Procedures

1. All Children

Caption: section 1 of contents

1.1	Core Documents
1.1.1	Children's Services Policies, Values and Principles
1.1.2	Equality and Diversity
1.2	Case Management and Recording
1.2.1	Recording Policy and Guidelines
1.2.2	Case Records and Retention
1.2.3	Access to Records/Subject Access Requests
1.2.4	Confidentiality Policy
1.2.5	Electronic Recording of Meetings and Conversations
1.2.6	Use of Social Media Sites by Social Care and Safeguarding Staff
1.2.7	Storage of Data on Mobile Devices
1.3	Complaints and Whistleblowing
1.3.1	Complaints and Representations
1.3.2	Social Care Staff: Confidential Reporting Policy (Whistleblowing)
1.4	Child Voice
1.4.1	Children's Consultation and Participation
1.4.2	Direct Work Tools/Guidance
1.4.3	Life Story Books Guidance

2. Early Help/Contact and Referrals

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2.1	Contacts and Referrals
2.2	Integrated Prevention and Earliest Help (IPEH) Services
2.3	West Sussex Threshold Guidance and Continuum of Need

3. Assessment and Planning

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3.1	Assessments
3.2	Capacity and Consent	Updated
3.3	Family Network Meetings

4. Child in Need

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4.1	Child in Need Plans
4.2	Aftercare under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983
4.3	Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Trafficking and Modern Slavery	Updated
4.4	Families with No Recourse to Public Funds
4.5	Relinquished Children
4.6	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
4.7	Young Carers
4.8	Death or Serious Injury to a Child (Looked After and Child In Need)

5. Child Protection

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5.1	Child Protection Enquiries (Section 47)
5.2	Children Who Go Missing/At Risk of Exploitation
5.3	Pan Sussex Child Protection and Safeguarding Procedures
5.4	West Sussex SCP Guidance

6. Pre Proceedings and Court Work

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6.1	Applications for Emergency Protection Orders
6.2	Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline	Updated
6.3	Legal Gateway/Planning Meetings
6.4	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: Family Justice Resource Hub (ADCS); Cross-border Child Protection Cases: The 1996 Hague Convention.

7. Children Looked After

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7.1	Decision to Look After and Care Planning
7.1.1	Local Authority's Sufficiency Duty - Accommodation for Children Looked After
7.1.2	Decision to Look After	Updated
7.1.3	Care Planning
7.1.4	Ceasing to Look After a Child
7.1.5	Permanence Planning Guidance
	See also: Early Permanence: Fostering for Adoption, Concurrent Planning and Temporary Approval as Foster Carers of Approved Prospective Adopters
7.1.6	Placement Planning and Disruption Meetings
7.1.7	Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority Claims for Children Looked After
7.1.8	Risk Assessment and Planning
7.1.9	Providing Personalised Care
7.2	Placements
7.2.1	Placements with Parents
7.2.2	Placements with Connected Persons
7.2.3	Placements in Foster Care
7.2.4	Placements in Residential Care
7.2.5	Placements in Secure Accommodation on Welfare Grounds
7.2.6	Out of Area Placements
7.2.7	Placements Outside England and Wales
7.2.8	Placements in Other Arrangements
7.2.9	Health and Safety	Updated
7.2.10	Remands to Local Authority Accommodation or to Youth Detention Accommodation	Updated
7.2.11	Notifications from Other Local Authorities/Placement Providers
7.2.12	Delegation of Authority to Foster Carers and Residential Workers
	See also: Children Looked After and Young People in Contact with Youth Justice Services
7.3	Monitoring and Reviews
7.3.1	Social Worker Visits to Children Looked After
7.3.2	Advocacy and Independent Visitors
7.3.3	Looked After Reviews
7.3.4	Appointment and Role of Independent Reviewing Officers
7.3.5	Secure Accommodation (Criteria) Reviews
7.3.6	Notifications of Significant Events
7.3.7	Quality Assurance
7.4	Contact and Overnight Stays
	See also: Delegation of Authority to Foster Carers and Residential Workers
7.4.1	Contact with Parents/Adults and Siblings
7.4.2	Social Visits (Including Overnight Stays)
7.5	Education, School Trips and Holidays
	See also: Delegation of Authority to Foster Carers and Residential Workers
7.5.1	Supporting the Education and Promoting the Achievement of Children with a Social Worker, Looked After and Previously Looked After Children	Updated
7.5.2	Holidays and School Trips In and Outside the UK
7.5.3	Leisure Activities
7.6	Health and Wellbeing
7.6.1	Health Care Assessments and Plans	Updated
7.6.2	Personal Care and Relationships
7.6.3	Positive Relationships and Behaviour Management
7.6.4	Restrictive Physical Intervention and Restraint
7.7	Change of Name and Marriage
7.7.1	Change of Name of a Child Looked After
7.7.2	Marriage/Civil Partnership of a Child Looked After

