Admission and Transition

At the point when it is determined that a placement may be required, and throughout the subsequent process of identification, planning and placement, the social worker must consult and take account of the views of the following people:

1. The child;
2. The child's parents;
3. The Child's Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO), if the child is moving from another Looked After Placement;
4. If the child is at Key Stage 4 the Nominated Officer within the placing authority must be consulted prior to the placement;
5. Anyone who is not a parent but has been caring for or looking after the child;
6. Other members of the child's family who are significant to the child;
7. The child's school or education authority;
8. The Youth Offending Service, if the child is known to them.

The social worker should ensure that the proposed placement is in keeping with the overall Care Plan for the child, which should be set out in writing.

The Care Plan should demonstrate that the child's needs will be met by the proposed placement.

The Care Plan should be completed before the child becomes Looked After, or within 10 working days of the child’s placement.

If a placement is approved, the social worker should ensure that a Placement Information Record/Placement Plan is drawn up before the placement starts, or within 5 working days of the placement. This should be current and consistent with the type of service that is being sought (Residential not foster care).

The Manager of the Home will be responsible for formulating a Placement, Care & Pathway Plan (PCPP), to be completed on admission or when an emergency admission during the first 72 hours (please refer to the Emergency Placement and Emergency Review policy)

At this stage further supporting information may be requested by the Registered Home Manager in relation to education arrangements, Personal Education Plans (PEP’s) and any Statement of Special Education Needs or Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan if applicable.

Before a referral is made the social worker is normally required to seek management authorisation. The social worker may also be required to make the referral via a placement service or budgetary management process.

Any transfer of a child from another Looked After Placement who is at Key Stage 4 (year's 10 or 11) must be approved the Nominated Officer within the placing authority.

The decision to place a child out of area must be approved by the Nominated Officer, unless it is a Placement at a Distance, (i.e. outside the area of the local authority and not within the area of any adjoining local authority), in which case the approval of the Director of Children's Services is required. 

The placing authority must give written notification to the area authority of the arrangement for the child’s placement before the placement is made or if the placement is made in an emergency within five days of the start of the placement unless it is not practicable to do so.

The Nominated Officer/ Director of Children's Services must be satisfied of the following:

• That the child's wishes and feelings have been ascertained and given due consideration;
• That the placement is the most appropriate placement available for the child and consistent with the Care Plan;
• That relatives have been consulted where appropriate;
• That the Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) has been consulted (usually the IRO will discuss with the child after the child has visited the proposed placement). For children placed in England, unless it is an emergency placement, the child’s Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) must be consulted before a child is placed outside the placing authority. If the child is placed in an emergency, the IRO must be consulted as soon as practicable after the commencement of placement;
• That the area authority has been notified, or, for a  Placement at a Distance, the area authority have been consulted and have been provided with a copy of the child's Care Plan.

The social worker must assess the suitability of the placement. This includes referring to the Home's Statement of Purpose and location assessment; consulting the Home's manager to ensure that proper arrangements are in place for the child to have contact with his/her family and significant others, particularly when the child is placed at a distance away from their family home; and considering the arrangements for meeting the child's health and education needs.

For more information, see The Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations - Volume 2: Care Planning, Placement and Case Review.

• Planned admissions are Placements required with more than 72 hours’ notice.
• Imminent admissions which are required within 72 hours.
• Emergency admissions are required within 24 hours. This section covers planned placements, for emergency placements see Emergency Placements and Emergency Reviews Procedure.

A Referral Form must be completed and taken into consideration (if this is not possible the placement can still be agreed but is deemed to be an Emergency Placement, subject to an Emergency Review within 72 hours of the child's admission, please refer to the Emergency Placements and Emergency Reviews Procedure.

Referrals will be received predominately via an online referral email system and the allocated telephone number; out of hours this will be covered by the on call managers to ensure a 24hour referral access, including emergency referral requests.

The first stage of the referral and admission process begins with the receipt of the placement/referral paperwork by the Referral Officer. The Referral Officer is able to assess the legislative/resource implications of the placement search and has a relationship with and understanding of their placement criteria. On receipt of a referral request from a Local Authority Placement Team it is imperative that an acknowledgement to the placement team member making the referral request is provided without delay to inform them if we have or do not have bed availability and if we can or cannot provide them with a placement.

As such the Referral Officer/Nominated Manager will read the referrals and if they feel the needs and requirements of the young person being referred meets with the current Statement of Purpose and Function (SOP) / Home Location Impact Report (HLIR) for the identified home, and if there is a place available in the locality requested by the Local Authority, they will make further enquiries into the referral, request further documentation if required and request a discussion between the allocated Social Worker and Home Manager/Nominated Manager;

The Referral Officer/Nominated Manager will commence the placement questionnaire, completing Part 1, and share this with the appropriate Home/ Deputy/ On-Call Manager.

