Children’s Social Care Transfer

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OWNER

Brighter Futures for Children

VERSION

One

DATE

Febuary 2019

REVIEW DATE

January 2020

© Brighter Futures for Children

Brighter Futures for Children

Civic Offices, Bridge Street,

Reading RG1 2LU

Company number 11293709

Children’s Social Care Transfer Protocol

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Contents

1. Introduction and Purpose of Transfer Protocol .............................................................................................. 3

2. Social Work Principles .................................................................................................................................. 3

Weekly Work Allocation Meeting: ........................................................................................................................... 4

3. Case Progression from the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub ........................................................................... 4

4. Exceptions to transfer – ................................................................................................................................ 5

5. Transfers Points across the Teams. ............................................................................................................... 5

6. Appendices ................................................................................................................................................ 10

Appendix 1: Step-Up Step-Down Process for Early Help .................................................................................. 10

Appendix 2: Transfer Grid .............................................................................................................................. 13

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1. Introduction and Purpose of Transfer Protocol

This protocol provides guidance on the transfer of cases between Children’s Social Care Teams, within Children’s Social Care in Brighter Futures for Children. This includes guidance on the throughput of referrals from MASH to statutory Social Care Teams.

This protocol provides a guide for effective and timely transfer of case work; families are complex and unique, however, and as such there may be occasions in which the arrangements for transfer contained in this protocol do not best meet an individual family’s needs. On these exceptional occasions a flexible approach must be paramount, and a decision may be made to deviate from the transfer protocol; this decision rests with the relevant Service Managers.

2. Social Work Principles

The transfer and movement of cases can impact on children and families if poorly managed - it is important therefore that full information accompanies the transfer and that the receiving Social Worker and Manager have a good understanding of the child's circumstances and any associated risks.

It is essential that the impact of a change of Social Worker on children, young people and their families is minimised, this is achieved through timely, well planned case transfers, and collaborative working between teams, with sufficient information sharing, to prevent children from having to retell difficult life events.

Whenever a case is transferred or moved across to another team, the child and family's needs will be considered, with the emphasis on a smooth handover, and with the aim of reducing the numbers of workers with whom the family will need to engage. As a matter of good social work practice, handover points will be identified which match the needs or requirements of the child and their family and not necessarily rigidly adhere to the team structures within the service. Verbal face-to-face handovers are preferable when cases are moving between the assessment and longer terms teams and wherever possible joint visits should be conducted to meet the child and the parent/s/caregivers, in addition to the agreed transfer points set out in this protocol.

Young people, carers and parents need to be informed of the change of worker as soon as is practicable so that any concerns and/or anxieties can be addressed in a timely way, and as such reduce the risk of disengagement from ongoing intervention.

A lack of capacity in the team receiving the case cannot be a reason to delay transfer, given that timely throughput across the service is paramount.

Case responsibility, including statutory visiting, remains with the transferring team until the case is reallocated to the receiving social worker. Visiting children must continue in accordance with statutory timescales when case transfer is delayed for any reason, and these visits must be completed by the allocated social worker until transfer is achieved.

Cases should not be allocated to workers on MOSAIC (ICS) without receiving Social Workers’ and Managers’ knowledge; this is unsafe and impacts on the quality of transfer and potentially, the quality of service provision and/or intervention.

Case files should only be transferred when up to date and in good order, and in accordance with the expectations set out in this protocol. Basic information on case files must be accurate and completed, and case notes must be fully up-to-date at the point of transfer. Evidence of management oversight must be on files in all cases to facilitate transfer. Where there are historical gaps in information which pre-date allocation to the current worker this will not be a reason to delay the transfer of the case.

The transferring Team Manager will check and ensure that all files hold all relevant basic information, ensuring its accuracy, an up to date chronology, and a Child & Family Assessment for each child within the subject household; these are requirements in all statutory cases, in addition to the specific documentation required for different types of case, as detailed below in this protocol.