8. Children Involved in the Youth Justice System

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	See also: Children Involved in the Youth Justice System Additional National Guidance
8.1	Children Looked After and Young People in Contact with Youth Justice Services
8.2	Responsibilities of the Local Authority to Former Children Looked After and Young People in Custody
	See also: Remands to Local Authority Accommodation or to Youth Detention Accommodation

9. Children with Disabilities

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9.1	Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities	Updated
9.2	Direct Payments
9.3	Short Breaks
9.4	Placing and Visiting Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities or Health Conditions in Long-Term Residential Settings	Updated
9.5	Mental Capacity
9.6	Deprivation of Liberty

10. Kinship and Connected Carers

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10.1	Family and Friends Care Policy, Procedures and Guidance
10.2	Private Fostering
10.3	Applications for Special Guardianship Orders
10.4	Court Reports in Placement Order Applications and Adoption/Special Guardianship Guidance

11. Fostering

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	See also: WSCC Adoption and Fostering Website
11.1	Fostering Panel
11.2	Persons Disqualified from Fostering
11.3	Assessment and Approvals of Foster Carers
11.4	Exemptions and Extensions/Variations to Foster Carer Approval
11.5	Supervision and Support of Foster Carers
11.6	Review and Termination of Approval of Foster Carers
11.7	Allegations Against Foster Carers	Updated
11.8	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

12. Adoption

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	See also: South East Adoption
12.1	Recruitment, Assessment and Approvals of Prospective Adopters
12.2	Adoption Panel
12.3	Placement for Adoption
12.4	Adoption Support
12.5	Monitoring and Supervision of Adoptive Placements
12.6	Adoption Reviews
12.7	Disruption of Adoptive Placements
12.8	Allegations Against Prospective Adopters and in Relation to Children Placed for Adoption or Already Adopted	Updated
12.9	Inter Country Adoption
12.10	Non Agency Adoption
12.11	Adoption Case Records
12.12	Access to Birth Records and Adoption Case Records
12.13	Intermediary Services
12.14	Later Life Letters
12.15	Early Permanence: Fostering for Adoption, Concurrent Planning and Temporary Approval as Foster Carers of Approved Prospective Adopters	Updated

13. Preparation for Adulthood and Leaving Care

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13.1	Leaving Care and Transition	Updated
13.2	Staying Put
	See also: Responsibilities of the Local Authority to Former Children Looked After and Young People in Custody

14. Contacts, List of Agency Decision Makers and Appendices

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14.1	Scheme of Delegated Decision Making
14.2	List of Agency Decision Makers, Designated Managers and Nominated Officers
14.3	Social Work Learning Resources
14.4	West Sussex Safeguarding Adults Board (WSSAB)
14.5	Working Together to Safeguard Children
1.4.6	Ofsted Inspection Framework	New
14.7	Supervision Policy
14.8	Amendments