3.3.4 Placement Plans and Placement Plan Reviews

AMENDMENT

This chapter was amended in October 2011 when Section 1, Placement Plans was added as a result of the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010.

Placement Plans
Purpose of Placement Plan Reviews
Frequency of Placement Plan Reviews
Who should Convene Placement Plan Reviews
Chairing Placement Plan Reviews
Who should Attend or Contribute to the Review
Preparation and Conducting the Review
Recording of Review Outcomes
Progress Chasing Review Outcomes

1. Placement Plans

Information to be included in the Placement Plan

The following information should be included in all Placement Plans:

How on a day-to-day basis the child will be cared for and the child’s welfare will be safeguarded and promoted by the appropriate person;
Any arrangements for contact between the child and parents/anyone with Parental Responsibility/any other Connected Person, including, if appropriate, reasons why contact is not reasonably practicable or not consistent with the child’s welfare; details of any Contact Order (under Section 8 or 34 of the Children Act 1989); the arrangements for notifying any changes in contact arrangements;
Arrangements for the child’s health (physical, emotional and mental) and dental care, including the name and address of registered medical and dental practitioners; arrangements for giving/withholding consent to medical/dental examination/treatment;
Arrangements for the child’s education and training, including the name and address of the child’s school/other educational institution/provider and designated teacher; the Local Authority maintaining any statement of Special Educational Needs;
The arrangements for and frequency of visits by the child’s social worker; and for advice, support and assistance between visits;
If an Independent Visitor is appointed, the arrangements for them to visit the child;
The circumstances in which the placement may be terminated;
The name and contact details of the Independent Reviewing Officer, the Independent Visitor if one is appointed, the social worker who will be visiting the child, and the Personal Adviser for an Eligible Young Person.

Additional information to be included where the child is placed with parents:

Details of the support and services to be provided to the parents during the placement;
The obligation on the parents to notify the Local Authority of any relevant change in circumstances including any intention to change address, any changes in the household in which the child lives and and any serious incident involving the child;
The obligation on the parents to ensure that any information relating to the child or the child’s family or any other person given in confidence to the parents in connection with the placement is kept confidential and that such information is not disclosed to any person without the consent of the Authority;
The circumstances in which it is necessary to obtain the prior approval of the Authority for the child to live in a household other than that of the parents;
The circumstances in which the placement of the child with the parents pending completion of the assessment of suitability will be terminated if the decision following completion of the assessment is not to confirm the placement.

Additional information to be included where the child is placed with foster carers, in a children’s home or in other arrangements:

The type of accommodation to be provided, the address and, where the child is placed in ‘other arrangements’, the name of the person who will be responsible for the child at that accommodation;
The child’s personal history, religious persuasion, cultural and linguistic background and racial origin;
Where the child is not in care, the respective responsibilities of the Local Authority and parents/anyone with Parental Responsibility; any delegation of responsibility by parents/anyone with Parental Responsibility to the Local Authority for the child’s day-to-day care; the expected duration of the arrangements and the steps to bring the arrangements to an end, including arrangements for the child to return to live with parents/anyone with Parental Responsibility; where the child is aged 16 or over and agrees to being provided with accommodation under Section 20 Children Act 1989, that fact;
The circumstances in which it is necessary to obtain in advance the Authority’s approval for the child to take part in school trips or overnight stays;
The Authority’s arrangements for the financial support of the child during the placement;
Where the child is placed with foster carers, the obligation on the carers to comply with the terms of the foster care agreement.

2. Purpose of Placement Plan Reviews

The purpose of Placement Plan Reviews is to ensure the Placement Plan / Placement Information Record for Looked After Children continue to be kept up to date in order to meet their needs, as set out in a Care Plan or Pathway Plan.

This does not prevent the child’s social worker or manager of the home (in relation to a child placed in residential care) from amending or making modifications to the Placement Plan / Placement Information Record between Placement Plan Reviews so long as this has been agreed between the social worker and carer as well as with the child, parents and others affected.

3. Frequency of Placement Plan Reviews

Placement Plan Reviews should be held at the following intervals:

Within 72 hours of the child’s placement in residential care if a Placement Information Record was not completed prior to the placement, sufficient to sustain the child until the first Looked After Review - see Placement in Residential Care Procedure;
Within five working days of the child’s placement in foster care if a Placement Information Record was not completed prior to the placement, sufficient to sustain the child until the first Looked After Review - see Placement in Foster Care Procedure;
As part of a Looked After Review or, if this is not possible, a Placement Plan Review should be conducted as soon as possible after each Looked After Review;
After serious Incidents or in the light of significant changes in the child’s circumstances that suggest it is necessary to review the arrangements set out in the Placement Plan / Placement Information Record;
At other times agreed between the social worker and provider/carer;
Where the Statement of Purpose for a children’s home.

4. Who should Convene Placement Plan Reviews

In children’s homes, the manager of the home or a person delegated to act on the manager’s behalf will usually convene Placement Plan Reviews.

In other placements, the social worker should convene the review

5. Chairing Placement Plan Reviews

In children’s homes, the manager of the home, or a person delegated to act on the manager’s behalf such as the Link Worker, will chair Placement Plan Reviews;
In other placements, the social worker will chair the review.

6. Who should Attend or Contribute to the Review

The people who should contribute are:

The child’s social worker;
The child;
The child’s parents;
The foster carer and foster carer’s link worker or a representative from the children’s home;
Other significant people, for example previous carers.

7. Preparation and Conducting the Review

Before the Review the chairperson should obtain or be up dated on the following:

The child’s Placement Plan / Placement Information Record;
Any work which has been undertaken by key professionals involved in supporting the child’s placement;
The child’s Care Plan and/or Pathway Plan.

The chairperson should also ensure that the child, parent(s) and others who have been asked to contribute understand the purpose of the review, how it will be conducted and are given the opportunity to put their views and suggestions.

During the Review, the chairperson should ensure the following:

That consideration is given to the continuing appropriateness of the placement within the context of the child’s Care Plan and/or Pathway Plan and the need for the Placement Plan / Placement Information Record to be amended as appropriate;
That the child’s Placement Plan / Placement Information Record is updated if appropriate, and new or updated copies are circulated to those who were invited or contributed.

This does not mean that amendments or modifications to Placement Plan / Placement Information Record may only be made at Placement Plan Reviews. When Placement Information records are formulated and at each Placement Plan Review, the social worker and foster carer, foster carer’s link worker or home manager should agree the extent to which they can be amended or modified between Placement Plan Reviews or without consultation.

If there are concerns about the suitability of the placement, consideration should be given to the following:

Whether it is possible to sustain the placement until the next Looked After Review by, for example, providing additional support to the placement;
Bringing forward the date of the next Looked After Review.

8. Recording of Review Outcomes

The chairperson must ensure the following is recorded at the end of the Placement Plan Review:

The updating or amendment of the child’s Placement Plan / Placement Information Record;
If it seems appropriate, additional minutes.

Copies of these records should be circulated to those who attended or were invited to contribute, including the Team Manager (Placements)where the placement is with an external provider.

The child’s Independent Reviewing Officer should be informed of any unexpected changes in the child’s placement provision, as a result of the Placement Plan Review

9. Progress Chasing Review Outcomes

Where the chairperson is concerned about delay in implementation of aspects of the Placement Plan / Placement Information Record or Care Plan, he or she should take matters up with those responsible and, if necessary, relevant managers.

End