Tees Safeguarding Children Partnerships' Procedures Download Referral Form Consult 'The Framework of Need'

1. Overview

1.1 When a child is subject to a Child Protection Plan the family should be made aware of their responsibility to inform the allocated social worker if they are moving address. Any agency who becomes aware of such a move must inform the allocated social worker immediately.

1.2 When Children who are subject to children protection plans move area it is particularly important that multi agency services are carefully coordinated during the transfer process. As outlined below the current authority must NOT curtail their involvement until the case has been formally accepted by the new area.

 

2. Transfer in conferences

2.1 An initial or transfer-in child protection case conference will be held within 15 working days of the referral being accepted by the receiving authority. Until the case conference, responsibility for the child’s plan remains with the originating local authority working in close liaison with the receiving local authority.

2.2 To accept a referral in these circumstances, the subject family must have moved from the originating local authority and be living in the receiving local authority area. If the move is temporary, it is unlikely that the referral will be accepted. The concept of ‘Ordinary Residence’ should be considered if there is a dispute between local authorities around whether a referral should be accepted or not.

2.3 Referrals must be made using the SAFER tool. The SAFER tool must provide the details of all agencies who are continuing to support the Child Protection Plan and any agencies in the receiving local authority who will be expected to contribute to the Plan going forward. When the referral is accepted, the social worker in the originating local authority must forward the following case file documentation as a minimum:

• The strategy meeting minutes including police, health and education information shared as part of the strategy meeting
• Section 47 Enquiry Outcome
• Social Worker/Multi Agency Report for ICPC
• ICPC Minutes
• Social Worker/Multi Agency Report for each RCPC that has been held
• Minutes from each RCPC
• Any subsequent Police, health and education information shared since the initial Strategy Meeting
• Any other information relied upon for decision making in the child protection process
• Core Group minutes since the most recent RCPC

2.4 The exception to this would be where the local authority decides to continue to maintain responsibility for the child protection plan, e.g. siblings living in different areas or when a child moves into the new area for a period of less than 15 days. In this case, the receiving local authority should be notified that a child who is subject to a child protection plan is temporarily residing in their area.

2.5 The receiving local authority is responsible for convening the conference. The originating local authority’s allocated social worker will be invited to the conference and will write an updated report for the transfer ICPC and must share this with the receiving local authority, the family and all agencies attending the transfer ICPC at least 2 working days prior to the conference.

2.6 All involved agencies in the originating Local Authority will be invited along with their counterparts in the receiving Local Authority. All agencies invited to the transfer-in ICPC will be expected to share information to help inform decision making.

2.7 The originating local authority child protection plan will be reviewed at the transfer-in ICPC and if required, a new child protection plan drafted.

 

3. Action Following a Conference

3.1 Handover arrangements including joint visits, should have occurred prior to the conference and/or be arranged at the conference. The allocated social workers should ensure they comply with recommendations made at the conference for handover/joint work.

3.2 After the transfer-in conference, the originating local authority should:

• place a copy of the report and the conference notes on the child's file (the Conference Chair/Review Unit in the receiving Local Authority is responsible for sending a copy of the conference notes to the originating local authority);
• complete a closing summary; and
• close the case.

 

4. Issues of significant harm surrounding a change of address

4.1 There may be circumstances in which there are increased concerns regarding actual or potential significant harm in regard to a change of address e.g. if the family has moved without informing the allocated worker or other professional, or the child and family move in with someone who is known to children's social care and about whom there is concerns. In such circumstances the authority of the new address must still be informed that the child is in their area but the originating authority should seek legal advice and initiate care proceedings if appropriate.

5. Circumstances where case responsibility is retained following a move to an address in another local authority area

5.1 There may be circumstances where the originating authority may retain responsibility even though the child is residing in the area of another authority. This could occur for example if the child is temporarily staying with a relative, is in a time limited specialist placement such as a mother and baby unit or is in temporary housing. In such circumstances the authority of the area in which the child is residing should be informed that the child is in their area and is subject to a child protection plan and should be supplied with appropriate case work information. Depending on the geographical location the designated manager in the originating authority may negotiate for assistance in carrying out the child protection plan during the period that the child will be resident in the new area.