3.2.3 Permanence for Looked After Children |
Contents
1. Steps and Processes to Achieving Permanence
1.1 What is Permanence?
- Sense of permanence – for many children (not Looked After Children) parents separate, they move house, they change school... but such changes happen from their sense of having a secure base which includes secure, healthy attachments
- State of permanence through:
- Living with parent /parents with supportive services to assist parents
- Living with extended family, friends, kinship or community network
- Placement outside the family, in long term foster care, adoption, special guardianship, Residence Order (these placements may be with extended family, friends, kinship or community network but with a legal order confirming the nature of permanence)
This procedure focuses on the latter state of permanence through which a sense of permanence should be achieved for children with a disrupted history.
1.2 How to Achieve this?
Initially
It is important to plan for permanence prior to children becoming looked after:
- Complete Initial Assessments and Core Assessments
- Put in place supportive arrangements to keep children in their family so long as this is consistent with their welfare
- Ensure support from/for extended family members, friends, kinship network
- Arrange a Family Group Conference (contact person – IRO in QA team for referral form and information and advice)
1st review within 4 weeks (max) – continue identifying the needs of the child and services to meet these to inform a plan for the child.
Options are:
- Return to parent(s) – be clear about who has Parental Responsibility
- Prepare for independence
- Explore family and friends – plan for Family Group Conference if one not held previously or if changes indicate another would be valuable
- Adoption/other placement and order outside of family
At this stage you need to be thinking about:
Legal
- Is an order needed to secure permanence?
- If so, what sort of order is necessary to meet the child’s needs for permanence?
Views and wishes
- What are the child’s views and wishes, as well as those who carry parental responsibility and the views of all those important to the child?
Assessments
All of the above may well not be clear at the first review but this should be the social worker’s thinking. Key and basic needs may still be being identified, and health assessment and personal education plan will inform the permanence plan, alongside expert assessments.
The social work task is to assess and to bring all assessments together, consider the conclusions and come to a clear recommendation for the plan, based on a transparent analysis of the assessments and evidence. This plan must meet the child’s need for permanence. This work continues into the next stages.
Between the first and second review is the Permanence Planning Meeting (PPM) – see Placement for Adoption Procedures, Section 1, Planning for Permanence. The meeting should help the social worker think through the permanence options for the child and what is in their best interests. PPM gives a steer to the permanence plan which is to be presented and considered at the 2nd review. A letter is sent to parents from the chair of PPM outlining the recommendations the Panel has made for consideration at the 2nd review.
2nd review, 4 months (max) after child becomes looked after. A permanence plan must be clearly presented.
Plan must be: SMART
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic and have
Timescales
1.3 What is the Permanence Plan?
The permanence plan may be a Parallel Plan.
Children Act 1989 Section 23 imposes a duty on the Local Authority to consider:
- Parents
- Relatives
- Friends
- Other family placement or other placement
However, the Local Authority and the court must do all it can to avoid undue delay for the child.
Parallel planning is therefore crucial.
Click here to view the Parallel Planning Flowchart.
Decision about Plan and Order
This should be based on:
- Assessment of the child’s needs
- Ability of parent/carer to meet these needs
- Support services to be put in place to achieve the plan
- Agreed contact arrangements to meet the child’s needs for permanence and which support the plan not undermine it
- Review
- The court process, if child is in care proceedings, will advise and order the necessary assessments and make the final decision
It is important to book a place at Adoption and Permanence Panel well in advance when the social worker/others considers that adoption or Special Guardianship requiring panel advice or recommendations is a strong possibility for this child.
PPM may well give a steer on this.
Plan to return to Parent
If child is to return to parent under a Care Order, the agreement of Service Manager is required and child must be placed under placement with parents regulations see Placement with Parents Procedure and report prepared and agreed.
The agreement of the court is needed if the child is in care proceedings.
Plan to live with extended family and friends (Kinship Care)
See Placement with Family and Friends Carers ProcedureIf the plan for the child is for him/her to live with extended family and friends, the decision making is about
- Whether the child is placed with this carer in which case the carer must be assessed as a foster carer
or - Whether the child moves to live with the carer following the making of a (Interim) Residence Order or Special Guardianship Order which requires a report to be written for the court (+ completion of Child Permanence Report and presentation at Adoption and Permanence Panel as below)
or - Whether the child requires an Adoption Order which requires the child to be presented to Adoption and Permanence Panel through completion of a Child Permanence Report and the proposed relatives/friends to be assessed as adoptive parents
Plan for Adoption Outside of the Family
The above possibilities for the child need to have been explored and ruled out in the Local Authority’s plan prior to presenting to Adoption and Permanence Panel.
A Family Group Conference should have been held to ensure that all relatives and friends have been considered as possible carers for the children and they should have been assessed and ruled out.
A Child Permanence Report will need to be completed.
