3.2.2 Emergency Placements

SCOPE OF THIS CHAPTER

This procedure applies to all emergency placements of Looked After children. The term ‘emergency placement’ as defined below does not include the immediate placement of Looked After children with relatives or friends - for the procedure relating to these placements, see Placements with Connected Persons Procedure.

Definition of Emergency Placement
Placement During Normal Working Hours
Placement Outside Normal Working Hours

1. Definition of Emergency Placement

An Emergency Placement is the placement of a Looked After child in foster care or residential care (including Secure Accommodation) made without the usual planning and/or thorough assessment process having taken place because of the need to ensure the safety and the welfare of the child immediately.

The following placements are deemed to be Emergency Placements:

The placement of a child outside normal working hours;
Any urgent placement where the necessary plans are not in place, i.e. where a child is abandoned, has suffered/is at risk of Significant Harm, or where there is an exceptional and immediate need to end an existing placement;
A placement in Secure Accommodation without a Court Order but authorised by a Designated Manager (Secure Accommodation) for a maximum of 72 hours.

Emergency placements with a local authority approved foster carer outside the terms of approval can be made for up to 6 working days - see

In the case of an out of area placement made in an emergency, see Section 3, Emergency Placements of the Out of Area Placement Procedure.

2. Placement During Normal Working Hours

2.1 Identification of the Placement

Where an emergency foster placement is required during office hours, the social worker must liaise with and provide a completed Placement Request Form to the duty Family Placement Service (FPS) officer, who will attempt to identify an appropriate internal resource. The duty FPS officer will consult with carers in relation to the proposed placement, as necessary and as time permits, to ensure the identified placement is appropriate to meet the child’s needs.

Where a proposed placement in foster care requires the grant of an exemption from the usual fostering limit, the procedures in Altering the Approval of a Foster Carer and Exemptions Procedure, will apply. If the placement is outside the foster carer’s terms of approval, the approval of the Designated Manager (Exemption from Fostering Limit) will be required.

Where an emergency residential placement is necessary during office hours, the social worker must liaise with the Team Manager (Placements) in order to identify a placement.

Where an external placement has been identified as necessary, including where a secure placement is required, the social worker must obtain the authority of the Designated Manager (External Placements) before making the request.

Where the proposed placement is with an external provider, the contact will include a discussion about basic costs, any services that would be deemed an extra cost, such as education or therapy, and the notice period.

In relation to requests for an emergency secure placement, the approval of the Designated Manager (Secure Accommodation) and, where the child is under 13, the Secretary of State will be required - see Placements in Secure Accommodation for the necessary procedure.

During office hours the Team Manager (Placements) will contact the Secure Bed Hotline to establish available vacancies; the Team Manager (Placements) will then provide the social worker with details of available placements.

In all cases, the child’s social worker must arrange to present the case to the next Placement Matters Meeting for approval.

2.2 The Placement

In all cases, the social worker must complete a Placement Plan / Placement Information Record, providing as much information as possible given the circumstances.

The child’s social worker will then complete the Placement Procedures as set out in the relevant chapter for Planned Placements, including referring the case to the next Placement Matters Meeting.

In order to ensure the appropriate arrangements to pay carers are in place, the child’s social worker must complete a Movement Form and arrange for the team administrator to send a copy to the relevant finance officer.

In addition, the child’s social worker must provide the necessary information to the relevant administrative staff so that Framework-i can be updated.

Although a meeting with the provider/carers to plan the placement will not be possible prior to the placement, this must take place within 72 hours for a placement in residential or foster care and within 24 hours for a placement in secure accommodation.

See Placement Plan Reviews Procedure.

3. Placement Outside Normal Working Hours

a.	When a placement appears appropriate, the Emergency Duty Officer will identify a suitable placement using the available placements known to the Team; they may also contact the ‘on call’ Manager for more information if necessary.
b.	In relation to requests for an emergency secure placement, the approval of the Designated Manager (Secure Accommodation) and, where the child is under 13, the Secretary of State will be required - see Placements in Secure Accommodation for the necessary procedures.
c.	The Emergency Duty staff should liaise as necessary with the provider/carers, seeking their view on the suitability of the placement. Where there is a significant difference of opinion, the ‘on call’ Manager should be consulted.
d.	When a decision is reached, the Emergency Duty Officer should liaise with the provider/carers to agree the time and other suitable arrangements for the child’s placement.
e.	Before a child is placed, the Emergency Duty Officer must ensure that a Placement Plan / Placement Information Record is completed as far as possible, depending on the information available, and hand copies to the provider/carers.
f.	The Emergency Duty Officer should if possible arrange an emergency Health Assessment of the child.
g.	Having placed the child, the Emergency Duty Officer must pass the top copies of the Placement Plan / Placement Information Record to the relevant social work team without delay.
h.	If the child is placed at beginning of a holiday period, e.g. Christmas Eve, the Emergency Duty Officer placing the child will arrange for the child to be visited at least once during the holiday period by the Emergency Duty Team to ensure the child’s needs are being attended to and the provider/carers have all they require to meet the child’s needs until the relevant social worker can follow the placement up.