Referrals, Placements and Admissions

All referrals for in-house residential placements will be completed on the appropriate referral form paying particular attention to the correct detail.

The form will be sent to the Access to Resource Team, who will alert the appropriate Service Manager responsible for Corporate Parenting Residential Child Care Services.

The Service Manager (Residential) will ensure the maximising of the use of the in-house resource looking across at other options that might be available and appropriate for each child given the Child’s Care Plan.

The Service Manager (Residential) will inform the relevant Team Manager of our in-house provisions that a referral has been received and an assessment is to be processed.

The Team Leader or Deputy Manager of the home identified will make arrangements for an Assessment Visit and meet with the social worker of the referred young person.

The additional information gained will formulate a decision as to whether it is viable to continue to the next stage of the assessment process. The next stage would be for the Team Manager or Deputy Manager to meet with the young person.

The assessment will on completion be presented to the Service Manager (Residential).

The Service Manager (Residential) will then inform the relevant Team Leader of the decision and ask for a plan of introduction with timescales to be presented. In line with good practice a period of two weeks for an introduction is the appropriate timescale, this timescale can be reduced or increased based on the young person’s best interest. Similarly, it should be identified that the young person will have suitable luggage to transport their belongings, (which should never be transported in bin-bags or other inappropriate containers.

This is to facilitate the young person with an opportunity to familiarise themselves with new surroundings and assist the home with a smooth transition process.

Within the placing authority, the decision to place a child out of area must be approved by the Nominated Officer, unless it is a Placement at a Distance, (i.e. outside the area of the local authority and not within the area of any adjoining local authority), in which case the approval of the Director of Children’s Services of the placing authority is required.

The Nominated Officer/ Director of Children’s Services of the placing authority must be satisfied of the following:

• That the child's wishes and feelings have been ascertained and given due consideration;
• That the placement is the most appropriate placement available for the child and consistent with the Care Plan;
• That relatives have been consulted where appropriate;
• That the Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) has been consulted (usually the IRO will discuss with the child after the child has visited the proposed placement);
• That the area authority has been notified, or, for a Placement at a Distance, the area authority have been consulted and have been provided with a copy of the child’s Care Plan.

The social worker must assess the suitability of the placement. This includes referring to the Home’s Statement of Purpose and location assessment; consulting the Home’s manager to ensure that proper arrangements are in place for the child to have contact with his/her family and significant others, particularly when the child is placed at a distance away from their family home; and considering the arrangements for meeting the child’s health and education needs.

For more information, see The Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations - Volume 2: Care Planning, Placement and Case Review.