Reports and Assessments
For permanent placement with family/friends/outside the kinship network through long term fostering, adoption, special guardianship, a Child’s Permanence Report is required. (BAAF templates A-G/ICS template – NB – not known at time of writing how Lewisham is proceeding and which CPR formats are to be used).
Adoption and Permanence Panel recommend the plan for adoption to the agency decision maker having considered the CPR and any associated reports, e.g., experts reports, assessments of parents, assessments of relatives/friends.
A decision must also be made about applying for a Placement Order (Adoption and Children Act 2002).
Adoption and Permanence Panel comment/advise on whether Special Guardianship is in the child’s best interests, for the agency to make a recommendation to the court.
The Fostering Panel makes recommendations about long term fostering.
The Adoption Panel and the Fostering Panel advisers will advise about which panel children should be presented at especially where the child is part of family group of siblings covering a wide age range and needs.
Agency decision maker makes the decision.
Carer’s/adoptive parent’s assessment or report
These are normally completed through the Fostering or Adoption Teams. Careful thought needs to be given in each individual case regarding the timing of the placement. The appropriate approval, support and finance must be agreed and in place.
Prospective carers/ adoptive parents/guardians need to be approved/considered as either:
- Long term foster carers and presented to Fostering Panel for recommendation and decision by agency decision maker (for foster carers of an Independent Fostering Agency they are presented and approved by their Agency Panel and decision maker)
or - Special guardian/residence order reports (alongside the Child’s Permanence Report) can be considered by Adoption and Permanence Panel
or - Adoptive parent and presented to Adoption and Permanence Panel and recommendation made by Panel with decision made by agency decision maker.
Matching
Matching of children with adoptive parents is made at Adoption and Permanence Panel. Placement Order or consent of parents required prior to placement. Panel makes a recommendation and agency decision maker makes the decision.
The Court makes the Adoption Order. The reports presented are the Child’s Permanence Report, the Prospective Adopters’ Report, the Adoption Placement Report, the Adoption Support Plan and any previous Panel minutes and decision sheets.
Matching of child to long term foster carers is made at Lewisham fostering panel.
The Matching Report develops/updates and summarises the needs and strengths of the child identified in the CPR and the strengths and issues raised in the family’s Form F. It matches child’s needs with the strengths and qualities of the proposed approved family and the additional services required.
The matching report template details the supplementary reports panel needs in respect of the approval of the proposed carers/adoptive parents
The decision is made by the agency decision maker.
Review
Children’s needs and wishes change as they grow older so support services and contact arrangements may need to change accordingly in line with their welfare.
Birth family, adoptive family, foster family, special guardianship abilities, circumstances, attitudes, views and wishes and capacities change. Support services and contact arrangements may need to change in response to or in anticipation of these changes.
Reviewing takes place through the review mechanisms of:
- Child In Need Plan for child returned to parents, living with relatives under no order (so long as child is assessed and agreed as child in need)
- Looked After Child Review for child in long term foster care/placed with parents under a Care Order
- Annual review for adoptive family/ special guardians of support services and support plan
2. Guidance for Reports for Adoption and Permanence Panel and Fostering Panel
General
- The Panel starts with no knowledge of the child and/or the match being proposed, they are looking to the social worker to give them this and to provide all aspects of the child’s life and to explain the Care Plan and the match for the child. What you write, will be what they know
- Use simple language throughout the Report to Panel. There is no need to use social work language or terms. Be direct and straightforward
CPR
- Each child in a sibling group, where you are seeking a panel recommendation for that child, requires their own complete report
- Child’s basic details, check that all are correct and you have all the child’s names. Do not assume the previous worker has got it right
- Tell the child’s story. Describe all aspects of the child’s life, how the child ticks, bring the child alive to the panel. Provide the essence of the child
- Your report will be read by the child in the future. It is important for them to understand the events of their lives and how decisions were made. Explain why certain things happened and who were the significant people for the child
- Describe the child physically, emotionally, developmentally, and their character – bring a photograph to Panel. Provide a balance between strengths and weaknesses and give all sides of the child
- Child’s history since birth – make sure all events are relevant and help towards an understanding of the child. These should only be key events and milestones that reflect the events in the child’s life. Do not confuse with Chronology of the decisions and actions of the agency
- Interests – how are these being developed and supported, this will provide a rounded picture of the child
- Health – Provide the latest Reports, have all the previous recommendations been followed up, for example, recommendations re HIV Tests, Immunisations etc.
- CAMHS – Has/should a Referral be made. If the child is moving to a different area, will a referral be made. What will be the focus of work by CAMHs to support the placement
- Education – Provide school reports, information and statements and the plan that the local authority is undertaking to address any problems at school
- Identity: Race/Ethnicity – how does the child see themselves, provide details for example, if they are of African-Caribbean origin what island does their family originate from. Do not just leave it as White UK; what part of the UK?
- Language – What language/dialect is associated with their parents place of origin.
