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Contents

1. The Care Plan
2. Notifications
3. Health Care
4. Education
5. Complaints
6. Placement Planning Meetings
7. Support and Monitoring of Placements

1. The Care Plan

Where a decision is made to look after a child, the child must have a Care Plan.

The child’s Social Worker should have made arrangements for the Care Plan and other plans (e.g. Placement Information Record/Placement Plan) to be drawn up, as set out in Section's 2 and 3 in Decision to Look After Procedures.

2. Notifications

After the child becomes Looked After (including changes in placement or placement endings), the Social Worker must complete a Placement Information Record on ICS.

The Social Worker should also notify all those consulted and involved in the decision-making process.  If not consulted in the decision making process, the Social Worker must notify the child’s Parent(s), significant relatives or friends and previous Carers.

Additionally, the Social Worker must notify the following:

1. Looked After Reviews: When the child becomes looked after, the social worker is responsible for updating this information on ICS. This will then trigger a task for the Business Support staff in QA to book the review for the looked after child.
2. If the child is placed in Secure Accommodation, the Social Worker should contact the Committee Support Officer so that a Secure Accommodation Review can be arranged
3. The Health Trust, via the Placements and Procurement Team
4. Local Education Authority, via the Placements & Procurement Team. The Social Worker should ensure the child’s school is notified
5. If the child is placed outside the authority, Children’s Services Department in the area where the child is placed. This notification must be in writing, notifying them of the placement decision and the name and address of the person with whom the child has been placed. 

3. Health Care

The Social Worker should arrange for the child to have a Health Care Assessment (see Health Care Assessments and Plans Procedure) and ensure the child is registered with a GP, Dentist and Optician.

4. Education

The Social Worker should ensure that there is minimal disruption to the child’s education.  If the child can not continue to attend his/her previous school, the Social Worker should liaise with the Carer/Home and LAC Education Team (Advisory Teacher) to ensure the child is registered with a school or that his/her educational needs are addressed. This will include ensuring that a Personal Education Plan (PEP) is drawn up within required timescales (See Promotion of Education of Looked After Children Procedure)

5. Complaints

The Social Worker should ensure the child is given literature about the Children’s Services Complaints Procedure.

6. Placement Planning Meetings

If the child is placed on a planned basis, the Social Worker must liaise with the Carer/Home to complete  a Placement Plan within 7 days of the placement.

If the child is placed in an emergency or outside office hours, the Social Worker must conduct an review with their Team Manager within 3 working days to review the suitability of the placement.

See Placement and Disruption Meetings Procedure

7. Support and Monitoring of Placements

If the child is placed out of hours, the EDT Worker must consult Carers/the Home and provide necessary immediate support to the placement.

The Social Worker must undertake a visit within a week of the placement and then at intervals required in Social Worker Visits Procedure

If the child is placed with Foster Carers, the Carers will receive support and supervision as set out in the following chapters:

Foster Carer Support Procedure

Supervision of Foster Carers Procedure

End