On occasions there are referrals received where the Referral Officer/Nominated Manager will make no contact with the Registered Home Managers as they clearly do not meet our homes SOP’s. The placing authority will be sent an email to inform them that there is no bed availability to meet the needs and requirements for the young person being referred.

The Referral Officer/Nominated Manager will consider the profile information detailed from the information provided by the placing authority and seek clarity of additional information if required. The referral will be sent out electronically by the Referral Officer/Nominated Manager to any home which is felt meets the need of the young person. The Referral Officer/Nominated Manager will telephone the Registered Home Manager in order to confirm that this has been received and that it is being given the highest priority in terms of a response.

A robust referral and placement impact protocol to ensure that placements are appropriate and in line with the care plans or the young person. At the time of referral, in order to meet the expected outcomes for that young person, we carefully consider the needs and behaviours of the young person being referred with those of the young people already in placement and take into account the specific skills of the staff teams. Should the Registered Home/ Deputy Manager at that point feel they are able to offer a placement, they will complete the expression of interest form (where appropriate) and notify the Referral Officer/Nominated Manager to inform them of their decision.

Contact will be made with the Local Authority Placement Team by the Referral Officer /Nominated Manager to inform them the Home Manager has completed a placement impact matrix and that a placement can be offered. At this point information about the home including, expression of interest form (if required) Ofsted report, SOP and marketing information for the specific home is provided to the placing social worker to assist them in making a judgement to the suitability of the placement. This will endeavour to ensure the young person needs are best met by placing them in the provision; and thus that would allow the young person to achieve best possible outcomes.

If deemed appropriate the Registered Home / Deputy Manager may wish to suggest an increased support package for a young person to enable them to be initially observed within the home environment.

On these occasions the Registered Home / Deputy Manager will liaise with appropriate professionals to consolidate this support package and present this to the Referral Officer / Nominated Manager. The Referral Officer/Nominated Manager will propose this to the Local Authority Placement Team. This will be evidenced within the section of the Placement Impact Matrix.

On occasions where the Registered Home/ Deputy Manager does not feel the referral is a suitable placement, having completed a Placement Impact Matrix to the young people currently residing at the home, they will contact the Referral Officer/Nominated Manager and this information will be retained for future reference. The Registered Home/Deputy Manager must complete a ‘Decline Form’ outlining their reasoning for the decision that the placement would not be suitable for the referral, this is then reviewed by the Regional Manager prior to informing the Local Authority, to ensure no further support could be explored.

The Referral Officer/Nominated Manager will provide feedback to the Local Authority Placement Team and where appropriate Social Worker, allowing them to seek alternative placement options.

Process:

1. Where the placement request meets the homes SOP / HLIR and a vacancy exists a referral will be made to the Home Manager (Regional Manager);
2. Follow up phone call made by Referral Officer to acknowledge receipt of referral;
3. Home Manager to complete a Placement Impact Matrix Part 2 in relation to considering the impact the new admission may have on the young people currently residing at the home;
4. Home Manager responds to Referral Officer if in need of more information or to complete expression of interest form (if required) or to accept referral and therefore make an offer of placement;
5. If the Home Manager wishes to reject the placement or requires additional resources they must speak with the Referral Officer and Regional Manager who will contact the placement team that is making the referral and request they provide additional information to assist the Home Manager in the decision making process;
6. If with additional resources approved the Home Manager may wish to offer a placement, they must speak with Referral Officer to agree any agreements to be included to the placement, such as taking the young person on a time limited placement to allow appropriate time to evaluate if the young person is suitable long term to be placed at the home
7. If the Referral Officer accepts the reason to reject the placement the Referral Officer will inform the Placement Team with accurate information to why the referral could not be complete;
8. The Home Manager is to complete the ‘Placement Questionnaire’ document and provide the Referral Officer with a copy of the documents and a further copy placed in the young person main file on Charms;
9. Where a young person enters the home / when a young person leaves the home, the Home Manager is to complete a notification letter and submit to the Director of Children’s Services of the Hosting Authority or where applicable to the hosting Placements team. This is in respect to the Children’s Home Regulation 12B (revised 2015). “Notification to the missing person’s unit may also be applicable”.

Though not essential, the following should be undertaken before a decision is reached:

• Arrangements should be made for the Home's Manager or delegate to meet the child, parent(s) or carers;
• An Information Pack and/or brochure about the home should be forwarded to the Placing Authority, parent(s) or carers;
• An Information/Children's Guide should be forwarded to the child;
• Up to date Chronology should be obtained;
• Other relevant information about the child. For example, recent Looked After Review reports, Pathway Plan, Personal Education Plan, reports from specialists or therapists.

