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7.8.2 Transfers from Vulnerable Children's Service and the Corporate Parenting Service

Contents

  1. Purpose
  2. Process for Transferring Children Looked After Under Section 20
  3. Process For Transferring Children Looked After Under Section 31 – Cases Requiring Immediate Proceedings
  4. Process for Transferring Children Under Section 31
  5. Children Subject to Emergency Protection Orders
  6. Cases Transferred From Corporate Parenting Service to Vulnerable Children’s Service
  7. Case Responsibility for Siblings With Different Care Plans
  8. Relinquished Children
  9. Final Orders Made to Walsall by Another Local Authority
  10. Issues in Dispute


1. Purpose

The purpose of this document is to clarify the agreed procedures for transfer of cases between the Vulnerable Children’s Service and the Corporate Parenting Service.

These procedures should be followed in all circumstances. 

These procedures cover children who are accommodated under Section 20 and those children subject to Section 31 Orders, Children Act 1989, relinquished children, siblings with differing care plans and those when responsibility for final orders are made to Walsall by other Local Authority’s


2. Process for Transferring Children Looked After Under Section 20

The Vulnerable Children’s Service will seek to avoid the accommodation of children where ever it is possible to do so.

Where it is necessary to accommodate a child, the Vulnerable Children’s Service will hold case responsibility until the 72 hour Post Placement Meeting.  At this meeting case responsibility will be transferred to the Corporate Parenting Service.

Prior to this meeting the Vulnerable Children’s Service will

  1. Begin/open the Placement Information Record (PIR);
  2. Establish contact arrangements for a four week period;
  3. Register and forward P E P paperwork by completing WSS901;
  4. Complete and forward WSS962 for Child’s Health Assessment;
  5. Introduce the Corporate Parenting Service to the child, parents and any significant adults, if they are not in attendance at the Post Placement Meeting. 

The Corporate Parenting Service duty Team Manager will be informed of the pending transfer at the point that it is known that child/young person will become accommodated.  The date of the meeting will be confirmed as soon as it is arranged. Details of the specific case will be available on P A R I S.

The day of the 72hour placement meeting, the Vulnerable Children’s Team Manager will complete the 1st Form Completion section of the PIR and also any comments about why the form is incomplete. The transfer sheet will be completed and passed to admin to transfer directly to Corporate Parenting.

The 72 hour Post Placement Meeting having been arranged by Family Placements, will be additionally attended by a worker from the Vulnerable Children’s Service and the Corporate Parenting Service.  Further information will be obtained to enable the PIR to be completed by Corporate Parenting who will then input on Paris and the Corporate Parenting Team manager will complete the 2nd Form Completion element.  During this meeting clear discussions are to be held and recorded about exit planning and timescales for reunification.

Corporate Parenting will record the 72hour post placement meeting case note, (indicating who attended the meeting etc) and when a copy of the Foster Carer Agreement form is received by Corporate Parting from Family Placements, they will attach within the case notes.

The Corporate Parenting Service will book the Initial Statutory Review following the Post Placement Meeting.

If the case has been within the VC S & FS for more than three months then the case will be transferred at the first Statutory Review.

Responsibility for the case will transfer from the Vulnerable Children’s Service to the Corporate Parenting Service at the Statutory Review Meeting however the Corporate Parenting Service will identify a worker for the case at the 72 hour Post Placement Meeting and a period of co-working will take place up until the first Statutory Review to allow introduction and familiarity to the case.  This should assist with the transition of the case and allow any assessments to be commenced immediately following the Statutory Review Meeting.

In such cases the Vulnerable Children’s Service will:

  1. Complete the PIR;
  2. Attend 72 hour Post Placement Meetings, record meeting case note and attach Foster Carer Agreement form within Paris;
  3. Book the statutory review and complete Review Part 1 Register, complete P E P paperwork and complete P E P.  There may be genuine reasons why this cannot occur prior to the first Review i.e due to school holidays, unavailability of school etc.  This should not delay the transfer of the case.  Where specific issues arise they should be resolved between the relevant Team Managers.  However in majority of cases P E P will be completed prior to the first Statutory Review;
  4. Book Health Assessments and complete paperwork.  Again in the majority of cases this will take place prior to the first Statutory Review. 

    However as above there may be genuine reasons why this cannot occur;
  5. Put into place contact arrangements and attend Family Support Panel as necessary to request funding and any assessment required;
  6. Ensure files are ready for transfer signed as seen and verified by Vulnerable Children Team Manager to audit standards and transfer case on P A R I S on the day of the Statutory Review;
  7. Throughout this period of involvement consideration and attempts will be made to returning the child home or placing with family members.

The Corporate Parenting Service will:

  1. Identify a worker to attend the 72 hour Post Placement Meeting;
  2. Allocate a worker from this meeting;
  3. Undertake joint visits with the Vulnerable Children’s Service to meet the child, foster carer, parents and any other relevant person;
  4. Will meet with the Vulnerable Children’s Service Social Worker and Team Manager where appropriate to discuss case and outstanding work and assessments;
  5. Attend Statutory Review Meeting and accept case responsibility following the meeting.  All tasks recommended at this meeting will be undertaken by the Corporate Parenting Service.


3. Process for Transferring Children Looked After Under Section 31 – Cases Requiring Immediate Proceedings

The Vulnerable Children’s Service will initiate any Court proceedings as appropriate as agreed at the legal planning meeting/discussion.

Case responsibility will transfer to Corporate Parenting Service at the Court Hearing for the application of Interim Care Order.

The Vulnerable Children’s Service will:

  1. Will email The Corporate Parenting Service admin team at the point that the decision is taken to instigate court proceedings.  As soon as a court date is known an email will be sent to the Corporate Parenting Team Manager, admin team and the duty social worker;
  2. Complete Chronology, Statement of Evidence and Initial Care Plan;
  3. Begin PIR.  Vulnerable Children will complete the 1st Form Completion  section of the PIR and any comments about why the form is incomplete.  The transfer sheet will be completed and passed to admin to transfer directly to Corporate Parenting;
  4. Attend Court;
  5. Place the child/young person in place of accommodation;
  6. Change child’s legal status;
  7. If requested and is appropriate will attend the first Statutory Review Meeting;
  8. Arrange contact for a four week period.  This will include attendance at the Family Support Panel to obtain permission for funding for contact and any required parenting assessments;
  9. Will ensure the child’s file is ready for transfer signed as seen by Vulnerable Children Team Manager to audit standards, and will transfer to Corporate Parenting Services on P A R I S following the initial Court Hearing;
  10. Will introduce Corporate Children Service Social Worker to the child and their family;
  11. Will attend meeting with Corporate Children Service Social Worker as required.

The Corporate Parenting Service will:

  1. Attend Interim Care Order Court Hearing;
  2. Assume case responsibility following the Court Hearing and take responsibility for any Court Directions;
  3. Will complete the 2nd Form Completion element of the PIR and arrange and attend the 72 post placement meeting;
  4. Book Statutory Review Meeting;
  5. Complete Statutory Review paperwork and attend Statutory Review;
  6. Register and undertake P E P;
  7. Arrange Health Assessment;
  8. Undertake Statutory visits.


4. Process for Transferring Children Under Section 31

PLANNED CASES – Vulnerable Children Service

Case responsibility will transfer to Corporate Parenting at the court hearing for the application of Interim Care Order.

In addition to points laid out above in Vulnerable Children's Service will:

  1. Attend Legal planning meeting;
  2. Issue a letter before proceedings;
  3. Organise and attend a pre proceedings meeting;
  4. Co ordinate a family group conference if required and undertake any feasibility assessments of family members or significant others;
  5. Co-ordinate any specific assessments identified at pre proceedings meeting;
  6. Undertake a Core Assessment;
  7. Initiate proceedings as required;
  8. Co-ordinate Local Authority Evidence as per checklist of documents;
  9. Attend first court hearing.