The allocated Social Worker will be encouraged to audit their case file prior to management audit and

http://trixresources.proceduresonline.com/nat_key/keywords/chronology.html

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transfer, to begin to take greater ownership of - and accountability to - case file management.

The allocated Social Worker must attend meetings agreed as transfer points wherever possible; if a Duty Social Worker attends on behalf of the allocated worker it is essential that they are fully briefed regarding the case background, and the purpose of the meeting, to ensure that the meeting is purposeful, and that gaps in information do not delay case transfer; however, wherever possible it is expected that a Manager will attend if the Social Worker is unable to.

Weekly Work Allocation Meeting:

Any cases for discussion at the Transfer must be sent to the WAM GENMAIL inbox by Noon on Thursday for discussion at the Work Allocation Meeting. The Transfer Grid (see appendix 2) will be completed by the allocated social worker and quality assured by the team manager, including the audit of the case. Once satisfied that the case is good for transfer the Team Manager will send the completed Grid to the WAM GENMAIL Inbox. The grids will be distributed to all managers by 5pm on Thursday by Business Support. Receiving managers will then audit the case and consider capacity and expertise in their team and identify a worker for the case in preparation for the Work Allocation Meeting on the following Tuesday. All cases will be discussed, in anticipation of the transfer, at the Work Allocation Meeting. Work Allocation Meetings will be initially chaired by the Practice Lead, however once the transfer process is embedded it will be handed over to the Team Managers to Chair (March 2019).

Cases should transfer no less than 5 working days and no more than 10 working days following initial Work Allocation Meeting.

The receiving team must identify a social worker to be allocated to the case following transfer, and should attend the transfer event. If the social worker is unavailable it is expected that the manager will attend. Early Help cases will not be heard at the Work Allocation Meeting but will Step Down via means of the Step-Up, Step-Down Process. (See appendix 1.) However, the grid must be completed by the Social Worker and agreed by their TM or ATM who will then forward to the Early Help Step Down inbox. Early Help will then attend the Child In Need Meeting and agree allocation of the case in Early Help. Requests for Joint working or parenting group referrals will follow the same process but without the need for a CIN Meeting. If there is disagreement between the transferring and receiving team regarding case status, case decision making, readiness for transfer, information gaps or proposed further actions, the transferring and receiving Team Managers must seek a joint solution to the issue as swiftly as possible. If the matter remains unresolved after one working day, it must then be escalated to the Service Managers in accordance with the Internal Resolution Process. Responsibility for statutory visiting and management oversight, as noted above, remains with the transferring team until the receiving Social Worker is allocated the case.

3. Case Progression from the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub

The MASH brings together Children’s Social Care, Police and a team of multi-disciplinary professionals from partner agencies to respond to referrals regarding the safety or well- being of a child. The MASH allows agencies to work together at the earliest point of identified needs for children; this may be non-statutory targeted family support offered by the Early Help Service. It may be decided that the referred concerns do not meet the threshold for statutory assessment and/or intervention, and that targeted family support work, a “Team around the Child” approach may prevent the need for future statutory intervention. These cases will be transferred by the Step-Down Process (appendix 1) Where it is decided in the MASH that a statutory assessment is required the referral record will be progressed by the MASH and the Single Assessment passed to the Duty Team. Face to face discussions between MASH Manager and Duty Manager should take place and consent for Assessment from the person/s with Parental responsibility must be gained from the MASH before Single Assessment is

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progressed. All cases that are deemed to meet Level 4 of the threshold criteria must have a strategy meeting, arranged by the MASH manager and invitations sent to the Duty Manager and duty Social Worker.

4. Exceptions to transfer –

The “three month” rule –

1. Where a family referred to MASH has been open to a Social Worker in CSC within the last three months and the issues are the same, the case will be allocated immediately to the previously involved Social Worker, or the Team that previously held the case if the Social Worker has left the Authority.

2. If the issues are different then the case will be screened by the MASH and progressed in the usual manner.

3. The date of closure recorded on MOSAIC will be the date used to calculate how long the case has been closed to the previous worker.

