Notifications from Other Local Authorities/Placement Providers
Scope of this chapter
This chapter addresses the action to be taken on receipt of a notification from another Local Authority that a Looked After child has been placed at an address in Nottinghamshire.
Relevant Regulations
Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010
Related guidance
Amendment
Where a Looked After child is placed by a Local Authority in the area of another Local Authority, notification must be made by the placing authority to the Local Authority's Children's Social Care Service where the child's placement is located.
The Education Service and the relevant Health Trust for the area in which the Looked After child is placed must also be notified.
The notification will include the address where the child is placed.
Under the Children's Homes and Looked after Children (Miscellaneous Amendments) (England) Regulations 2013, the Manager of a children’s home must notify without delay the area Local Authority (if different from the placing authority) of the admission to/discharge from the Home of any child.
The notification must state:
- The child’s name and date of birth;
- Whether the child is Accommodated under Section 20 or subject to a Care Order or Supervision Order;
- The contact details for:
- The child’s placing authority; and
- The child’s Independent Reviewing Officer;
- Whether the child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and, if so, details of the Local Authority which maintains the Education, Health and Care Plan.
Any notification received from another Local Authority that a Looked After child has been placed in the authority should be passed to the Placements team, Childrens.Notifications@nottscc.gov.uk.
The Designated Manager (Notifications) will ensure, through communication with the placing Local Authority where necessary, that the information required in Section 1, Introduction, is provided and recorded.
The Designated Manager will also arrange for a check to be carried out of the address on the data management system e.g. ICS to establish whether there is any information recorded in relation to the address. If so, this information must be communicated to the allocated social worker in the Local Authority with responsibility for the child.
Where the placing Local Authority requests that the authority carry out certain functions in relation to the child on its behalf e.g. supervision of the placement, the relevant Assessment and Intervention Team Manager will arrange for this request to be discussed at a formal planning meeting involving representatives of the placing Local Authority. The Assessment and Intervention Team will take responsibility for chairing the meeting.
In these circumstances, the authority may agree to undertake the following:
- Supervise the placement in order to be satisfied that the welfare of the child continues to be suitably provided for; and/or
- Visit the placement on a regular basis.
It would never be appropriate for the authority to agree to a request to supervise a child placed in secure accommodation and/or subject to Section 53 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933.
Where it is agreed at a planning meeting that the authority will undertake supervision of a placement on behalf of a placing authority, a social worker will be allocated. The placing Local Authority should be requested to provide sufficient information about the child and the placement to enable the social worker to supervise the placement competently, including the following:
- Care Plan;
- Placement Information Record;
- The most recent Review of Arrangements Form.
The agreement to supervise the placement should be detailed in writing and signed by Service Manager for the team and a relevant Senior Manager in from the Placing Authority. It should include an expectation that the allocated social worker in the authority will be invited to contribute to the child's Looked After Review.
Where a significant incident arises in the placement whilst the child is placed, the authority where the child is placed will be expected to respond to the presenting needs. However, except in an absolute emergency (e.g. where it is not possible to contact the child's social worker or their Team Manager, or if out of hours the placing Local Authority's Emergency Duty Team), the authority should not take any significant action or remove the child, without consultation with placing Local Authority.
The authority should never take action on the basis of the placing authority's verbal authority, but must be certain that required actions are as a result of a written request.
At all times case management responsibility remains with the placing authority.
In the event that the authority where the child is placed has to have an involvement in an emergency situation where the child is at risk of Significant Harm and the placing authority cannot be contacted, any action should be on the basis of the requirements of local Safeguarding Children Procedures.
The placements team will update records when notified of placement changes.
Last Updated: July 28, 2022
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