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Contents

1. Background
2. Procedure

1. Background

It is a requirement within the Arrangements for Placement of Children (General) Regulations 2010, that when one local authority places a child which it is looking after within the area of another local authority regardless of the type of placement, that it notifies that authority of the placement and provides certain information.

The primary purpose of this requirement is to enable the local authority within whose area the child is placed, to be able to maintain a Register of all looked after children resident within its area.

This information will be recorded and, as a minimum, it should include:

• Those children which it is itself looking after;
• Those children looked after by another local authority, but where there has been agreement that it will carry out some functions;
• Those children who are looked after by another local authority and where the other local authority continues to carry out all functions.

Where it is proposed to place a child within the area of another local authority and it is felt appropriate to request that that local authority should carry out certain functions on behalf of Lincolnshire Children's Services (e.g. supervision of the placement), no presumptions may be made prior to agreement at a formal Planning Meeting, where representatives of the local authorities concerned are present, and an agreement to carry out the functions required has been made and an undertaking to this effect given in writing.

2. Procedure

Notification of placements made, or to be made, outside Lincolnshire

Where it is proposed to use a placement for a child outside Lincolnshire, agreement must first be obtained for the funding of that placement.  In some circumstances, for example: Foster Carers who are recruited from outside Lincolnshire boundaries; Foster Carers who move to live outside Lincolnshire boundaries; placements with parents where the parents have moved outside Lincolnshire; or placements with extended family or friends, the placement may be made in the normal manner but the requirement to notify the other local authority concerned remains.

In all cases, contact should be made with the local authority concerned prior to the move and within two working days if the placement is an emergency and therefore unplanned..  The Social Worker should contact the local authority Children's Services Department Office which covers the address of the placement.  The Social Worker should obtain the name and address of the person who should be notified of the placement.  This is likely to vary from area to area.  In some cases it will be sufficient to notify the local office.  In others there will be a need to notify someone at the local authority's central office.

The Social Worker should complete Form SS2/50 which conforms to a standard agreed by the Association of Directors of Children's Services for notifying other local authorities of a placement made within their area. 

The completed SS2/50 should be accompanied by a letter indicating the name, address and telephone number of the Social Worker and their Team Manager and also contact details for the Lincolnshire  Emergency Duty Team.

The Social Worker should also ensure that notification of the placement is also sent to the Education Service in the area in which the child is being placed. The responsibility for the child's health needs remains with the home health trust. The child should still be registered with a GP dentist and where appropriate, an optician where they are now living.

Where it is subsequently decided to terminate the placement, the other local authority should be separately informed in writing of this using SS2/50, regardless of whether they attended a Review Meeting which decided on this course of action and/or whether they received the minutes of any meeting.

Placements where the other local authority are to carry out certain functions on behalf of Children's Services

Where a child is placed outside the boundaries of Lincolnshire, it is possible to negotiate for the other local authority concerned to undertake some functions on behalf of this Lincolnshire Children's Services. This is more likely to apply where the child is placed with foster carers and will usually extend to the other local authority supervising the placement on behalf of Lincolnshire.  For example, the other local authority would undertake to:

• Supervise the placement and be satisfied that the welfare of the child       continues to be suitably provided for;
• Visit the placement regularly (e.g. the minimum would be that within the first year of placement, the first visit would be within one week and then at intervals of not more than six weeks; subsequently, at intervals of not more than 3 months).  Circumstances may require more regular visits, particularly if requested by the child or carer;
• Give advice to the carers as appears to be needed.

It would never be appropriate to request another local authority to supervise the placement of a child looked after by this Directorate and placed in secure accommodation and/or subject to Section 53 of the Children and Young Person Act 1933.

Where it is agreed at a Planning Meeting, that another local authority are to supervise a placement on behalf of this Directorate, the Social Worker should ensure that in addition to the information noted in the procedure above, the local authority concerned are supplied sufficient information to enable them to competently supervise the placement.  This is likely to include copies of previous Care Plans, Review Minutes, key Reports etc. 

In particular, the supervising local authority should be given a completed set of Looking After Children Materials, which must include:

• Placement Information Record;
• Child Care Plan - Looked After Children;
• Review of Arrangements (most recent one - if applicable);
• Assessment and Action Record (most recent one - if applicable).

Procedure

Where a significant incident arises in the placement, whilst the child is placed outside Lincolnshire, and another local authority is supervising the placement, that local authority will be expected to respond to the presenting needs.  However except in an absolute emergency (e.g. where it is not possible to contact the child's Social Worker or their Team Manager, or if out of hours the Emergency Duty Team, within this Directorate), the supervising local authority should not take any significant action or remove the child without consultation with the child's Social Worker or Team Manager within this Authority.  At all times case management responsibility remains with this Lincolnshire Children's Services.

The supervising local authority should be invited to attend all Review Meetings for the child whilst the child is placed within their area and they are supervising the placement.

Where it is decided to terminate the placement, the supervising local authority should be separately informed in writing of this, regardless of whether they attended a Review Meeting which decided on this course of action and/or whether they received the minutes of any meeting.

End