Amendments

This chapter has been amended to reflect changes from ‘Practice Direction 27a - Family Proceedings: Court Bundles (Universal Practice to be Applied in the High Court and Family Court)’, in relation to the required maximum length of certain court documents, (unless otherwise specifically directed by the court). In addition, a new subsection of Section 1.5.1, Local Authority Documentation - ‘Final Care Plan’ provides further detail on the importance of recording information on the Care Plan which will help the child, parent or the child’s carer understand why decisions have been or are being made.

This chapter has been updated to reflect Section 3 of the Care Planning and Care Leavers (Amendment) Regulations 2014. The Care Plan must identify whether there is reason to believe the child has been trafficked or is an unaccompanied asylum seeker.

A link has been added to additional information relating to the Final Care Plan in the Public Law Outline Procedure.

This chapter has been revised throughout, and should be re-read.

New Appendices have been added:

• Appendix 1: Gateway and Permanence Panel terms of reference;
• Appendix 2: Permanence Planning Meeting Guidance;
• Appendix 3: Planning Meeting flowchart.

This chapter has been updated to fully reflect the updated guidance ‘Secure children’s homes: how to place a child aged under 13 (July 2018)’.

Section 9, The Role of the Looked After Review in Achieving Permanence for the Child has been amended to reflect the outcome of a High Court Judgement in respect of children who have been subject to Section 20 and where there have been concerns of significant delays in their planning for permanence.

Additional information has been added in to Section 4.1, Checks in relation to the application process for criminal records checks or ‘Certificates of Good Character’ for someone from overseas.

Section 1, Planning for Permanence has been updated to reflect the additional consideration (added by section 9 Children and Social Work Act 2017) into the list of considerations that whenever a court or adoption agency is coming to a decision relating to the adoption of a child), of the relationship which the child has with relatives, with any person who is a prospective adopter with whom the child is placed and with any other person in relation to whom the court or agency considers the relationship to be relevant.

This chapter has been amended in line with the Children and Social Work Act 2017 and revised statutory guidance which require schools, through the designated teacher to provide support to previously Looked After Children.

Links have been added to this local guidance.

This chapter seeks to reflect the requirements for placing children in unregulated placements together with the local authority’s duties and responsibilities.

Added in to Section 9.3, Standards:

• All cases should be supervised no less that every 3 months;
• All cases should be supervised at least once when in the assessment service.

The following appendices has been updated:

• Appendix 1: Connected Persons Flowchart;
• Appendix 2: Referral Form, requesting a Family and Friend’s Carers Assessment (Connected Person);
• Appendix 3: Assessment Report Regulation 24 Relative or Friend of a Child or Connected Person as temporary approved foster carer, pending full approval of a Named Child;
• Appendix 4: Family and Friends Care Agreement; Appendix 5: Viability (Suitability) Assessment Report for a Relative or friend of a child or Connected Person as an approved foster carer, for a named child;
• Appendix 6: Family and Friends Assessment (Coram BAAF Form C);
• Appendix 7: Child(ren)'s Needs (Information) (Coram BAAF Form C Sections A & B).

This chapter has been updated in line with the Children and Social Work Act 2017 and revised statutory guidance.

These changes relate to the status of ‘Previously Looked After Children’. A Previously Looked After Child is one who is no longer Looked After in England and Wales because they are the subject of an Adoption, Special Guardianship or Child Arrangements Order which includes arrangements relating to with whom the child is to live, or when the child is to live with any person, or has been adopted from ‘state care’ outside England and Wales.

This chapter has been substantially updated to reflect amendments made by the Children and Social Work Act 2017.

These changes relate to the status of ‘previously looked after children’ i.e. a previously looked after child is one who is no longer looked after in England and Wales because s/he is the subject of an adoption, special guardianship or child arrangements order which includes arrangements relating to with whom the child is to live, or when the child is to live with any person, or has been adopted from ‘state care’ outside England and Wales. The chapter includes a new Section 14, Mental Health and a new Section 8, Safeguarding the Looked After Child at School.

This chapter has been significantly updated and amended as a result of the impact of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) - see Section 5, Pathway Plans. In addition, a new Section 7.1, 'Delegation of decision making regarding agreement for young people to move into unregulated provision regarding agreement for young people to move into unregulated provision' has been added to provide detail in respect of a young person moving into unregulated Accommodation. Links have also been made to the Bolton Local Offer (see Other Relevant Chapters and Links).

This chapter has been updated to reflect the current systems and organisation in Bolton with respect to children missing education. In addition, new Appendices have been included:

• Appendix A: Children Thought to have Gone Missing / Left the Area (Form CME 1A);
• Appendix B: Children Missing Education - Referral Form (Form CME 1E);
• Appendix C: Child Missing Education Process Referral from Schools for Children Thought to have Left the Area / School;
• Appendix D: Grounds for Deletions from School Register;
• Appendix E: CME Out of Borough Enquiries, and CME Process Flowcharts.

