6.2 Care Plans

SCOPE OF THIS CHAPTER

This chapter provides guidance on making Care Plans for Looked After children. Children involved in legal proceedings are the subject of an additional Care Plan. See Court Proceeding Procedures.

Who must have a Care Plan
Who is Responsible for the Plan
Timescales for Completion
Approval of the Plan
Consultation
Purpose
Review
Contents
Circulation

1. Who must have a Care Plan

Every Looked After child must have a Care Plan. The Looking After Children (LAC) Care Plan Record is usually suitable for this purpose. For Care Plans filed in Care Proceedings, see Court Proceeding Procedures.

If the LAC record is not sufficient to cover all the aspects outlined in this guidance, it is acceptable to attach or cross-refer to additional information/documents.

2. Who is Responsible for the Plan

The Care Plan must be completed and updated by the child’s social worker.

3. Timescales for Completion

The Care Plan must be drawn up as soon as the need for the child to be looked after has been identified. It should be completed prior to the child’s first placement. See: Decision to Look After, Care and Permanence Planning Procedure.

If there are exceptional reasons that prevent the Care Plan from being drawn up prior to the child’s placement, the key objectives of the child’s admission to the looked after service and the proposed placement must still be identified and recorded.

If satisfied, the manager can then approve that the Care Plan is drawn up within a maximum of 7 days of the placement.

The Care Plan can be updated by the social worker, with the manager’s approval, at any time. The Care Plan is then subject to scrutiny at each Looked After Review.

4. Approval of the Plan

A Final Care Plan taken before the Court in Care Proceedings must be endorsed and signed by a Designated Manager (Care Plans). NB The Designated Manager for Care Plans is different to the Designated Manager for Legal Care Plans.

All other Care Plans must be endorsed and signed by the social worker and team manager.

5. Consultation

This guidance must be read in conjunction with guidance on Consultation contained in Policy, Values and Principles, including Principles of Recording, Equality, Confidentiality and Consultation.

The social worker is responsible for drawing up and updating the Care Plan in consultation with:

The child
The child’s parents
Anyone who is not a parent but has been caring for or looking after the child
Other members of the child’s family network who are significant to the child
The child’s school or education authority
The relevant health trust
The Youth Offending Service, if the child is known to them
Any other agency involved with the child’s care

6. Purpose

The purpose of the plan is to safeguard and promote the interests of the child, prevent drift and focus work on achieving Permanence or rehabilitation for the child.

Before a Court grants a Care Order it must be satisfied that a suitable Care Plan has been drawn up.

7. Review

The Care Plan must be regularly reviewed at Looked After Reviews. However, it is the responsibility of the social worker and his/her manager to make decisions and amendments in relation to the Care Plan.

By the time of the second Looked After Review, the Care Plan must contain a plan for achieving permanence for the child within a timescale that is realistic, achievable and meets the child’s needs. If it is considered that the chosen avenue to permanence is not viable, the Reviewing Officer should ensure that a planning meeting is convened as a matter of urgency to consider the most appropriate permanent alternative.

At the third Looked After Review, a Contingency Plan must be made where the plan for permanence has not been achieved. No further rehabilitation plan should be included in the plan unless there are exceptional reasons to justify it or where further assessment is specifically directed by the Court in which case, the Contingency Plan must include the active pursuit of an alternative placement for the child.

All subsequent Reviews should review the progress and validity of the Permanence Plan.

8. Contents

The information contained in the Care Plan must cover the following areas.

1.	The overall aims and timescales for achieving Permanence (to be included by the second Looked After Review at the latest)
2.	The objectives of the plan, phrased in terms of how permanence will be achieved for the child
3.	How these objectives will be met including the proposed legal status of the child, the proposed placement and the proposed relationship with the carers,
4.	Time-scales for achieving the plan
5.	Details of any direct work to be carried out with the child preparing them for permanence
6.	Details of any future contact with family members, direct or indirect, where the plan is for an alternative permanent placement
7.	The criteria that will be used to evaluate the success of the plan.
8.	Any Contingency Plans to avoid delay in securing an alternative permanent placement for the child in the event that the plan of first choice becomes unworkable (to be included by the third Looked After review at the latest)
9.	The child’s needs and wishes The child’s identified needs (including those arising from race, culture, spirituality, language, education, health or disability) The extent to which the wishes and feelings of the child have been obtained and acted upon, together with reasons including explanations of why the child’s wishes and views have not been given absolute precedence How the child’s needs might be met Arrangement for contact with family members Any proposals to restrict or terminate contact
10.	Views of others The extent to which the wishes and feelings of the parents and others have been obtained and acted upon, together with reasons including explanations of why their wishes and views have been discounted
11.	Placement details and timetable Proposed placement (type and details) Likely duration of the placement Support in the placement Other services to be provided to the child and/or family by the local authority or other agencies Specific detail of the parent’s role in the day to day arrangements Arrangements for health care and education
12.	Management and support by local authority Those responsible for implementing the plan and the respective roles of others Arrangements for input by the child, parent and others in the decision-making process Arrangements for notifying the local authority of disagreements or for making representations Dates of review Contingency Plan if the placement breaks down

9. Circulation

The Care Plan must be circulated to the following people:

The child - care must be taken to ensure the child understands it. If necessary, the child should be given additional material, suitable to his/her needs and abilities, which can better explain the Care Plan.
The parent(s) - who may also require help to understand the plan
Providers/Carers - if no Care Plan has been drawn up prior to the child’s placement, the social worker must ensure that the providers/carers understand the key objectives of the plan, and how the placement will help achieve these objectives

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