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2.3.1 Protocol for Transfer of Work

AMENDMENTS

This chapter was significantly amended in November 2010 and should be re read.


Contents

1. Abbreviations
2. Introduction
Transfer of Cases due to a Change of Address
Access to Files Request
Re-Referrals
Referrals Regarding an Open Case
3. Assessment Teams
4. Children and Families Teams
5. Looked After Young People's Service
6. Family Centres
7. Children's Complex Health or Disability Team
8. Young People and Families Team 


1. Abbreviations

The following abbreviations are used in this protocol:

Abbreviation Definition
CICP Children's Initial Contact Point
CFT Children & Families Team
YPFT   Young People and Families Team
LAC Looked After Children and Young People Service
CCHDT Children's Complex Health or Disability Team
IAU Immigration & Asylum Unit
SCM Senior Care Manager
SM Service Manager
CPCC Child Protection Case Conference
CSE Children involved in Sexual Exploitation
CIN Children in Need
LCS Leaving Care Service
UASC Unaccompanied Asylum Seekers


2. Introduction

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This Protocol is structured in respect of the responsibilities of the sending unit / team. This document refers only to the transfer process and, as such, contains only part of previously issued protocol documents for individual teams / units. Those protocols cover a wider range of issues and will remain as stand-alone documents.

All cases transferred will adhere to this protocol. Delay in accepting transferred cases should be avoided in order to minimise disruption to service delivery. If there is concern by a receiving manager that work transferred has not been completed to an acceptable standard, or has been transferred in contravention to this protocol, then this must be taken up and resolved with the sending manager within one working day of receipt, or as soon as possible thereafter if delay is unavoidable. It is expected that a professional and pragmatic approach will be adhered to by the respective managers which ensures that issues concerning standards of work, or adherence to the protocol, are promptly addressed by the sending team and that the service user is not disadvantaged by this.

There may be occasions when a Service Manager authorises the allocation of cases (within their office) outside of these procedures to ensure an equitable balance of work across teams or to provide particular learning or development opportunities for staff.

Transfer of Cases due to Change of Address

  • Looked After children will not be transferred except as per existing arrangements for the transfer of cases into the Looked After Teams (from Assessment, YPFT and Children & Families Teams); the Independent Living Team (from Looked After Teams); and the Children & Families Teams (from the Assessment Teams).
  • Cases subject to an unfinished Initial or Core Assessment will not be transferred.
  • Child Protection and Children in Need cases can transfer to the Children & Families Team or YPTF  covering the home address at the following points:
    • transfer from an Assessment Team
    • when the Key worker leaves
    • when the key worker has a planned absence of more than 13 weeks
  • Cases should not, however, transfer as above where the expected end date for the case is less then 13 weeks. This will be determined by the sending SCM.
  • Cases transferring must adhere to the case file policy and procedures  and should, in respect of Looked After and Child Protection cases, be the subject of a handover meeting or review where the parent and child (as appropriate) are involved or, in respect of CIN cases, be the subject of pre-transfer discussion between the respective Senior care Managers.

Access to File Requests

  • Such requests will come into CICP and will be passed out to operational units on a three month rota basis. The rota includes the four main sites plus the LAC Teams, the Independent Living Team and the CCHDT. Such requests will not go to Assessment Teams as the service provision has already been defined.
  • The rota is held within the CICP and will be updated via the Service Manager group.

Re - Referrals

  • Children & families who are the subject of re-referrals (via CICP) will be passed out to the office dealing with the current home address, regardless of when the case was previously closed.