This resource seeks to support practitioners working in statutory social care and provider services to understand the Act and practice confidently when supporting young people to make decisions, assessing mental capacity and applying the Best Interests principle.

Bolton Youth Offending Team (YOT) offers a specialist service for young people up to the age of 18 and their families. The team’s aim is to reduce offending by young people.

• Lead Professional Guidance for Practitioners (Integrated Working Processes).

This chapter deals with recording of meetings/conversations by individual service-users, in their capacity as private individuals. Note that the employees of the local authority, acting in their professional capacity, are subject to different legislative requirements, e.g. under the Data Protection Act 2018.

• Consultation Policy.

This chapter has been updated to add links to the International Child Abduction and Contact Unit (ICACU) and the GOV.UK request for co-operation form.

(The ICACU is the operational Central Authority for England and Wales for Council Regulations (EC) Brussels 11 Regulation. It provides a standard response to enquiries for co-operation from local authorities explaining other sources of assistance and information and contact details of other bodies).

This chapter has been significantly updated throughout to more fully reflect the Bolton procedures and resources.

The term ‘relinquished baby’ is used to describe a child under the age of 6 weeks whose parents are making the choice of adoption for the child.

This chapter deals with the first stage of the adoption process for relinquished babies. It also summarises the counselling and support that will be made available to family in these circumstances.

This chapter has been revised in accordance with the North West ADCS Regional Protocol for Standards in Supervision of Children and Families Social Workers.

The Appendices contain supervision tools which have been fully reviewed and revised and additional material which include: Useful questions to guide reflective supervision; Supervision Preparation Form; Audit Signature Sheet; 4 x 4 x 4 Integrated Model; Gibbs Model of Reflection; Rolfe So What? Model.

The chapter also includes the Practice Guidance - Ensuring the child's voice is clearly heard in all work. (See Relevant Guidance).

Section 1, The Case Record has been updated to provide further specific detail as to what should be included in the case record. Please re-reference as required.

This chapter has been updated as a result of the President of the Family Division, Sir James Munby's guidance with regard to obtaining parental consent for children accommodated through Section 20 of the 1989 Children Act. Also, his concerns about bringing such matters to court where this is required. There are new Sections and amendments as a result. (See: Section 20 Accommodation; Obtaining Parental Consent; Recording Parental Consent; The use of Section 20 prior to Court Proceedings).

This chapter has been updated to reflect the revised visiting requirements in respect of long term foster placements as set out in 'The Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations - Volume 2: Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (2015)' (See Normal Frequency).

This chapter reflects the statutory guidance 'Ceasing to look after a child' in 'Care Planning, Placement and Case Review Regulations (2015)' as amended by the 'Care Planning and Fostering (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2015' together with Working Together to Safeguard Children 2015.

This chapter has been updated to include reference to The ‘Breaks for Carers of Disabled Children Regulations (2011); DfE, Short breaks for disabled children - Departmental advice for local authorities (March 2011); (see Assessment of Needs) and Children and Families Act 2014, (see Carer’s Assessment).

This chapter has been updated in line with the Children and Families Act 2014 and the overall aim of speeding up the adoption process. This chapter has been updated throughout and should be re-read. Information has been added in relation to:

• Fostering for Adoption (Sections 1 and 5.4);
• Adoption Register (Section 9);
• Duty to provide information on adoption support services (Sections 1 and 2);
• Ethnicity (Section 15.3).

This chapter has been updated in line with the Children and Families Act 2014, and the overall aim of speeding up the adoption process. The chapter has been updated throughout and should be re-read. The main changes are in relation to:

• The duty to consider Fostering for Adoption placements;
• The removal of the requirement to give due consideration to a child’s religious persuasion, racial origin and cultural and linguistic background when matching a child and prospective adopters;
• Post-adoption contact;
• Placing of siblings.

This link now takes you to an updated document on the Bolton Safeguarding website. Please fully re-read. See also new chapter Bolton SCB 'Integrated Working Processes - Lead professional Guidance for Practitioners'.

This chapter has been significantly updated in line with the 'Statutory Guidance Volume 2: Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (Supplement) - Looked After Children and Youth Justice - Application of the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010 to Looked After Children in Contact with Youth Justice Services (April 2014)'. A link to this Guidance has also been added.

This chapter fully sets out the roles and responsibilities of Independent Reviewing Officers (IRO's) and the purpose of statutory reviews

The chapter has been completely revised and rewritten to reflect changes in legislation, regulations and guidance since the implementation of these Regulations in April 2011.

This chapter details the processes, procedures, roles and responsibilities for staff when young people who are Looked After come into contact with the Youth Justice System. It takes account of the youth remand framework under the 'Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012' and the 'Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations - Volume 2: Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (Supplement) (2014)'. There is a link to this Guidance.

This chapter has been updated throughout in line with 'DfE,Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations Volume 3: Planning Transition to Adulthood for Care Leavers (revised January 2015)' and should be re-read.