Case Transfer Protocol –For Children’s Social Work Teams

Aim of This Protocol

The aim of this protocol is to safeguard children and promote their welfare at times when case responsibility for them transfers from one team to another, so that:

  • Children and their families experience minimum interruption and no delays in service.
  • Cases can transfer in a smooth, timely and safe way and information is not lost.

Principles

  • Decision about transfer must always consider the interests of the child.
  • No delay.
  • One service – families experience a joined up service between teams.
  • Solution focused approach to resolving arising issues.

Minimum Standardsfor All Transfers between teams

  1. Early warning sent to receiving team (via activity to team clipboard), and transfer meeting and/or timing arranged.

.

  1. Transferring team to ensure:

a)Records updated about change. Complete NOC for change of team for LAC. For CIN and care leavers, changes to be updated on CF record e.g. change of team, legal status.

b)Child, young person and family informed of new team and new worker and contact details and reason for change of social worker. Introductory visits take place for all looked after children, and others where possible

c)Key professionals and relevant others informed in writing of new team and contact details (where no named social worker has been given the name of the responsible manager will be provided).

  1. All records on the child are available at transfer, and filed in accordance with paper and electronic file structure. Paper files to be transferred at the point of transfer with date and number of files clearly recorded on Care First. Receiving team to sign for the paper files once they take responsibility for them.
  1. On the date of case transfer, the receiving team’s manager will re-assign the case to the new worker in their team on Care First.
  1. If necessary, cases held on team duty awaiting allocation will be managed via each team’s duty system with manager oversight.
  1. Records (paper and electronic – Care First and Paperlite) are up-to-date and include the following:
  • All records saved in correct place and in line with file structures.
  • Up to-date child’s plan (care plan, child protection plan, pathway plan) authorised by manager.
  • Up to date placement plan for LAC.
  • Clearly identified timescales and dates of forthcoming meetings
  • Family and professional networks identified and contact details on records.
  • Transfer summary completed.
  • Accurate data e.g. on ethnicity, religion, need category etc.
  • Up to date chronology in place with all key decisions identified.
  • Completed assessments, signed off by the relevant manager.
  • Up-to-date case recording and genogram.
  • Record of financial agreements, and date of review (e.g. taxi costs etc.)
  • Contact arrangements between child and other family members.
  1. Cases without all of the above will not be accepted by receiving team until all tasks are completed.
  2. At transfer meeting or handover, receiving team manager is to identify any outstanding records/ tasks that have not been completed.
  3. Where cases are transferred within teams, the same principles and standards apply.

Specific arrangements

  1. MASH Team
  2. Transfer of Cases from Children’s Assessment Team.
  3. Transfer of CIN cases to CP Court Team.
  4. Transfer of Cases from CSWS teams to Engage.
  5. Transfer of CP Court to CIN Team.
  6. Transfer of Cases from CP Court Team to LAC Team – children in permanent care and subject to Care Proceedings.
  7. Transfer of S20 Cases to LAC team from CAT, CIN or CP Court Teams.
  8. Privately Fostered Children.
  9. Transfer of Cases from LAC Team for Children/Young People who Return Home, and require a social work service.
  10. Transfer of cases to CA16+ Team.
  11. Section 7 & Section 37 Assessment Requests.
  12. Transfer of Financial Responsibility.
  13. Transfer of cases between Local Authorities.

1. MASH Team

The MASH Team are the point of contact for referrals into Children’s Social Work Services. Once it has been identified that a Sec. 47 enquiry or Social Work Assessment is required, the case will be transferred to the Children’s Assessment Team.

The only exceptions to this are:

1.1Disabled Children

Any referral received for a child with complex needs will be forwardeddirectly to the 0-25 service.

1.2UASC

Any referral received for an unaccompanied asylum seeking child/young person will be transferred to the CA16+ team.

1.3Qualifying young people (for care leaving services)

Any referral received for a young person over 16 and under 25 who ceases to be looked after or accommodated in a variety of other settings, i.e. privately fostered, or made subject to a special guardianship order, will be transferred to the CA16+ team who will undertake a SWA to determine if they require support from CSWS.

1.4Care leavers who are over 21 and request support from the Local Authority

Any referral under these circumstances will be transferred to the CA16+ Team who will determine the appropriate level of intervention.

1.5Re-referrals

If a child or young person is referred back to CSWS after case closure, regardless of the time frame, the case will be dealt with by MASH team.

1.6Transferring in children on Child Protection Plans from another Local Authority

Where another Local Authority seeks to transfer a case to Solihull, the MASH Team will pass the case to the Children’s Assessment Team to undertake a SWA to establish the level of need and risk. Depending upon the outcome of the CAT SWA, either the CP Court team or the CIN team will be invited to attend the ICPC.