Good practice would promote a face to face discussion between the MASH and social work teams in

these cases.

5. Transfers Points across the Teams.

Type of Case

Transfer Point and process Required Documentation Minimum documentation set out below is in addition to - accurate basic information, up to date case notes, evidence of management oversight and decision making, and case supervision records.

Child

Protection

Initial Child Protection Conference (ICPC).

Case to be notified at first Work Allocation Meeting following request for ICPC. Social Worker to be identified for allocation within 5 working days. Social Worker and their line manager to be notified of date of ICPC and invited to attend.

If there is less than 5 working days’ notice until the ICPC, the transfer process will be at the first core group meeting.

File must contain the following:

Strategy meeting/discussion minutes/record Completed S47 record for each child in household - to include its outcome Completed Child & Family Assessment ICPC report

CP Plan Chronology Key Dates for the case file audit Supervision notes Case summary Genogram

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Children Looked After – subject to Care Proceedings

Pre-proceedings: PLO meeting Proceedings: first Hearing

Case and details of application should be notified at Work Allocation Meeting at the earliest opportunity and Social Worker identified for allocation within 5 working days.

The receiving Social Worker and Manager to be invited to LPM if the case is already within the transfer process.

Receiving Social Worker and line manager to attend first Hearing and case to transfer immediately following first hearing.

In pre-proceedings case receiving Social Worker to attend PLO/pre-proceedings meeting with transferring Social Worker and case transfer to be completed directly following the meeting. The Manager of the Team case held in will chair the PLO Meeting.


Completed Child & Family Assessment Chronology

LPM minutes PLO meeting minutes (if applicable) CLA Care Plan Signed s20 consent (if applicable) Signed parental consent for medical treatment (if applicable) Request for initial health assessment Placement Information Record (PIR) Placement Planning

Meeting record 1st CLA Review decisions and minutes PEP Initial Court Statement Interim Court Care Plan Court Chronology Legal Orders Placement referral and details Supervised contact referral and details (if applicable) Financial arrangements/agreements if applicable Case file audit Case summary Supervision notes Genogram

Children Looked After – Section 20

First CLA Review

Case should be notified at Work Allocation Meeting at earliest opportunity and Social Worker to be identified within 5 working days. All UASC will transfer straight from MASH to the leaving care Team. Any case s20 where plan for permanence is agreed at the 2nd Review.


Completed C&F Assessment - completed within the last 6 months. LPM minutes if appropriate Placement referral and placement details Signed parental consent for s20 accommodation Signed parental consent for medical routine and emergency treatment Placement Planning Meeting record Placement Information Record Supervised contact referral and details CLA Care Plan

PEP CLA medical Chronology Financial arrangements where appropriate (i.e financial support for parents to attend contact). Case file audit Case summary Supervision notes Management decision re legal planning Genogram

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Children in

Need

At first CIN Meeting.

Case to be notified at Work Allocation Meeting at earliest opportunity and a minimum of 5 working days before CIN meeting. Social Worker for allocation to be identified by receiving team and both existing and new Social Worker to attend CIN meeting. The meeting must be chaired by the ATM, TM of the current Team or the CIN Reviewing Officer. If Parents/Carers do not participate in the meeting a joint visit to the family must be arranged within 72 hours.


Completed C&F Assessment – completed within last 6 months

CIN Plan – with identified actions for named professionals and family members, with timescales Chronology Case file audit Case summary Recent CIN visit Supervision notes Genogram

Children in Need – proposed transfer from other LA.

CIN Meeting.

Referral must be loaded in MASH and detailed of referral recorded. MASH must notify transferring LA that referral to be considered with a view to case transfer within one month of referral subject to family’s residence being established and sufficient provision of information & documentation.

Referral to be added to Transfer Grid for allocation at Work Allocation Meeting.

TM of proposed receiving team to review referral details of family’s housing arrangement and available documentation, to liaise directly with transferring Social Worker/Manager to agree transfer points – CIN meeting and joint visit to be proposed.

Documentation provided must contain the following –

Details of involved Agencies

C&F assessment on each child in household.

