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Contents

1.	Consultation and Planning
2.	Placements Process - Planned Placements
	2.1	Definition of Planned Placement
	2.2	Placement Request
	2.3	Identification of Placement
	2.4	Placement Planning
3.	Support/Monitoring of Placements
	3.1	Support and Monitoring of Placements
	3.2	Ending of Placements

1. Consultation and Planning

1.1 Consultation

At the point that it is determined that a placement may be required, and throughout the subsequent process of identification, planning and placement, the social worker must consult and take account of the views of the following people:

1. The child;
2. The child’s parents;
3. Anyone who is not a parent but has been caring for or looking after the child;
4. Other members of the child’s family who are significant to the child;
5. The child’s school or education authority;
6. The Youth Offending Team, if the child is known to them.

The views of these people should be given by them, in writing, or should be recorded by the social worker who should start to make arrangements for the Assessment and Progress Record Procedure.

1.2 Planning

See Section 2, The Care Plan of Decision to Look After Procedure or procedures relating to the initial decision to look after a child, and in relation to the  drafting and approval of the Care Plan.

2. Placements Process - Planned Placements

2.1	Definition of Planned Placement
2.2	Placement Request
2.3	Identification of Placement
2.4	Placement Planning

2.1 Definition of Planned Placement

A Planned Placement is the placement of a child in residential care following an assessment and planning process whereby, at the time of the placement, a Care Plan and Placement Plan are in place. Such placements can only be made once the required authority has been obtained from the Head of Service.

Where the above plans are not in place, the placement is deemed to be an Emergency. 

See Emergency Foster Placement Procedure.

2.2 Placement Request

Where a decision has been made that a child requires a residential placement, the child’s social worker should complete and send a Referral Form to the Lincolnshire Secure Unit Manager.

The Referral Form contains information about the child, the type of placement sought, the date by which the placement is required, the likely length of time for which the placement is required and the expected level of contact between the child and parents. The referral should be supported by the following documents:

• Initial Assessment or Core Assessment;
• Any relevant medical reports;
• The child’s Statement of Special Education Needs (SEN)  (where relevant);
• The most recent minutes of the last Looked After Review (in relation to a child already looked after);
• The most recent Strategy Discussion/Meeting or Child Protection Conference minutes (where applicable).

The Secure Unit Manager will then forward the referral to one of the Residential Services Home Managers who will complete the referral assessment. If the assessment identifies that the referral is appropriate and the young person would benefit from a Residential Placement then the most appropriate placement is identified and the planned admission is organised.

The Homes Manager will then make enquiries about the availability of an appropriate in-house resource, and with the social worker as necessary for clarification or for more information, for example whether the child may be a risk to other children in the home.

2.3 Identification of Placement

If an in-house residential placement is identified, the placement planning process can start – see Section 2.4, Placement Planning below.

If a placement with an external provider has been authorised by the Head of Service, the Homes Manager will consult appropriate providers, identify possible placements and liaise with the social worker about their suitability and they should arrange for a copy of any brochure or written material that is available for the proposed placement to be forwarded to the social worker. 

It is important that the service area notifies the Children’s Commissioning team of their intention to place a child or young person in an independent sector placement, so that they can work with the service area to identify an appropriate provider and ensure a professional decision on the best placement for the child is made.

At this stage initial discussions will be held with the providers as to the appropriateness of the referral, time-scales for vacancies and the basic costs of the placement. 

Wherever possible, the child’s social worker should visit potential homes and as required consult with other professionals, prior to a decision about the appropriateness of placement being made.

It is essential that at least three potential providers are contacted, and when one is finally selected an Independent Sector Placement Approval form CS2/255 (which can be located in Children’s Services Core Forms on George) must be completed and signed by the relevant Head of Service. The form must detail which providers have been contacted and the rationale for choosing the selected one. A copy of the form must be sent to the Children’s Children’s Commissioning Team.

The social worker may then arrange visits to the proposed placement, with the child (if old enough) and parents (if appropriate).

The Children’s Commissioning Team will establish whether the selected Provider currently has a contract in place with LCC. Where no contract is in place the Children’s Commissioning Team will complete the necessary quality assurance checks to confirm the providers’ suitability and send out a contract for signature.

Refer to the Protocol for the Management of Independent Sector Residential and Foster Care Placement Contracts for Looked After Children for further information

NB In order to avoid placements that disrupt a child’s education, the Nominated Officer must approve any change of placement affecting a child in Key Stage 4, except in an emergency, where the placement is terminated because of an immediate risk of serious harm to the child or to protect others from serious injury. See Education Procedure and Personal Education Plans Procedure.

2.4 Placement Planning

The child, parents and any other significant family members and relevant professionals should also be invited to the Planning Meeting. 

The purpose of the meeting is to determine the Placement Plan (recorded on the Placement Information Record) and to make arrangements for the Assessment and Progress Record Procedure. The Child's Social Worker will make arrangements for the circulation of the assessments and records to those involved.

For children placed in residential care, the Placement Plan should cover the following issues in addition to those for all placements set out in the Decision to Look After Procedure:

1. The type of accommodation to be provided and the address;
2. The child’s personal history, religious persuasion, cultural and linguistic background and racial origin;
3. Where the child  is Accommodated, the respective responsibilities of the Local Authority and parents/anyone with Parental Responsibility; any delegation of responsibility by parents/anyone with Parental Responsibility to the Local Authority for the child’s day-to-day care; the expected duration of the arrangements and the steps to bring the arrangements to an end, including arrangements for the child  to return to live with parents/anyone with Parental Responsibility; where the child  is aged 16 or over and agrees to being provided with accommodation under Section 20 Children Act 1989, that fact;
4. The circumstances in which it is necessary to obtain in advance the Local Authority’s  approval for the child to take part in school trips or overnight stays;
5. The Local Authority’s arrangements for the financial support of the child during the placement.

The social worker should ensure that any Children’s Guide or other information about the placement that is available for the child is obtained and given to him/her.

If the child is being placed with an external provider, the social worker must also ensure that the child is provided with information on using the authority’s Complaints Procedure.

Wherever possible, the Placement Planning Meeting should be used to plan any introductions to the placement, for example whether arrangements should be made for the child, parents and the social worker to visit the home and/or whether it may be appropriate to have an introductory overnight stay. If this is not possible, arrangements may be made for residential staff to visit the child and parents; or for information about the home to be sent to the child and/or the parents, for example about routines in the home, bedtimes, meals, visitors, pocket money, school, privacy and the overall expectations in relation to the child’s behaviour within the home.

In all cases, the child should be accompanied to the placement by the social worker and helped to settle in.

3. Support/Monitoring of Placements

3.1	Support and Monitoring of Placements
3.2	Ending of Placements

3.1 Support and Monitoring of Placements

The child’s social worker must visit the child in the placement within one week of the placement and then at a minimum every six weeks; see Visit to Children Guidance.

Also see The Review of the Child's Plan for Looked After Children.

If an external placement has been made in an emergency, the child's social worker will also liaise with health and education in relation to jointly funded placements with external providers, and will maintain contact with external providers in relation to the children placed with them, taking up with them any concerns or funding issues as soon as they are drawn to the Team’s attention and visiting at least every 6 months (with an unannounced visit at least annually). In any event the funding arrangements will be discussed at the Multi-agency Funding Panel.

Where the needs of the child in the placement will involve costs in addition to those approved, the approval of the Head of Service must be obtained.

3.2 Ending of Placements

The child’s social worker should inform all those notified of the placement when a placement ends and amend ICS accordingly.

End