Placement Plan

All Looked After children are required to have a Placement Plan*, which forms part of their overarching Care Plan, and sets out why the placement was chosen and how the placement will contribute to meeting the child's needs. It sets out how on a day-to-day basis the child will be cared for and his/her welfare safeguarded and promoted, and the arrangements for matters such as contact, medical care, education/training, as well as details of the Social Worker, Independent Reviewing Officer and Independent Visitor if one is appointed. There are additional requirements as to information to be included depending on where the child is placed. The local authority responsible for making the placement is responsible for providing the Placement Plan - this is set out in the Care Planning, Placement and Review (England) Regulations 2010, which became effective from 1 April 2011.

*Currently, this Placement Plan is recorded on the Integrated Children's System (ICS) using the Placement Information Record.

Children placed in children's homes, foster care or other Looked After placements are likely to have separate 'internal' plans or agreements, prepared by the care providers to supplement the Placing Authority's Placement Plan; this document is also sometimes referred to as a Placement Plan, but should not be seen as the document which meets the statutory responsibilities of the Placing Authority as set out in the paragraph above.