Strategy meeting minutes S47 record for each child in household. Risk assessment/s where required. Up to date chronology Current and previous CP plans All previous CPC minutes All previous CPC reports Genogram Legal orders where applicable Financial agreements where applicable Contact arrangements where applicable LPM minutes where applicable

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Child Protection case proposed transfer from other LA

Transfer Child Protection Conference When transfer of child/ren subject to CP plans is proposed by another LA, MASH to load referral on MOSAIC and establish family’s residence. If permanent in Reading the case will be added to Transfer Grid. If not permanent resident, the transferring LA will hold the case until residency is established.

Child Protection Review Team to place children on Reading temporary child protection plan and arrange transfer In Conference to take place within 15 days of permanent residency having been established.

Decision re allocation to long term team to be made at Work Allocation Meeting, once residency is established and receiving Team Manager to liaise directly with transferring LA regarding case and ensure all necessary information and documentation is available for consideration prior to Transfer CPC.

Receiving TM to consider Is the family likely to remain in BFFC? Is the family subject to ongoing family or private proceedings or pre-proceedings? Is the existing CP plan being progressed in accordance with expectations as set out in the plan? Has a LPM been held previously and if so what was the outcome? Does the family have recourse to public funds and if not are any financial agreement/arrangements in place with the transferring LA?

Any information arising that raises a concern regarding transfer to be discussed with transferring Team Manager, and if resolution not achieved, escalated to relevant Service Manager prior to scheduled transfer CPC.

Statutory visiting responsibility remains

with the transferring LA until after the

transfer CPC.

Documents provided must include the following -

Details of involved Agencies C&F assessment on each child in household.

Strategy meeting minutes S47 record for each child in household. Risk assessment/s where required. Up to date chronology Current and previous CP plans All previous CPC minutes All previous CPC reports All core group minutes Genogram Legal orders where applicable Financial agreements where applicable Contact arrangements where applicable LPM minutes where applicable

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Court-

directed S7/37

reports

Transfer point and process Legal Team to send referral to MASH immediately following receipt of referral

MASH to check family reside within BFFC and if so load referral and request allocation for s7 within A and A S37’s will transfer from MASH to Family Intervention Social Work Teams.

If the case is currently open to a BFFC Social Worker, allocated Social Worker to complete report. If the case has been open to an BFFC Social Worker within the previous three months, report to be completed by previous Social Worker or within the previous team if the Social Worker has left the authority.

Documents required Court direction/s re s7/37 Legal bundle Details/documentation re any previous/current involvement Family details Contact arrangements if applicable.

Type of Case Transfer Point Transfer Documentation

Children subject to Care Order and/or Placement Order

Within 4 weeks prior to the final

hearing the receiving team should

be alerted to the timetable. This

should be placed on the transfer

grid and discussed at the Work

Allocation Meeting in advance.

The receiving team should identify

a social worker to pick up the case

at the final hearing.

Final statement and care plan Legal bundle

Court chronology

Child’s Permanence Report Placement details Signed parental consent for medical routine and emergency treatment Placement Planning Meeting record Placement Information Record Supervised contact referral and details CLA Care Plan PEP CLA medical Chronology Financial arrangements where appropriate (i.e financial support for parents to attend contact). Case file audit Case summary Supervision notes Genogram

Care Leavers CLA review closest to the child’s

16th birthday. PA to be allocated

when young person reaches 15 ¾

Pathway Plan to be completed by jointly by allocated worker and receiving worker by the young person’s 16

th Birthday.

PEP CLA review minutes Placement Information Record Transfer Summary Genogram Supervision notes Chronology

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6. Appendices

Appendix 1: Step-Up Step-Down Process for Early Help

1. From CSPoA, MASH to Early Help: Cases that are identified at Threshold Level 2 on the continuum of need will be progressed to Early Help Services directly from the CSPoA and MASH. Cases will be presented to the Early Help Allocations Manager for discussion and allocation of lead professional. Cases will then be allocated to the most appropriate service provision within the Early Help Offer. A Lead professional will be identified and a Team Around the Child Meeting arranged and Early Help Assessment completed. . Note: Consent must be gained from parents/carers prior to the case progressing to the Early Help.

