Logo Alt Text will go here

Shropshire Children's Services Procedures Manual

Contents

 

Children's Services Policies, Values and Principles

Quick Links:

This contents list is sub divided into the following sections, each Section contains relevant Chapters/Procedures: (Click on the title to jump to the Section you require):

  1. All Children
  2. Case Management and Recording
  3. Children in Particular Circumstances
  4. Looked After Children
  5. Fostering and Adoption
  6. Contacts, List of Agency Decision Makers and Appendices

1. All Children

Caption: All Children
     

1.1

Early Help and Thresholds for Children's Social Care Services

1.1.1 Early Help  
1.1.2 Threshold Document  
1.1.3 Step Down Guidance  
1.1.4 Capacity and Consent Updated
1.1.5 Regional Child Protection Procedures for West Midlands  


 

1.2

Children's Social Care - Assessment and Planning

 
1.2.1 Contacts and Referrals  
1.2.2 Assessment  
1.2.3 Pre-Birth Assessment  
1.2.4 Shropshire Risk Assessment Framework  
1.2.5 Child Protection Enquiries  
1.2.6 Children's Social Work and Safeguarding Case Management and Transfer Protocol  
1.2.7 What is a Child's Chronology?  
1.2.8 Equality and Diversity  


 

1.3

Child in Need

 
1.3.1 Child in Need Plans and Reviews  
1.3.2 Aftercare under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983  


 

1.4

Legal Proceedings

 
1.4.1 Applications for Emergency Protection Orders  
1.4.2 Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline Updated
1.4.3 Gateway/Legal Planning Meetings  
1.4.4 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

Complaints and Whistleblowing

 
1.5.1 Complaints and Representations  
1.5.2 Whistleblowing Policy  


 

1.6

Notifications

 
1.6.1 Suspicious Death or Serious Injury to a Child (Looked After and Child in Need) in Addition to the Regional CP Procedures  

2. Case Management and Recording

Caption: Case Management and Recording
     
2.1 Recording Policy and Guidelines  
2.2 Case Records and Retention  
2.3 Access to Records Subject to Access Request  
2.4 Confidentiality Policy  
2.5 Electronic Recording of Meetings  
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 Circumstances
     

3.1

Children with Disabilities

3.1.1 Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Updated
3.1.2 Disabled Children Team Case Work Responsibilities Procedure  
3.1.3 Direct Payments  
3.1.4 Short Breaks  
3.1.5 Placing and Visiting Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities or Health Conditions in Long-Term Residential Settings  


 

3.2

Children from Abroad

 
3.2.1 Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Trafficking and Modern Slavery Updated
3.2.2 Families with No Recourse to Public Funds  


 

3.3

Homelessness

 
3.3.1 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  


 

3.4

Family and Friends Care

 
3.4.1 Family and Friends Care  
3.4.2 Private Fostering  


 

3.5

Young Carers

 
3.5.1 Young Carers  


 

3.6

Relinquished Children

 
3.6.1 Relinquished Children  


 

3.7

Deprivations of Liberty and Mental Capacity

 
3.7.1 Deprivations of Liberty  
3.7.2 Mental Capacity  

4. Looked After Children

Caption: Looked After Children
     
  See: Shropshire Looked After Children Website

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 Updated
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 Adopterss  
4.1.6 Placement Planning and Disruption Meetings  
4.1.7 Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority Claims for Looked After Children  
4.1.8 Junior Individual Saving Accounts for Looked After Children  
4.1.9 Risk Assessment and Planning  
4.1.10 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  
4.2.5 Placements in Secure Accommodation on Welfare Grounds  
4.2.6 Out of Area 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 Updated
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  


 

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 of the UK  
4.5.3 Leisure Activities  


 

4.6

Health and Wellbeing

 
4.6.1 Health Care Assessments and Plans Updated
4.6.2 Personal Care and Relationships  
4.6.3 Behaviour Management Plans  
4.6.4 Physical Intervention  
4.6.5 Searching Children and their Belongings  


 

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 Updated
4.8.2 Staying Put  
  See also: Responsibilities of the Local Authority to Former Looked After Children and Young People in Custody  


 

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  
4.9.3 Children Involved in the Youth Justice System Additional National Guidance  
  See also: Remands to Local Authority Accommodation or to Youth Detention Accommodation  

5. Fostering and Adoption

Caption: Fostering and Adoption
     

5.1

Fostering Services

  See also: Shropshire Fostering Website  
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 Updated
5.1.8 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  


 

5.2

Adoption and Permanence Services

 
  See also: Together4Children Regional Adoption Agency Website which is the Regional Adoption Agency for Shropshire.  
  All T4C policies can be found here.  
  All Forms required by practitioners without access to T4C SharePoint can be found here.  
5.2.1 Recruitment, Assessment and Approvals of Prospective Adopters  
5.2.2 Adoption Panel  
5.2.3 Placement for Adoption  
5.2.4 Adoption Support  
5.2.5 Monitoring and Supervision of Adoptive Placements  
5.2.6 Adoption Reviews  
5.2.7 Disruption of Adoptive Placements  
5.2.8 Allegations Against Prospective Adopters and in Relation to Children Placed for Adoption or Already Adopted Updated
5.2.9 Inter Country Adoption  
5.2.10 Non Agency Adoption  
5.2.11 Adoption Case Records  
5.2.12 Access to Birth Records and Adoption Case Records  
5.2.13 Intermediary Services  
5.2.14 Life Story Books Guidance  
5.2.15 Later Life Letters  
5.2.16 Early Permanence: Fostering for Adoption, Concurrent Planning and Temporary Approval as Foster Carers of Approved Prospective Adopters Updated


 

5.3

Special Guardianship

 
5.3.1 Applications for Special Guardianship Orders  
5.3.2 Court Reports in Adoption/Special Guardianship Guidance  


 

5.4

Children's Consultation and Participation

 
5.4.1 Children's Consultation and Participation  

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 Shropshire Social Work Learning Resource  
6.3 Working Together to Safeguard Children  
6.4 Ofsted Inspection Framework New
6.5 Amendments