Referrals Regarding an Open Case

  • This protocol acknowledges the existing policy that current involvement with a family by more than one fieldwork team should be avoided, as should the involvement of more than one fieldwork manager. Consistency of planning, service delivery and case management is of paramount importance.
  • If a referral is taken by The CICP on a child whose sibling(s) is already an open case to an area team, the  new referral will be passed to that area team in circumstances where the existing (open case) child lives in the same household. The CICP may need to verify this by direct contact with the existing case holder before referral transfer.
  • If the existing (open case) child does not live in the same household then the matter will be passed to the area team covering the address of the new referral.
  • Where it is a referral on a child under 11yo and there is an existing open case - in the same household - which is the responsibility of either LAC or Young People and the YPFT, the assessment of the referral will be undertaken by LAC or YPFT, who will subsequently provide service delivery (where required) whilst the siblings remain part of the same household.
  • If, subsequently, the siblings separate e.g. by either of them moving out or statutory intervention leading to the removal of the younger sibling then the relevant CFT would assume responsibility for the child in their age range.
  • Where it is a referral on a child over 11yrs and there is an existing open case - in the same household - which is the responsibility of CFT, the assessment of the referral and subsequent service delivery will be undertaken by CFT whilst the siblings remain part of the same household.
  • If the siblings separate, case responsibility for the older sibling may be passed to the YPFT. If the older sibling is removed via statutory intervention that case would be passed to the LAC teams.

Transfer will take place from the CICP to the Assessment Teams as soon as:

  • it is deemed that it is appropriate work for Children's Social Care 

    Where it is apparent, within one working day of receipt of the case, that a case has been sent out to the wrong office e.g. wrong address given and  the assessment by the receiving team has not yet begun i.e. there has been no direct contact with the family, the receiving office can   redirect the case to the office which covers the current home address. Any cases held beyond   one working day will be dealt with by the original receiving office.

    Referrals regarding families who are in temporary accommodation e.g. hostels, refuges or other   short term provision, will be passed out to the office covering the current address i.e. the   address of the hostel, refuge etc.

Transfer will take place to Children & Families Teams or Young People and Families Teams when

  • it is a request for a Section 37 report, or a referral regarding a step-parent adoption.

Transfer will take place to Family Centres when

  • an  Assessment CAF has been completed, for example by a Health Visitor, and the outcomes of the assessment are clear and actions accurately recorded in that it is a service that the Family Centre can and do deliver.

Transfer will take place to the Children's Complex Health or Disability Team when

  • it is clear that the referral fits with the criteria for the CCHD team (see CCHDT protocol).

CICP provides a 'call centre' function for disabled children and those with complex health needs and, where the enquiry fits the CCHDT criteria, will transfer work straight into that service.

It is not anticipated that CICP will do anything other than ensure the necessary Integrated Children's System (ICS) work is undertaken and that there is clarity in relation to the diagnosis and issues presented.

Transfers will take place to the Immigration & Asylum Unit as follows:

  • CICP will send out work to the Immigration and Asylum Unit which requires assessment in relation to people who appear to be subject to immigration control. This work was formerly sent to the geographically based assessment teams.


3. Assessment Teams

3.1 Care Proceedings

As soon as the Assessment Team has determined that care proceedings, or removal via an Emergency Protection Order, are necessary to secure the child's welfare - and have obtained senior manager support for this action -  they will inform CFT or LAC (depending on the age of the child) of the intended action, in order that a case holder from those teams can be identified at the beginning of the process. 

The Assessment Team will remain responsible for the case until an Interim Care Order has been obtained at the first court hearing. 

Under the Judicial Protocol the Assessment Team will therefore be responsible for ensuring completion of the relevant court application papers, an initial chronology, preliminary assessment documentation, the initial statement, and the submission of any other relevant evidence e.g. medical reports. 

It will be important for the incoming worker and Assessment Team staff to work together during these first few days in order to ensure a smooth transfer of responsibility immediately after the first hearing.

3.2 Accommodated Children and Young People

  • Planned Accommodation.

The Division works to the principle that children and young people will be supported in their own communities and only Accommodated if a core assessment indicates that Accommodation is necessary to meet their needs. 

No child aged 11years old + should become Accommodated without the prior involvement of the YPFT who may be able to provide appropriate support services to avoid the need for the child to become Looked After. 