2. Cases stepped down from the Social Work Teams to Early Help Services. Where the case has been assessed and deemed not to be a Child In Need (CIN) but requires an intervention from Early Help Services, with consent from the person/s with Parental Responsibility. A referral will be made to the Early Help Services by completion of the Grid (appendix 2). A CIN Meeting will be arranged giving Early Help 10 days’ notice of the meeting and the case file will be brought up to date and quality assured by the ATM or TM. An audit will be completed to ensure the case is ready to Step-Down. The case will Step-Down to Early Help at the Meeting and only then down by Children’s Social Care.

3. Step-Up from Early Help to Children’s Social Care. Where Early Help Intervention deems the Threshold to meet Level 3 on the continuum of Need and with consent from the person with Parental responsibility. A Team Around the Child meeting will be arranged and the ATM or TM from A&A will be invited to the meeting with 72 hours’ notice. If agreed that Threshold is met for Statutory Assessment, Early Help will make a referral to the CSPOA and the case will progress in the usual manner. Where there are apparent safeguarding issues Threshold Level 4 on the continuum of Need, an immediate referral will be made to the CSPoA and the case will progress in the usual manner. Consent is not required at this level; however Best Practice would be to notify the person with Parental Responsibility of the referral unless if by doing so the child/ren would be placed at further risk of significant harm.

CLASSIFICATION: ENTER HERE

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Step- Up Step- Down Process: Step – Down:

NB: Disagreements should progress to the escalation process.

Case assessed as not a Child in Need,

but requires intervention from Early

Help Services (with consent from

person with PR)

Allocated Social Worker completes the Grid

and sends to Early Help inbox. CIN Meeting arranged and Early Help given 10 days’ notice

of the meeting. Outline Early Help Plan MUST be completed prior to the meeting and case file audit completed by ATM or TM.

CIN Meeting held and

agreed Case meets

threshold Level 2 and

Early Help Intervention

agreed.

CIN Meeting held and

information shared

suggests the case meets

Threshold Level 3

Early Help allocate

the case and the case

is closed to

Children’s Social Care

on Mosaic.

Case remains open

to Children’s Social

Care for further CIN

Planning.

Brighter Futures for Children | title of document | version number | author’s initials and date 12

NB: Disagreements should progress to the escalation process.

Early Help assess the case as meeting Level 3 of the Threshold.

Early Help make referral to

CSPoA and case progressed is

usual manner.

Contact progressed to

referral and assessment.

Case allocated to the Duty

A&A team that attended

TAC.

Team Around the Child

Meeting held and agreed

case at Level 3 of the

Threshold. Referral made

to CSPoA.

Team Around the Child Meeting

Held and Case deemed to meet

level 2 threshold. Case remains

open to Early Help.

Early Help Assess the case as

Level 4 of the threshold, after

consultation with CSPoA.

The grid is completed and sent to

the duty manager inbox.

A Team Around the Child

meeting is arranged and the A&A

Duty Manager invited giving 72

hour’s notice.


Appendix 2: Transfer Grid

Transfer/ Step-Up Step-Down Grid Surname Name/s Case Status (i.e., CIN, CP, TAC,

ETC)

First Name/s Social Worker/Early Help Worker

Mosaic Number Team

Brief Overview of Case: What are the risks/needs, what has been tried to reduce the risk and meet the needs, what are the family saying including the child’s voice?

Request for joint work, parenting groups etc., between Early Help and Children’s Social Care:

Dates of Next Meeting, (TAC, CIN, ICPC, CLA Review, Court Hearing ETC):

Future Planning: What would the plan of work look like, what are the expected outcomes and what are the timeframes.

Checklist: (record the case file status, are all records up to date, i.e., chronology, case notes, assessments, reviews, relationships, involvement)

Transfer Outcome:
