Contents

1. Professional Standards and Supervision

1.1	Children's Services Values and Principles
1.2	Social Work England Professional Standards
1.3	Supervision and Management Oversight Guidance
1.4	Management Decision Records Guidance
1.5	Case Recording
1.6	Case Records for Looked After Children
1.7	Consents, Confidentiality and Information Sharing
1.8	Use of Social Media Sites by Social Care and Safeguarding Staff
1.9	Equality and Diversity	New

2. Referral, Assessment and Family Safeguarding

2.1	Referral, Assessment and Planning
2.1.1	Thresholds Guidance
2.1.2	MASH Operating Framework
2.1.3	Contacts and Referrals
2.1.4	Section 47 Enquiries
2.1.5	Assessment
2.1.6	Family Safeguarding
2.1.7	Disclosure Protocol for Investigating Child Abuse Cases
2.1.8	Written Agreements – Child in Need and Child Protection
2.1.9	Guidance to Statutory Visits
2.1.10	Step Up Step Down Practice Guidance
	Children in Need and Safeguarding Guidance
2.1.10	Inter-Authority Protocol for Children in Need
2.1.11	Emergency Duty Team
2.2	Exploitation
2.2.1	Child Sexual Exploitation
2.2.2	E-Safety Children Exposed to Abuse through Digital Media
2.2.3	Children and Young People Missing from Home or Care - Guidance for Social Work Staff
2.2.4	Exploitation Transition Protocol
2.2.5	West Midlands Region - Core Standards in Placements for the Management of Young Runaways
2.2.7	Protocol for Children and Young People Missing from Home and Care

3. Court Proceedings

3.1	Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline	Updated
3.2	Legal Gateway/Planning Meetings
3.3	Pre-Proceedings Meetings
	See also: 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.

4. Looked After Children

4.1	Looked After Children: General
4.1.1	Decision to Look After a Child
4.1.2	Care Planning and Permanence Procedures
4.1.3	Permanence Overarching Strategy
4.1.4	Section 20 Guidance
4.1.5	Friends and Family Care
4.1.6	Fostering for Adoption, Concurrent Planning and Temporary Approval as Foster Carers of Approved Prospective Adopters
4.1.7	Relinquished Babies Guidance
4.1.8	Placements in the Looked After Service
4.1.9	Care Plan
4.1.10	Independent Reviewing Officers
4.1.11	Practice Standards for Child Protection Conference Chairs and Independent Reviewing Officers
4.1.12	Education for Looked After and Previously Looked After Children
4.1.13	Personal Education Plan (PEP) Handbook
4.1.14	Health Care Assessments and Health Plans
4.1.15	Advocacy and Independent Visitors
	See also: NICE Guideline: Looked After Children and Young People
4.2	Placements of Looked After Children
4.2.1	Placements in Looked After Services (Children's Homes, Foster Care and Commissioned Placements)
	See also: West Midlands Region - Core Standards in Placements for the Management of Young Runaways
4.2.2	Placement with Parents
4.2.3	Placements with Connected Persons
4.2.4	Placements outside England and Wales
4.2.5	Out of Area Placements
4.2.6	Placements in Secure Accommodation on Welfare Grounds	Updated
4.2.7	Placements in Other Arrangements
4.2.8	Ceasing to Look After a Child	Updated
4.2.9	Risk Assessment and Planning	New
4.2.10	Providing Personalised Care	New
4.2.11	Health and Safety	New
4.3	Meetings and Reviews
4.3.1	Placement Planning Meetings
4.3.2	Looked After Reviews
4.3.3	Disrupted Placements
4.3.4	Secure Accommodation (Criteria Reviews)
4.3.5	Secure Accommodation Reviews Guidance
4.4	Miscellaneous Looked After Procedures
4.4.1	Change of Name of a Looked After Child
4.4.2	Marriage of a Looked After Child
4.4.3	Family Contact Policy and Procedures
4.4.4	Delegated Authority Guidance
4.4.5	Pocket Money and Savings for Looked After Children
4.4.6	Junior Individual Saving Accounts for Looked-After Children
4.4.7	Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority Claims for Looked After Children
4.4.8	Leisure Activities	New
4.5	Transition and Leaving Care
4.5.1	Transition and Leaving Care	Updated
4.5.2	Staying Put (Foster Care) Policy
	See also: Responsibilities of the Local Authority to Former Looked After Children and Young People in Custody

5. Fostering Services, Adoption and Permanence

5.1	Fostering Services
	Walsall Fostering Website
5.1.1	Fostering Panel
5.1.2	Recruitment, Assessment and Approval of Foster Carers
5.1.3	Foster/Substitute Carer Recruitment
5.1.4	Permanent/Temporary Foster Carers and Short Term Break Carers: Joint Protocol
5.1.5	Exemptions to the Usual Fostering Limit
5.1.6	Changes to Terms of Approval
5.1.7	Fostering Applications for Exemption from the Usual Fostering Limit
5.1.8	Persons Disqualified from Fostering
5.1.9	Annual Review and Termination of Approval of Foster Carers
5.1.10	Supervision and Support of Foster Carers
5.1.11	Allegations/Complaints Against Foster Carers
5.1.12	Payment for Skills and the Skills Level Criteria
5.1.13	Fostering Services National Minimum Standards
5.1.14	Training and Development of Foster Carers	New
5.2	Adoption and Permanence
	For Adoption Procedures, please visit the Adoption@heart website.
5.2.1	Planning for Adoption, the Child's Journey through Adoption
5.2.2	Adoption Panel Papers
5.2.3	Child Appreciation Days
5.2.4	Special Guardianship
5.2.5	Final Farewell Family Time

6. All Children

6.1	All Children
6.1.1	Private Fostering
6.1.2	Forced Marriage
6.1.3	Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Trafficking and Modern Slavery	Updated
6.1.4	No Recourse to Public Funds
6.1.5	Allegations Against Staff or Volunteers
6.1.6	Persons Posing a Risk to Children
6.1.7	Deprivations of Liberty
6.1.9	Mental Capacity
6.1.10	Young Carers
6.1.11	Aftercare under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983	Updated
6.2	Notifications
6.2.1	Death of or Serious Injury in relation to a Child in Need (including a Looked After Child)
6.2.2	Notifications of Looked After Children Placed in Walsall by Other Local Authorities
6.2.3	Notification of Significant Events
6.2.4	Ofsted – Notifiable Incidents – (Children) Procedure
6.3	Children's Disability Guidance
6.3.1	Principles of Good Practice for Safeguarding Children with Disabilities
6.3.2	Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities	Updated
6.3.3	About Me (for children on Short Breaks)
6.3.4	Short Term Breaks Referrals and Placements
6.3.5	Transition Protocol for Disabled Children
6.3.6	Placing and Visiting Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities or Health Conditions in Long-Term Residential Settings
6.3.7	Long Stay Hospital Admissions

7. Young People in the Criminal Justice System

7.1.1	Joint Practice Guidance for Working with Young People in the Criminal Justice System in Children's Services in Walsall
7.1.2	Remands to Local Authority Accommodation or to Youth Detention Accommodation
7.1.3	Looked After Children and Young People in Contact with Youth Justice Services
7.1.4	Responsibilities of the Local Authority to Former Looked After Children and Young People in Custody
	See also:
	Youth Offending Additional National Guidance	New

8. Appendices

8.1	Local Contacts
8.2	Scheme of Delegated Decision Making
8.3	Designated Managers
8.4	Working Together to Safeguard Children
8.5	Amendments