North West Safeguarding Children and Young People placed by other Local Authorities Protocol

Introduction

  1. A number of North West local authorities act as host authorities for Children of other Local Authorities (COLAs), by virtue of having a significant number of private, voluntary and independent placement providers located in their LA area. For the majority this does not cause any difficulty. However, a number of local authorities have experienced similar difficulties and concerns as a result of the actions of omissions of some home local authorities in relation to safeguarding children and young people in their care. This creates significant risks for the child/young person and significantly increases risks and pressures on local resources that respond to issues that could have been avoided had the placing authority taken appropriate action.

Purpose

  1. As a group of 23 local authorities a collective and consistent approach has been agreed in order to achieve a transparent escalation process across the North West to safeguard COLAs through which expectations are clear and inappropriate practice is challenged in the interests of the young people concerned.

Principles

  1. The Protocol is based on statutory guidance Out of authority placement of looked-after children: Supplement to The Children Act 1989 Volume 2: care planning, placement and case review guidance and applies to any children placed in each of our LA area by another local authority.
  1. We will provide written information about the local offer available to children and young people place in each of the 23 local authorities in line with the North West Association of Directors of Children’s Services procedure Placing children and young people in out of area and at a distance placements (Embedded below and see )
  1. We will use this approach to ensure that placing LA’s are clear about how to make approaches in advance of placing a child / young person in a NW local authority area, who the approach should be made with and what information is expected.
  1. All LA’s placing children out of area or at a distance will follow the regulations and have a discussion consult with the host LA before placing a child in that area

Action in relation to placements causing concern

  1. Where we find children or young people placed with providers that we have concern for, a conversation will be sought between senior managers or Directors of Children’s Services of the host and home LA outlining the reason for concern. Any correspondence will be made available to Ofsted in any subsequent inspection of the host LA.
  1. If we have reason to be concerned about the quality of care provided in our respective areas, we will raise this with the provider directly. We will also share that concern with senior managers in the placing authority (if we have received notification of the placement) and Ofsted. Where appropriate, notification of concerns will be provided via the Placement Northwest Information Sharing Protocol to LAs across the North West in addition to partner commissioning consortia *named on the ISP document. Those named at the time of publication:* White Rose (Yorkshire and Humber), West Midlands and London Care Placements. The Information Sharing Protocol is embedded below.
  1. If we have repeated concern regarding the commissioning activity of a placing LA where discussions and correspondence do not result in practice becoming compliant with regulations, the Director of Children’s Services (DCS) will intervene and speak with their colleague DCS in the placing LA to advise of the intention to escalate those concerns to Ofsted. We very much hope this will not be necessary.
  1. We are sure that all Directors of Children’s Services will understand that this course of action has come about as a result of a number of concerns that, in our view, have placed vulnerable children and young people at significant risk. The protocol is a way of trying to avoid future risks to this group through a transparent and consistent approach by us all.

Review

  1. This protocol will be reviewed not later than 31 March 2016.

North West Association of Directors of Children’s Services

April 2015

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May 2015