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NOTE: The contents of this manual are currently Under Review. Before accessing the procedures, users should read the Quick Guide which explains how to use this manual.

1. Policy Values and Strategy

Caption: contents list

1.1	Policy and Values
1.1.1	Policy Values and Principles
1.1.2	Family and Friends Care - under review
1.2	Referral and Assessment
1.2.1	Assessments
1.2.2	Thresholds Guidance
1.2.3	Children in Need
1.2.4	Referral to Disabled Children's Team
1.2.5	Eligibility Criteria for Accessing Short Breaks
1.2.6	Eligibility for Care Support Services for Disabled Children and Young People
1.2.7	Short Breaks Service and Referrals
1.2.8	Capacity and Consent	Updated
	See also Early Intervention: Policy and Provision (House of Commons Library)
1.3	Allocation of Work
1.3.1	Workflow Between Social Work Teams - Transfers Protocol - to follow
1.3.2	Children Placed in the Area by Other Local Authorities/Placement Providers
1.3.3	Transfer of Child Protection Cases
1.3.4	Transfer Process to the Leaving Care Team - under review
1.3.5	Transfer Panel Process
1.4	Court Proceedings
1.4.1	Application for Emergency Protection Orders
1.4.2	Care and Supervision Proceedings and Public Law Outline
1.4.3	Legal Gateway / Planning Meetings
1.4.4	Section 7 and 37 Reports
1.4.5	Care Planning Practice Guidance
	See also: Working with foreign authorities: child protection cases and care orders Departmental advice for local authorities, social workers, service managers and children's services lawyers (July 2014)
	See also Family Justice Resource Hub (ADCS). This hosts a series of practical resources, such as templates, tools and practice guidance, which will be of interest to those working in the family justice system.
1.5	Children Involved in the Youth Justice System
1.5.1	Looked After Children and Young People in Contact with Youth Justice Service
1.5.2	Responsibilities of the Local Authority to Former Looked After Children and Young People in Custody
1.5.3	Children Involved in the Youth Justice System: Additional National Guidance
	See also: Remands to Local Authority Accommodation or to Youth Detention Accommodation
1.6	Safeguarding Children
	Please also consult the London Safeguarding Children Procedures
1.6.1	Children Missing from Education
1.6.2	Children Missing from Care or Home
1.6.3	When to Convene a Child Protection Conference - under review
1.6.4	Arranging Medical Examinations
1.6.5	Death or Serious Injury to a Child
1.6.6	Sexual Communication with a Child
1.6.7	Multi-Agency Sexual Exploitation (MASE) Meeting Guidance
1.6.8	Child Sexual Exploitation Screening Threshold Table
1.6.9	Cross-Border Child Protection Cases Under the 1996 Hague Convention
1.6.10	Risk Assessment Tool for Children at Risk of Radicalisation
1.6.11	Visits to Children and Young People on a Child Protection Plan
	Children's Advocacy in Child Protection Conferences
1.7	Private Fostering
1.7.1	Private Fostering Statement of Purpose
1.7.2	Private Fostering
1.7.3	Private Fostering: Support Information and Advice
1.8	Complaints, Whistleblowing and Compliments
1.8.1	Corporate and Statutory Complaints within Children’s Services
1.8.2	Compliments
1.8.3	Getting the Best from Complaints
1.8.4	Working with Member and MP Enquiries
1.9	Children's Records
1.9.1	Recording Policy and Guidelines
1.9.2	Case File Retention
1.9.3	Archiving and Retention
1.9.4	Subject Access Request
1.9.5	Keeping Safeguarding / Child Protection Records on Individual Pupils - Guidance for Schools
1.9.6	Use of Social Media Sites by Social Care and Safeguarding Staff
1.9.7	Storage of Data on Mobile Devices
1.10	Miscellaneous
1.10.1	Contributions and Charges
1.10.2	Delegated Authority for Children (Non-Financial)

2. Preventive and Supportive Services

2.1	Children in Need
2.1.1	Family Group Conferences
2.1.2	Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Trafficking and Modern Slavery	Updated
2.1.3	Provision of Accommodation to Homeless 16 and 17 Year Olds
2.2	Children with Disabilities
2.2.1	Children's Disability Service	Updated
2.2.2	Direct Payments
2.2.3	An Introduction to Care Packages/Short Breaks
2.2.4	Short Breaks Booklet
2.2.5	Respite Care
2.2.6	Placing and Visiting Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities or Health Conditions in Long-Term Residential Settings	New
2.3	Mental Health
2.3.1	The Mental Capacity Act 2005
2.3.2	Aftercare under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983