1.7Pregnant mothers/putative fathers on open cases

If a young person who is an open case becomes pregnant or is about to become a parent, the team will continue to work with that person and their unborn child. If the case is open to the CA16+ or LAC team and there are concerns that the unborn child or existing child may be a child in need, the CA16+ or LAC Team mustmake a referral to the MASH Team.

2. Transfer OfCases From the Children’s Assessment Team

2.1 When CAT have completed their SWA, the case will either be closed or transfer to either the CP team, CIN team , LAC team or be signposted to Early Help for community based support and services.

2.2 The receiving team will be given 5 working days early warning of the case being passed to their team.

3. Transferof CIN Cases to CP Court Team

3.1 Where a decision is made within the CIN Team to escalate the case to ICPC resulting in a CP plan being required, the CP Court team will take responsibility of the case from the ICPC.

3.2 If the concerns are significant, and require a more urgent response via legal intervention, then the case will transfer at the first Legal Planning Panel where the outcome is pre-proceedings or proceedings. If a CIN plan is still the most effective plan, the CIN team will continue to hold responsibility.

4. Transfer Of Cases from CSWS teams to Engage service

4.1 Where it is identified that there is no longer a need for a Social Work Service and Early Help support required, the Engage/ CSWSprotocol is to be followed.

5. Transferof CP Court Cases to CIN Team

5.1 Where it has been agreed at a Review Child Protection Conference that a child no longer requires a CP Plan but still requires on-going CIN Plan for a period of time, then the CIN team will be given an early warning of the Review Child Protection Conference and invited to attend. They will take responsibility for the CIN plan from this meeting.

6. Transfer Of Cases From CP Team To LAC Team - children in permanentcare and subject to Care Proceedings

6.1 For all children, the CP Court team will alert the LAC Team via a CareFirst activityat least two months in advance of the date of the final care hearing or Issues Resolution Hearing (or as soon as the date is known if less than two months) where itis planned the proceedings will be disposed of.

6.2 The LAC Team will identify a receiving social worker. A LAC manager will attend a weekly meeting with CP Court manager agree the transfer arrangements. The case should be considered at the weekly transfer meeting approximately 6 weeks in advance of the final hearing (or as soon as the date is known) to enable good introductions and handover of roles and information.

6.3 For children for whom a placement order is being sought, the allocated family finder (from ACE from February 2018) will play a crucial role in ensuring a smooth handover. They should be invited to the transfer meeting and included in the identification of roles and responsibilities.

6.4Where there is disagreement about the timing of the transfer, the Team Manager requesting the transfer will alert their Head of Service. The Heads of Service will decide on the issues within 5 working days.

6.5 The discussion at the weekly transfer meeting in these cases will pay particular attention to the child’s preparedness for the court outcome, and identify what is still needed in relation to the child’s understanding and readiness, and what further work is required. Where specific time limited planned work with a CSWS worker is in progress e.g. life story work, later life letters, this should be completed by the same CSWS worker with the agreement of the Team Managers.

6.6 The CP Court social worker will be responsible for communicating the outcomeof the court hearing to the child/ren and carers and family members.

6.7Joint introductory visits will be made to the child/ren and the carers in all cases.

6.8 The LAC team will take case responsibility within 24 hours of the final hearing. However, with manager agreement, the CP Court team social worker may be involved as a co-worker for a specific period of time to complete agreed work and ensure smooth handover.

7. Transfer OfS20 LAC Cases to LAC team from CAT, CIN or CP Court Teams

7.1Section 20 LAC children will be transferred to LAC team from CAT,CIN team or CP Court team at the first LAC review where there is a completed SWA and the plan is for child to remain LAC for at least a further 4 weeks, and there are no child protection or legal processes required.

7.2 For cases that may require legal planning meeting, the meeting should be convened as soon as possible while the case held in CAT, CIN or CP Court. If pre-proceedings or proceedings are decided, the case will be held by CP Court.

7.3Early warning of at least 5 working days should be given via an activity on CF. Transfer will take place at the LAC review. CAT/CP Court/CIN team willprovide at least 5 working days’ notice to invite the LAC team to the LAC review. If the case is not included in the weekly transfer meetings between CP Court and LAC team manager, a transfer meeting should be held either just before or just after the LAC review.

7.3If the SWA is not completed by the LAC review, the transferwill only take place once SWA is completed and there is an agreed plan for the child to remain LAC for 4 weeks or longer.