If it is agreed that a placement if offered to the child, the Local Authority draft an Individual Placement Agreement to be shared for the Registered Home/Deputy Manager to review and counter-sign.

A copy of the completed/signed Service Agreement/Contract, Referral Form and other documents obtained must be given to the Home's Manager to be placed on the child's file.

See Appendix A: Referral Process Flowchart.

Planned Admissions

Prior to the admission, the Registered Manager (and/or designated staff) should have been involved fully in discussions concerning the young person and their needs. The Home should be provided with relevant plans and information to enable an informed and proper assessment of the young person’s needs. The Home should be able to meet the needs of the young person. If it is assessed that additional resources are required to support the young person these should be put in place prior to admission.

The Registered / Deputy Manager will complete a Placement Impact Matrix (PIM) in which consideration is given to the assessed needs and risks of the child and how the home can respond to these needs effectively. The matrix also considers the impact that the child will have on the existing group of children.

During the referral process it is expected that the Placing Authority /Social Worker will provide the Home with the necessary documentation / information which should include the following:

• Referral and Individual Risk-Assessment;
• Placement Plan (within 5 working days if child not previously LAC);
• Care Plan (within 10 working days if child not previously LAC);
• Placement Agreement; which, for out of county placements must have been agreed by the Director of Children’s Services;
• Medical consent form (completed and signed by person with parental responsibility);
• Education details (last school attended, school to attend, educational arrangements, PEP);
• Health Record (including on-going medication/treatment);
• Education Health Care Plan (EHCP); where one exists;
• Details of pending appointments (GP, Hospital, Dentist, Court, etc.);
• Contact with family arrangements;
• Day-to-day care plan with agreed objectives between the young person and their family along with any special care requirements;
• Any associated current court orders.

The documents/information above should be taken into account when completing the child's Placement Plan. The responsibility for the completion of the Placement, Care & Pathway Plan (PCPP) rests with the Home's Manager.

These documents should be saved onto the child’s Charms file as soon as possible.

If the young person is not from the home’s local authority, the Home will inform the local authority of the young person’s details (see Section 4, Admission, Information for Children and Notifications).

The Home provides all young people with an easy to understand Guide and Information Pack, prior to arrival, (where possible emergency placements will receive this information on arrival at the Home) which contains information about the Home, together with the date/time expected, and the person to contact upon arrival. The guide will be revised to make necessary adjustments to meet the child’s individual communication needs/ understanding. 

To ensure that the information has arrived safely, and is understood, the Manager of the Home, or a designated member of staff will confirm these arrangements, preferably by phone, no later than 48 hours before arrival, by contacting the young person directly, or by contacting the young person’s representative. It is for the Home's Manager/delegate and social worker to agree whether the Placement Plan has been completed sufficiently to sustain the child until the first Looked After Review.

If there is no agreement, a Placement Plan Review must be convened within 7 days of the placement to enable the plan to be completed satisfactorily.

Subsequent Placement Planning Meetings must be convened each week until the plan is completed satisfactorily.

Imminent Admissions

If the decision is made to place a young person into residential accommodation by a Local Authority and that placement is required within 72hrs, the Referral Manager will notify the Registered Manager/ Deputy / On-Call Manager as soon as reasonably practical.

The nominated manager will commence the suitability process with relevant plans and information available consistent with the expectations of a planned admission.

It is the responsibility of the nominated manager to ascertain the current relevant information from the placing authority. This enables them to make an informed professional judgement whether we can provide the child with a suitable placement.

Upon admission, due to the current risk of COVID-19, as part of the home’s risk management the young person will have their temperature taken and requested to wash their hands. This will be explained further in more detail when they go through their children’s guide of the home.

On arrival the young person is made welcome and introduced to staff and other young people who are resident.  They will be shown their room and given time to unpack their personal belongings. Children should be provided with key information - as follows:

• A copy of the Child's Care Plan, Placement Information Record, the Home's Placement Plan and other key plans and arrangements;
• A copy of the Children's Guide for the home; if not covered in the Children's Guide, the Child should be given information about the following:
  • The layout of the Home and toilet/bathroom facilities;
  • Fire precautions/drill;
  • Representations, Complaints and Compliments Procedure;
  • The name of the designated keyworker;
  • The Daily Routines for the Home, including meal times or arrangements;
  • Details of any House Rules, and whether any sanctions will apply if rules are broken;
  • Arrangements for the child's education.

Within 24 hours of the child's placement, the keyworker or another member of staff should meet the child to check that this information has been given and that the child understands them fully. If there is any doubt, the keyworker should arrange to meet the child for a second time to clarify/confirm any misunderstandings.

Care and consideration is to be given to identify any risks that need to be managed during the young person’s stay at the home. The initial placement, care and pathway plan (PCPP) and behaviour & risk management plan (BRMP) will be completed upon admission and updated following the 72hour placement planning meeting/next review meeting, then monthly or following a significant event.