Corporate Parenting Service will undertake all tasks outlined in Section 3, Process For Transferring Children Looked After Under Section 31 – Cases Requiring Immediate Proceedings.


5. Children Subject to Emergency Protection Orders

Should a child be made subject to an Emergency Protection Order, the 72 hour placement meeting will have occurred prior to the Interim Care Order hearing/transfer.  In these circumstances Vulnerable Children will attend the meeting and complete the PIR

Vulnerable Children will undertake tasks outlined in Section 3, Process For Transferring Children Looked After Under Section 31 – Cases Requiring Immediate Proceedings.

The Vulnerable Children’s Service will email the Corporate Parenting Service duty Team Manager within 24 hours at the making of the EPO and the intention to instigate care proceedings

In such situations case responsibility will still transfer to the Corporate Parenting Service at the first Court Hearing for Interim Care Order

The Corporate Parenting Service will book the Statutory Review upon notification of the EPO and the intention to instigate proceedings.

Corporate Parenting will undertake tasks outlined in Section 3, Process For Transferring Children Looked After Under Section 31 – Cases Requiring Immediate Proceedings.


6. Cases Transferred from Corporate Parenting Service to Vulnerable Children’s Service

When a child ceases to be Looked After and is subject to a Child’s Plan the case will be transferred to the Vulnerable Children’s Service following completion of a Core Assessment and at the first Review Meeting of this Plan.

The Corporate Parenting Service will: 

  1. Ensure that a Core Assessment has been undertaken;
  2. At the point of arranging the Review Meeting, the Duty Team Manager from Vulnerable Children’s Service for that week is to be notified of the date and time of the meeting;
  3. Forward a copy of the child’s Plan to the appropriate Team Manager at the earliest opportunity;
  4. Will attend Family Support Panel where appropriate to ensure all services are ratified and agreed;
  5. Will arrange the Review of the Plan Meeting;
  6. Will attend, Chair and minute the meeting as appropriate;
  7. Will ensure files are up to date, signed as seen by Corporate Parenting Team Manager to audit standards, and will transfer on P A R I S.

Vulnerable Children’s Service will:

  1. Attend the Child Plan Review Meeting;
  2. Will assume case responsibility following this meeting.


7. Case Responsibility for Siblings With Different Care Plans

There will be no transfer of the above cases regardless of whether they either fit the LAC criteria or CP/Child’s Plan criteria until either all siblings have the same plan or there is an agreed permanency plan for the looked after child.


8. Relinquished Children

Should an unknown child come to the attention of Vulnerable Children Services a joint visit will be undertaken with them and the Adoption Team. VC will complete an IA.

  1. If continued support services are required or further assessments needed, the case will transfer to S&FS;
  2. If the plan remains for the child to be relinquished, case responsibility will transfer to Corporate Parenting on completion of the IA;
  3. Case will be signed as seen and to an audit standard.


9. Final Orders Made to Walsall by Another Local Authority

When care proceedings are being ‘run’ by another Local Authority and Vulnerable Children are informed that the family have moved into Walsall, the Corporate Parenting Team manager will be notified and the case will be transferred directly to Corporate Parenting when negotiations will take place regarding the components of the final Care Plan.


10. Issues in Dispute

If a dispute arises in respect of a specific case, then the case should still be transferred at the appropriate transfer point.  Where issues cannot be resolved between the relevant Team Managers then they should be brought to the attention of the relevant Operations Manager.  On no occasion should a Team Manager refuse to accept a case if that case has met a transfer point.  If there is a disagreement between Team Managers within the same service then the case should still be accepted and the issues resolved internally involving the Operations manager as required.

If concerns are identified during the course of the transfer process regarding a specific case, then there concerns should be discussed between the respective Team Managers.  If the matter cannot be resolved or if the concerns relate to on-going issues regarding the transfer of cases then the matter should be brought to the attention of the appropriate Operations Manager.  However during the period of consultation there should be no delay in the transfer of the case.  All cases are to be transferred/accepted at the appropriate transfer point. 

End