3. Looked After Services

3.1	Planning for Looked After Children
3.1.1	Permanence Planning Guidance
3.1.2	Commissioning and Placements Panel for Children Living Away From Home Terms of Reference
3.1.3	Ceasing to Look After a Child
3.1.4	Commissioning and Placements Panel
3.1.5	Placement Planning and Disruption Meetings
3.1.6	Placement Stability Meeting Process
3.1.7	HM Revenue and Customs Letter
	See also NICE Guideline: Looked After Children and Young People
3.2	Placements
3.2.1	Decision to Look After	Updated
3.2.2	Care Planning
3.2.3	Local Authority's Sufficiency Duty - Accommodation for Looked After Children
3.2.4	Placements with Parents
3.2.5	Placement in Foster Care
3.2.6	Placement with Connected Person
3.2.7	Placement in Residential Care
3.2.8	Out of Area Placements
3.2.9	Remands to Local Authority Accommodation or to Youth Detention Accommodation	Updated
3.2.10	Placement in Secure Accommodation on Welfare Grounds
3.2.11	Placement Outside England and Wales
3.2.12	YJB Protocol for Court Ordered Secure Remands
3.2.13	Placements in Other Arrangements	Updated
3.3	Monitoring Placements
3.3.1	Social Worker Visits to Looked After Children
3.4	Advocacy
	Advocacy for Looked After Children and Care Leavers
3.4.1	What is Advocacy and Eligibility Criteria
3.4.2	Advocacy Escalation Protocol
3.4.3	Role of Advocacy in Dispute Resolution (S. 118 Protocol)
3.4.4	Role of Advocacy in Child Care Reviews
3.4.5	Role of Advocacy in Active Care Proceedings
3.4.6	Confidentiality Statement for Children and Young People
3.5	Reviews
3.5.1	Looked After Reviews
3.5.2	Secure Accommodation (Criteria) Reviews
3.5.3	Appointment and Role of Independent Reviewing Officers
3.5.4	IRO Monitoring Role
3.6	Contact with Family and Friends
3.6.1	Short Stays Away
3.6.2	Overnight Stays
3.6.3	Contact with Parents/Adults and Siblings
3.7	Virtual Schools
3.7.1	Virtual School for Children Looked After
3.8	Education, Leisure, Holidays and School Trips
3.8.1	Education of Looked After and Previously Looked After Children
3.8.2	Holidays and School Trips In and Outside the UK
3.8.3	Leisure Activities
3.8.4	Correspondence, Communication and Social Networking
3.9	Health and Wellbeing
3.9.1	Health Care Assessments and Plans	Updated
3.9.2	Withholding or Withdrawing Life Support for Children
3.9.3	Testing for Blood Borne Infections
3.9.4	Sexual Health
3.9.5	Self Harming
3.9.6	SDQS Questionnaire
3.9.7	Recording Health Assessments - ICS
3.10	Privacy and Personal Care
3.10.1	Personal Care and Relationships
3.10.2	Children's Bedrooms
3.10.3	Hair and Skin Care
3.10.4	Providing Personalised Care
3.10.5	Touch Guidance
3.11	Identity
3.11.1	Marriage/Civil Partnership of a Looked After Child	Updated
3.11.2	Change of Name of a Looked After Child
3.12	Leaving Care
3.12.1	Information for Young People in Care and Care Leavers
3.12.2	Care Leavers Charter
3.12.3	Leaving Care Policy - Support for Young People Leaving Care - under review
3.12.4	Responsibilities of the Local Authority to Former Looked After Children and Young People in Custody
3.12.5	Staying Put Policy
3.12.6	Leaving Care and Transition	Updated
3.13	Miscellaneous
3.13.1	Dispute Resolution Protocol

4. Fostering Services

4.1	Fostering Service Statement of Purpose
4.2	Fostering and Adoption Panel
4.3	Persons Disqualified from Fostering
4.4	Assessments and Approvals of Foster Carers
4.5	Exemptions and Extensions/Variations to Foster Carer Approval
4.6	Supervision and Support of Foster Carers
4.7	Review and Termination of Approval of Foster Carers
4.8	Allegations Against Foster Carers	Updated
4.9	Anti-Smoking Policy for Carers

5. Adoption and Permanence

5.1	Adoption and Permanence
5.1.1	Adoption Statement of Purpose
5.1.2	Recruitment, Assessment and Approval of Prospective Adopters
5.1.3	Adoption Panel
5.1.4	Placement for Adoption
5.1.5	Adoption Support
5.1.6	Monitoring and Supervision of Adoptive Placements
5.1.7	Adoption Reviews
5.1.8	Disruption of Adoptive Placements
5.1.9	Allegations Against Prospective Adopters and in Relation to Children Placed for Adoption or Already Adopted
5.1.10	Inter Country Adoption
5.1.11	Non Agency Adoption
5.1.12	Adoption Case Records
5.1.13	Access to Birth Records and Adoption Case Records
5.1.14	Intermediary Services
5.1.15	Court Reports in Adoption/Special Guardianship
	See also Adoption Strategy: Achieving Excellence Everywhere
5.2	Other Permanence
5.2.1	Applications for Special Guardianship Orders - under review	Updated
5.2.2	Permanency Policy
5.2.3	Permanence Tracking Panel Terms of Reference
5.2.4	Process for Children
5.3	Guidance
5.3.1	Life Story Work Principles and Procedure

6. Appendices

6.1	Redbridge Panel Guide
6.2	Ofsted Inspection Framework	New
6.3	Amendments

End