If Accommodation becomes inevitable, and SM approval has been obtained, the Assessment Team manager will alert their CFT or LAC counterpart (YPFT should already be aware of the matter as per the preceding paragraph) in order that a case holder from those teams can be identified at the beginning of the process. The case will transfer at the point of Accommodation and prior involvement of the incoming worker (where possible) will assist the transition of case management responsibility.

UASC See Supporting Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children Procedures

No Accommodated young person aged 11yrs+ will transfer to the LAC teams if the assessment indicates that the young person is likely to be discharged from Accommodation within three months. Where discharge within that timescale is a likelihood or possibility, the case will be transferred to the YPFT.

  • Unplanned accommodation.

If a child or young person has been Accommodated as a response to an 'emergency' situation - whether via the Assessment Team itself or the out of hours Emergency Duty Team - the Assessment Team will subsequently undertake a core assessment to ensure that there are no alternatives to Accommodation and the work will be transferred at the time that assessment is completed. As with planned Accommodation, early notification to CFT, YPFT or LAC will be required. In both planned and unplanned situations, attendance at Family Support Panel should take place.

In both circumstances (planned and unplanned accommodation) the Assessment Team will be responsible for completion of the relevant LAC documentation which is required at the beginning of the Accommodation episode  including ensuring the PIR is fully updated.

3.3 Child Protection 

The undertaking of Section 47 investigations and completion of core assessments, on new cases, is the responsibility of Assessment Teams. The expectation is that, if the assessment results in a Child Protection Case Conference, it is the responsibility of the Assessment Team to present their core assessment to that conference.

The Assessment Team should alert CFT or YPFT managers to the forthcoming CPCC in order that early consideration can be given to identifying a case holder. It is then the responsibility of the Children & Families or YPFT to allocate a Lead Social Worker, if the child is registered, or provide services to meet the child's needs or undertake a specialist assessment. The case will transfer immediately after the CPCC including situations where the decision to make the child subject to a child protection plan has been deferred.

The same process will apply in relation to young people at risk of sexual exploitation. The Assessment Teams will undertake a core assessment to identify the young person's service needs. A SCIP strategy meeting or discussion can be arranged at any time during the involvement of Social Services staff and therefore the timing of this would not be used to determine case responsibility.  Case responsibility will move at the time the assessment is completed.

3.4 Children in Need Cases

Assessment teams will hold responsibility until the completion of an assessment and if further work is identified will then pass case responsibility to the relevant Children & Families Team, YPFT, Family Centre or any other service provider as identified in the assessment.

3.5 Private Fostering

Notification that a child is subject to a private fostering arrangement will be passed to the Assessment Teams who will undertake any necessary checks and assess the situation in order to determine whether it is an appropriate arrangement for the child.  The outcome of the assessment will then be passed on to either a Children & Families Team or YPFT (depending on the age of the child) to deliver relevant service provision, and Private Fostering Procedures will be followed.


4. Children and Families Teams

Children & Families Teams usually work with children up to 11 years of age, some of whom will be Looked After and some of whom will be worked with on a preventive / support basis including child protection registrations. The timing of transfer to the LAC team is currently being reviewed with a view to the team working with younger children. Once plans are updated new procedures will be circulated. The procedure below will continue to apply, but on the basis of once a permanency plan that the child will continue to be looked after for their childhood. If there is a doubt regarding appropriateness of transfer to LAC the case should be discussed with the Service Manager (LAC).

Transfer of cases to the Looked After Young People Service (LAC)

4.1 Single Looked After children approaching 11 years of age

  • The statutory review preceding the child's 11th birthday will act as the "trigger" for notifying LAC of the need to arrange transfer of case responsibility.
  • LAC will be invited to attend the review where appropriate, and with reference to the likely impact on the child of a "stranger" at the review, using the LAC list that determines which team would subsequently receive the case. 
  • The relevant LAC Senior Care Manager will subsequently receive a copy of the review minutes (it is recognised that LAC will not always be able to send a rep to the review, although we should aim to achieve this where possible)
  • The CFT SCM will then follow up direct with their LAC counterpart to confirm who will be subsequently responsible for the case in order that worker to worker arrangements for transfer can begin.

