked After Children
4.1.2	Decision to Look After
4.1.3	Care Planning
4.1.4	Ceasing to Look After a Child
4.1.5	Permanence Planning Guidance
	See also: Early Permanence: Fostering for Adoption, Concurrent Planning and Temporary Approval as Foster Carers of Approved Prospective Adopters
4.1.6	Placement Planning and Disruption Meetings
4.1.7	Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority Claims for Looked After Children
4.1.8	Risk Assessment and Planning
4.1.9	Providing Personalised Care
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 Area Placements
4.2.7	Placements Outside England and Wales
4.2.8	Placements in Other Arrangements
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
4.2.12	Health and Safety	Updated
	See also: Looked After Children and Young People in Contact with Youth Justice Services
4.3	Monitoring and Reviews
4.3.1	Social Worker Visits to Looked After Children
4.3.2	Advocacy and Independent Visitors
4.3.3	Looked After Reviews
4.3.4	Appointment and Role of Independent Reviewing Officers
4.3.5	Secure Accommodation (Criteria) Reviews
4.3.6	Notifications of Significant Events	Updated
4.4	Contact and Overnight Stays
	See also: Delegation of Authority to Foster Carers and Residential Workers
4.4.1	Family Time with Parents/Adults and Siblings
4.4.2	Social Visits (Including Overnight Stays)
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
4.7	Change of Name and Marriage
4.7.1	Change of Name of a Looked After Child
4.7.2	Marriage/Civil Partnership of a Looked After Child
4.8	Leaving Care and Transition
4.8.1	Leaving Care and Transition
4.8.2	Staying Put
	See also: Responsibilities of the Local Authority to Former Looked After Children and Young People in Custody and YJB and Probation Joint National Protocol for Transitions in England
4.9	Children Involved in the Youth Justice System
4.9.1	Looked After Children and Young People in Contact with Youth Justice Services
4.9.2	Responsibilities of the Local Authority to Former Looked After Children and Young People in Custody
	See also: Remands to Local Authority Accommodation or to Youth Detention Accommodation
	Children Involved in the Youth Justice System Additional National Guidance

5. Sandwell Children's Trust - Fostering

Caption: section 5 of contents

	See also: Sandwell Children's Trust Foster Carer Handbook
5.1	Fostering Panel
5.2	Persons Disqualified from Fostering
5.3	Assessment and Approvals of Foster Carers
5.4	Exemptions and Extensions/Variations to Foster Carer Approval
5.5	Supervision and Support of Foster Carers
5.6	Review and Termination of Approval of Foster Carers
5.7	Allegations Against Foster Carers
5.8	Training and Development of Foster Carers
	See also: Early Permanence: Fostering for Adoption, Concurrent Planning and Temporary Approval as Foster Carers of Approved Prospective Adopters

6. Sandwell Children's Trust - Adoption

Caption:section 6 of contents

	See also: Adoption at Heart Website - the Regional Adoption Agency (RAA) for Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall.
6.1	Recruitment, Assessment and Approvals of Prospective Adopters
6.2	Adoption Panel
6.3	Placement for Adoption
6.4	Relinquished Children
6.5	Adoption Support
6.6	Monitoring and Supervision of Adoptive Placements
6.7	Adoption Reviews
6.8	Disruption of Adoptive Placements
6.9	Allegations Against Prospective Adopters and in Relation to Children Placed for Adoption or Already Adopted
6.10	Inter Country Adoption
6.11	Non Agency Adoption
6.12	Adoption Case Records
6.13	Access to Birth Records and Adoption Case Records
6.14	Intermediary Services
6.15	Life Story Books Guidance
6.16	Later Life Letters
6.17	Early Permanence: Fostering for Adoption, Concurrent Planning and Temporary Approval as Foster Carers of Approved Prospective Adopters

7. Case Management and Recording

Caption: section 7 of contents

7.1	Recording Policy and Guidelines
7.2	Case Records and Retention
7.3	Access to Records / Subject Access Requests
7.4	Confidentiality Policy
7.5	Use of Social Media Sites by Social Care and Safeguarding Staff
7.6	Storage of Data on Mobile Devices
7.7	Parents Recording Social Workers - Guidance for Social Workers

8. Contacts, List of Agency Decision Makers and Appendices

Caption: section 8 contents

8.1	Local Contacts
8.2	List of Agency Decision Makers, Designated Managers and Nominated Officers
8.3	Working Together to Safeguard Children
8.4	Ofsted Inspection Framework
8.5	Amendments