7.4 If a child within the CP Court team has a CP plan and is also LAC under S20,the Court Team will continue to hold responsibility. However, if the care plan, agreed by the LAC review, becomes one of permanency outside of the family, and the child no longer requires a CP plan, the CP Court team will provide two months’ advance notice to the LAC team of the LAC Review and the case will be transferred following this review. The case will be included in the weekly transfer meetings between CP Court and LAC team managers.

7.5 Where the S20 LAC child is 16 or 17 years old, the transfer will be to the CA16+ team.

8. Privately Fostered Children

8.1 Assessments of the child in a private fostering arrangement will be undertaken by CAT. CAT will refer private foster cases to fostering service for assessment of the carers. If the private fostering arrangement is confirmed, case responsibility for child will transfer to LAC Team to undertake the 6 weekly monitoring visits. To transfer the case to LAC team, 5 working days early warning should be sent via CareFirst. A transfer discussion or meeting should be arranged and held and the transfer checklist completed.

8.2 The Fostering Team will continue to deliver duties due to the carer while they are privately fostering. When the child becomes 16 years old, private fostering ends. LAC team will assess if their needs require services to be provided to them as a qualifying young person under care leaver legislation. If so, they will transfer young person to CA16+ team as a qualifying person.

9. Transfer ofcases from LAC Team forChildren/Young People Who Return Home

9.1 If a Looked After Child held in the LAC team returnshome on an unplanned basis, and there are concerns about risks of significant harm, a strategy meeting should be convened in line with CP procedures to consider the need for a s47 enquiry, agree the parameters for completing SWA and agree the interim safeguarding arrangements that may be needed. There may be a need to initiate proceedingsso consideration should be given to obtaining legal advice about the immediate circumstances and convening a Legal Planning Meeting. In some circumstances it may be appropriate to consider convening an ICPC. In both cases, the reports to Legal Planning Panel and/or ICPC will be undertaken by the LAC team social worker. In any of the above circumstances, the LAC team social worker willretain case responsibility.

9.2 Where there are not immediate concerns about risks of significant harm, the

LAC team will undertake a SWA and set out a plan. This will also apply for

children whose care order is revoked. The LAC team will oversee this plan for 3 months. If the case continues to meet CSWS thresholds, and there is a need for continuing social work intervention through a CIN plan beyond 3 months, the case will be transferred to the CIN team. If the level of need is lower, and support needs can be met through Early Help/Engage arrangements, referrals will be made in accordance with the Engage/CSWS protocol.

9.3Where a child from LAC team leaves care to become subject to Special

Guardianship Order, the LAC team will remain responsible for the delivery of any agreed Special Guardianship support.

10. Transferof CasestoCA16+ Team

10.1 LAC cases will be transferred to CA16+ at any point between 16 and 17 years old.

10.2 All LAC will be allocated a Social Worker and Personal Adviser(from the CA16+ team) by the time they time they are 16.5 years old, or within 6 months of becoming LAC for those becoming LAC at 16 or 17 years old.

10.3The exact timing of transfers from LAC team to CA16 team will be dependent on individual needs, and agreement between managers.

10.4 To transfer the case, a 2 months’ early warning should be sent via CareFirst, a transfer meeting should be arranged and held and the transfer checklist completed.

10.5 Relevant Young People

A child aged 16 and 17 who is no longer LAC, but had been looked after for at least13 weeks since the age of 14 and who have left care after 16, isa ‘relevant’ young person and eligible for services. The case will be transferred to the CA16+ team, and a personal advisor will be allocated to them.

10.6 Qualifying Young People

Any young person under 16 who ceases to be looked after or accommodated in a variety of other settings, i.e. privately fostered, or made subject to a special guardianship order, becomes a qualifying young person at 16 years old and is eligible to an assessment to determine if they require support from CSWS.

This assessment will be undertaken by a social worker in the CA16+ Team. If the assessment determines that they do require support from CSWS, then they will be allocated a personal advisor from CA16+ Team.

10.7Care leavers over 21 who return for support

If a care leaver is no longer receiving services from the Local Authority but requests support, the request will be dealt with via CA16+Team Duty service.

If the assessment determines that the young person is entitled to on going support then case responsibility will transfer to a personal advisor.

11. Section 7 and Section 37 Assessment Requests

11.1 If a court directed Section 7 or Section 37 report is received, it will beresponded to as follows:

a)If the child is an open case to a team, that team will undertake the S7 or S37 report.

b)If the child is not known to Children’s Services, then the CAT will complete the S7 or S37

11.2 In all cases where a S37 report is required, a Legal Planning meeting will need to be considered as there may be a possibility the Court may make orders to the Local Authority within the Private Law proceedings.

12. Transfer of Financial Responsibility

12.1 Financial responsibility will transfer to the receiving team at the same point as case responsibility transfers, with all details discussed at transfer meeting and recorded on CF.