4.2 Children approaching 11 years old who have younger siblings Looked After, or Looked After sibling groups who span the service age division

  • The overriding principle is that if siblings are Looked After, case responsibility should not be split. However, if the care plan for the oldest child, or children already over 11years old, is significantly different to the younger siblings - for example where the younger sib(s) is to return home or be adopted but the oldest sib will remain in the care system - consideration could be given to the merits of separate case holding.
  • Where the care plan is the same but the children are in separate placements case responsibility will not be split but remain with one case holder irrespective of the age span. 
  • If it is inappropriate to have separate case holding responsibility, then current case responsibility should remain until the care plans diverge or the average age of the sibling group is 11years.

Transfer of non LAC cases to the Young People and Families Teams

  • Cases involving a single child will transfer when that child reaches the age of 11years.
  • Where there are siblings who span the age divide living within one household, case responsibility will be retained by one worker. Case responsibility would only be split under exceptional circumstances and would require agreement with the relevant SM(s).
  • Case responsibility should be determined by the focus of the work. That is, if it primarily relates to the younger children then the Children & Families Team should deal with it, and vice versa.
  • Whilst the focus of work should be determined (for new cases) by the Assessment Team it is possible that this focus will change later with the undertaking of work by the Children & Families Team. The Assessment Teams will pass cases out to that part of the service which, at that time, appears most relevant to the presenting issues.
  • There are some families, with chronic multi-layered problems, where it is difficult to determine the primary focus of work. In general terms, where the focus is on 'neglect' issues, the work is more likely to be suitable to the services provided by CFT. Where the focus is on 'beyond control' / 'parent - adolescent conflict' issues, this work lends itself more readily to the YPFT. Where the work encompasses both, and it is impossible to determine one clear focus, decisions will be made on the basis of the number of children who require input aged over and under 11.

Transfer of Cases to Family Centres

  • Children subject to child protection registration will not be transferred to a Family Centre for case holding responsibility, although Family Centre staff are often involved in providing support services to such cases.
  • Family Centres will not be responsible for the case management of children who are Looked After although may provide a range of support services.
  • With CIN cases, when there is moderate need or the Social Worker has concluded their involvement but there is a need for continued family support the Family Centre Service can/will take responsibility if appropriate for continuing the work and managing the case file.
  • In all circumstances the case will be transferred with a completed chronology and transfer summary and in line with the other expectations of the case file procedures. 
  • For wider information refer to the Family Centres Protocol document.

Co-working Across the Services

  • The principle remains that, where it is helpful in providing relevant services to children, young people and families "in need", one part of the Service can access input from the other Service. e.g. YPFT can access relevant Children & Families services in respect of younger   siblings in the family, where such a request would meet the criteria for service provision within   Children & Families as described within the matrix of need, and vice versa.


5. Looked After Young People's Service

Transfer of Looked After young people from the Looked After Team to the Leaving Care Team will be discussed and planned for following the young person reading Pathway Planning age (15.6). The timing of transfer to a worker from the Leaving Care Team needs to take account of the young persons own views, their current educational situation and plans and their current care situation and plans. However for the majority of Looked After young people and care leavers, the Leaving Care Team should be the main team for those working with young people have left statutory education.