- Religion – Provide details, is it part of their lives, do they practice? How will this be maintained and promoted.
- Chronology of the decisions and actions of the agency – this is the section where the actions of the agency are recorded. Do not confuse with child’s history and do not just copy and paste ICS chronology. Think about relevance to the child and do not include information relating to other children in the family unless relevant to this child and the plan. Summarise sections where, for example, visits have been made and same concerns noted
- Child’s Views – what is their understanding of what is being proposed, what are their fears and/or expectations
- Obtain the views of others, for example, child’s guardian, IRO, Foster Carer, family members
- Family – Provide all names, dates of birth and whereabouts of family members if known, provide descriptions and a Genogram and the importance of each individual in the child’s life. If someone has got lost and is no longer in contact with the child, state what efforts are being made to find them. Make sure that information to the Panel provides that history is balanced and that it includes positives about the family. Very few people have no redeeming features
- If the local authority or another local authority has files or information about a parent which provides information about their chronology, social and medical history, make sure you read these files and include parents’ history
- Part A4 – make sure you refer to and summarise the conclusions reached in relation to assessments of family members, including the assessments of the parents and other relevant persons
- Expert reports - you should also refer to their main points and key recommendations in the CPR (particularly useful for the Part A4) to show how you have arrived at your plan for the child. You can also use the information contained in the reports (e.g. they often have useful social background/family histories about the parents)
Summary of the reason for the preferred permanence plan - How was the Care Plan arrived at? What are the time scales for the Care Plan, how will the Care Plan be developed? What support will be needed?
- Analyse the child’s needs taking into consideration all of the above. Make use of research where necessary. Make a conclusion as to how the child’s needs will be met. Show how your plan will be implemented and developed
- It is important to show how (analysis) the local authority has arrived at their conclusions and what (plan) will happen next to promote the child’s welfare – consider the five outcomes
- Ask for the Panel’s advice, if needed, this can carry some weight in Court
Matching Reports
- Long Term Fostering
- For the child - use Child Permanence Report and amend and update this
- For the family – Form F and up to date approvals etc as detailed in checklist at front of matching report template
- Matching report
- all previous Panel minutes and decision sheets
- Adoption
- For the child - use Child Permanence Report and amend and update this with previous Panel minutes and decision sheets
- Medical
- For the family – Prospective Adopter(s)’ Report with Panel minutes and decision sheets
- Adoption Placement Report
- Adoption Support Plan
- When considering matching, start from the child’s point of view, ensure that there is no risk of replication of past placement breakdowns or replicating the child’s family of origin circumstances. Show how the child’s needs will be met and make reference to ethnicity and culture. Provide examples in the Report about how the child’s needs will be met in the new home
- How was the match decided upon – how will the needs of the child be met?
- Contact – what is contact like for the child. What would help the child in the future. Do not consider weekly contact for long term fostering, look to the needs of the child. Are the family members supporting the placement or are they likely to give messages to the child about returning home. Describe what work will be undertaken with the family members regarding contact. Include sibling contact
- How will the carers/adoptive parents support contact and help the child with contact issues
- What will make the Placement last
- Matching for long term fostering – ensure that the Foster Care Agency has done all the work and that the family are approved as long term carers for the age range, ethnicity and gender of the child. Ask the Agency for all the up to date documents regarding checks and references and do not assume that it has all been done
- Ensure that the family does and can meet the child’s needs and if there is any shortfall how these will be addressed
- How will the family meet the challenges that will arise in the future, for example, adolescence
- Are both carers/adoptive parents equally involved
- How will the carers/adoptive parents provide the compensatory parenting that the child needs
3. Anonymising the CPR reports
When you book a child for the adoption panel (if you are seeking a recommendation of ‘should be placed for adoption’ SHOBPA) you will be given a three letter code (e.g. XYZ) for the child – you must include this in place of the child’s surname in all the reports you need to prepare.
Use this code in place of the surname only for the child and all those family members sharing that name and use the original first names e.g. the child Jack Williams becomes Jack XYZ, his mother Mary Williams becomes Mary XYZ and a sister Jenny Williams becomes Jenny XYZ.
You do not need to refer to Jack Williams as Jack XYZ all throughout the report – you can just use the first name.
For all other names, use the first name and the initial of the surname e.g. his father, Peter Jones becomes Peter J.
Remove all identifying details (e.g. address details of parents, foster carers, schools – just refer to the general area). Leave in the dates of birth.
If you are attaching genograms or chronologies you need to remove identifying details from them, too.
Reports for long term fostering (CPR and the matching report) do not need to be anonymised.
Expert reports – relevant reports including those referred to in the CPR can be sent to the Panel Adviser in advance. They do not need to be anonymised.
Appendix 1: Appendix 1: Papers Required to Present Fostering Reports to Panel
Click here to view Appendix 1: Papers Required to Present Fostering Reports to Panel.
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