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Contents

1. Criteria
2. Arrangements for Looked After Young People or Young People Subject to Child Protection Registration or Legal Proceedings
3. Consultations between the Sensory Needs Service and Children’s Division for Children and Young People up to 16 years
4. Attendance at Educational Reviews for 14-16 year olds
5. Rehabilitation Service to Visually Impaired Children from Birth to 16 Years
6. Practicalities
7. Resolution of Differences

1. Criteria

When young people with Sensory Needs reach the age of 16, case responsibility will transfer from Children and Young People Department to the Sensory Needs Service where the Sensory Need is the predominant disability.

AND

The young person is deemed to be a child in need and is therefore not subject to Child Protection Registration or legal proceedings or any kind of overnight looked after arrangement, be this either respite or full time.

AND

The focus of intervention is on the issues rising from the young persons sensory needs

2. Arrangements for Looked After Young People or Young People Subject to Child Protection Registration or Legal Proceedings

Where the young person meets the criteria of the Sensory Needs Service, the service will provide a consultancy service or joint work where consultancy cannot adequately achieve the required outcome.

3. Consultations between the Sensory Needs Service and Children’s Division for Children and Young People up to 16 years

The Sensory Needs Service will provide consultation to Children’s Division in the following circumstances:

1. Where there is specific focus arising from the child or young persons visual or hearing impairment.
2. Where decisions made by Children’s Division could have a significant impact upon the young persons transition from the age of 16-21. Key decisions include decisions on placements away from home or agreements to fund home support arrangements, which are likely to be long term.

Children’s Services will provide consultation to the Sensory Needs Service in the following circumstances:

1. Where there are concerns about a child’s welfare including parenting issues.
2. Where there are concerns about the child’s welfare as a result of the parents/carers sensory need.

4. Attendance at Educational Reviews for 14-16 year olds

1. The Sensory Needs Service will provide a specialist service to young people who are 14 years old and who are BSL users. The Sensory Needs Service will routinely attend all Education reviews of these young people in order to provide advice and information.
2. Any requests for the Sensory Needs Service to attend an Education Review for the above young people should be sent direct to the Sensory Needs Service.
3. If as a result of attendance at these educational reviews other needs are identified then the Sensory Needs Service will refer on to the appropriate agency, if this is Children’s Division then this will be to the Children’s Initial Contact Point

5. Rehabilitation Service to Visually Impaired Children from Birth to 16 Years

1. The Sensory Needs Service will provide independence training for children and young people through a Rehabilitation Officer (this post is funded until September 2006). It should be noted that the Rehabilitation Officer is not a qualified Social Worker. 
2. The Sensory Needs Service will be responsible for all registrations of visually impaired children.
3. The Rehabilitation Officer will refer to Children’s Division any issues which require social work advice or intervention.

6. Practicalities

1. Where transfer of case responsibility is agreed then the whole file should be sent to the Sensory Needs Service;
2. Case files will be required to meet Departmental standards. Therefore there will be:
   1. Transfer summary;
   2. An up to date assessment or/and a review which has been held within the previous six months.
3. Children’s Division should notify, where possible, the Sensory Needs Service of its wish to transfer a case twelve weeks prior to the young persons 16th birthday;
4. Joint visits will be required where there are complex issues to be addressed;
5. Where the young person is 16 years old and the young person meets the criteria for a service from the Sensory Needs Service, but the file is currently dormant, then the case file should remain with Children’s Division until the young person is re-referred or is 18 years old. When a re-referral occurs it is expected that Children’s Division will undertake an assessment to determine that a service from Sensory Needs Service is appropriate.

7. Resolution of Differences

It is expected that any difficulties in relation to transfers will be resolved between the Service Managers of the respective teams. If a resolution still cannot be achieved then the Service Managers make the final decision.

End