  • All young people 15.5 years + should be tracked by the transitions process in place between LAC and LCS in the 6 weekly transitions meetings.
  • At the end of year 11 the LAC worker should be considering the transfer of responsibility to LCS and in principle case plans should be in place regarding timing of transfer. The appropriateness of transfer should be discussed in the transitions meeting. The potential receiving LSC SCM should be identified.
  • Once it is agreed that transfer is appropriate it is LAC responsibility to prepare the file to agreed standards and prepare an initial Pathway Plan.
  • LAC sending SCM checks file and inform receiving SCM that the file is read - LCS Manager confirms acceptance.
  • It is suggested that LCS allocate a worker within 4 weeks of acceptance that the file is ready
  • LCS worker and LAC worker (with SCM involvements if required) agree a plan of introductions and transfer of responsibility that must be completed within a maximum of 3 months. (If in exceptional circumstances there is an agreed need for the LAC worker to continue involvement after 3 months this would be as alternative worker with a specific role not caseholder.)
  • If a young person has a disability which is likely to result in transfer to Adult Services at 18 case responsibility will remain with LAC until 17 and LAC will refer that young person to the appropriate adult team for a Community Care assessment at that age. Once it is known whether or not Adults have accepted the referral the Pathway Plan can be updated to reflect this and the case can be transferred as described above.


6. Family Centres

  • Family Centres will transfer cases to the Children & Families Teams when
  • child protection concerns arising on a Family Centre case have been the subject of a Section 47 investigation
  • the concerns have been substantiated 
  • the case has moved to the "severe" need category as per the matrix of need and requires management by a suitably qualified and experienced fieldworker. Such cases may result in child protection registration.

The use of the matrix of need is essential to demonstrate the movement from low/moderate to severe need categories.

When a child becomes 11 years of age and requires continuing support the Family Centre will transfer the case to the appropriate YPFT, if the case meets the "severe need" criteria within the matrix of need. Otherwise the case would be referred to appropriate community based support services.

Where a Family Centre wish to transfer a case where there is a sibling group which spans the CFT & YPFT age range, the principle embodied in this transfer document is that case responsibility should be determined by the focus of work and not by the age range of the sibling group i.e. if the work primarily relates to the younger children then CFT should deal with it, and vice versa re YPFT.

Where there are multi layered problems and it is difficult to determine the primary focus then, generally, where it relates to 'neglect' issues the work is more likely to be suited to CFT. Where it is more about 'beyond control' / 'parent-adolescent conflict' type of issues it is more likely to be suited to YPFT input. 

Where it is absolutely impossible to determine a clear focus final decisions would be made on the balance of ages within the group.


7. Children's Complex Health or Disability Team

See the Transition Arrangements between the Department of Services to Children and Young People and the Physical Disabilities Team


8. Young People and Families Team

The Young People and Families Teams work on a preventive basis with young people aged 11+ and their families, including those that are subject to child protection registration.

There will be times, however, when some of those young people become Looked After and as such consideration will then need to be given to case transfer to the Looked After Young People Service. Within that, the following procedures will apply:

  • Young People who are subject to care proceedings by notice will have been the subject of a core assessment process, leading to the decision to institute proceedings. Such legal intervention will therefore be planned and early notification should be given to LAC as soon as the decision has been made to take the matter to court. 
  • The Looked After Young People Service will appoint an allocated worker who will assume responsibility for the case following the first court hearing and the obtaining of an Interim Care Order.
  • In cases where emergency, unplanned, legal action has taken place the case should transfer once an Interim Care Order has been obtained and a core assessment has been completed.
  • For young people who are Accommodated the case will transfer to the Looked After Young People Service when a core assessment has been completed which identifies that the young person will remain Looked After in the mid - longer term i.e. beyond three months. Where the care plan is for rehabilitation then the case will remain with the YPFT.

The Young People and Families Teams will transfer case responsibility for young people 16 years old+ to the After Care & Independent Living Service under the following circumstances:

  • Where a young person 16yo+ had been Looked After on their 16th birthday but the period of care did not result in a transfer to the Looked After Young People Service - normally because the period of care started shortly before the birthday - and that young person has been discharged from the LAC system and is living "independently".
  • Homeless 16 year old young people in need, who cannot access or maintain accommodation without support, and where that support is not adequately available from other sources.
  • Young people who become 16 years old in arrangements covered by private fostering regulations (The Children (Private Arrangements for Fostering) Regs.1991).

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