A ‘Safer Handling Behaviour and De-escalation Plan’ will be implemented for any known health concerns/ disabilities that may be affected by the use of physical intervention.

All plans will be saved onto the child’s Charms file as soon as possible and sent to the staff team for electronic signature.

The child’s Charms file should be completed with all known information, gathered from relevant plans, discussions with professionals and previous carers/ family. Any high-risks, including health should be recorded as ‘Warning signs’ within the Charms system.

All staff on duty on the day and time of arrival will be informed by the Manager or a designated member of staff of the expected arrival of the young person, together with essential information, such as age, gender and preferred means of address. All young people will be encouraged to bring important possessions with them, although prior assessment and consideration may be necessary with regard to bringing pets or items of high value into the Home.

All young people will be provided with contact information of their Local Authority’s Advocacy Service details and contact information for their Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO).

The Home will organise an induction programme for the young person. This programme will be distributed to all involved to ensure everyone understands his or her own individual responsibilities. The programme will remain flexible and capable of alteration at short notice.

Each young person will have a designated keyworker to provide continuity of care and oversight of the young person’s PCPP and to act as a consistent contact person for the young person’s family/carer and local authority worker.

The young person’s keyworker will take responsibility for completing the induction programme, seeking input from other staff members, other young people in the Home and the young person. If the young person’s keyworker is unavailable another member of staff will be allocated to act as temporary keyworker to the young person. The key-worker is responsible for ensuring that information held on the child’s Charms file is accurate, updated and relevant. They should explain to the child how records are kept and their rights to access them.

Staff will communicate clearly with the young person on issues that will immediately affect them and support them into a routine, e.g.

• Meal times and where to find snacks and drinks;
• Where the toilets are;
• What happens if they go Missing;
• Location and use of telephones;
• Contact arrangements with family and how to make contact – details of next contact;
• Fire escape routes and what to do if the fire alarm sounds (fire evacuation within 24hrs of arrival and documented);
• What to do if they feel unwell;
• Who they should tell if they are going out;
• Daily routines and bedtimes;
• Laundry arrangements;
• Planned outings and special events;
• Zero tolerance to bullying;
• Resident meetings;
• Complaints procedure;
• Rules about substance’s - smoking and drug taking;
• Pocket money and clothing allowances;
• Rewards and sanctions;
• Any other house rules and issues;
• Showing them the local area (if appropriate).

In order for the Home to have sufficient information to ensure proper enquiries can be made should a young person go missing or if the Home is needed to call on the assistance of the Police the Home will hold photographs of a young person, together with a detailed description of them on file. (See also: Missing Children Procedure).

If a recent photograph is unavailable staff will seek consent to obtain one. Photographs of young people not of an age to give informed consent will require the consent from their parents or those with parental responsibility. Children/young people of an age to give informed consent (14+) should be enabled to do so. Photographs of young people subject to care orders do not require parental consent.

Photographs will not be given to the Police or any other person as a matter of routine. It is important that the privacy of the young person is respected with regard to any material that relates to them.

If a photograph is provided to the Police to assist them in identification, it should be returned as soon as possible and placed back in the young person’s file.

All such photographs will remain the property of the Home and be subject to the same care as would be afforded other documentation, (In line with GDPR). See Information Sharing Procedure. Photos are saved onto the child’s Charms file.

As part of the admission process and during the first two weeks of the young person’s arrival staff will observe and review the young person’s needs, any immediate medical care or higher levels of supervision will be actioned. The initial PCPP will be completed with the child covering all known placement, care or pathway objectives and how the home will support the child to achieve these objectives. (See Care and Placement Planning).

Unless that authority is also the child’s placing authority, the placing authority must give written notification to the area authority of the arrangement for the child’s placement before the placement is made, or if the placement is made in an emergency within five days of the start of the placement unless it is not practicable to do so.

The notification must state:

• The child's name and date of birth;
• Whether the child is Accommodated under Section 20 or subject to a Care Order or Supervision Order;
• The contact details for:
  • The child's placing authority; and
  • The child's Independent Reviewing Officer.
• Whether the child has an Education, Health and Care Plan and, if so, details of the local authority which maintains the Plan.

Notification of the placement must be sent by the Social Worker/Placing Authority, to all those consulted and involved in the decision-making process within 5 working days of the placement starting.

If not consulted during the decision making process, the following people/agencies must be notified:

1. The team/unit, within the Placing Authority, responsible for arranging Looked After Reviews, so that the child's first/next Looked After Review can be arranged, normally within 20 days of the child's placement;
2. The Health Trust;
3. The Local Education Authority;
4. The Children's Services Department in the area where the child is placed; these notifications must be made in writing advising of the placement decision and the name and address of the person with whom the child is to be placed.