Moving to Another Placement

Contents

1. Decision Making and Notice Period
2. Arrangements for the Transfer or Discharge
3. Notifications
4. Aftercare/Contact

1. Decision Making and Notice Period

Children/young people must remain in the home unless it no longer meets their needs as set out in the Care Plan, or the home has been unable to deliver the services required to meet the child's/young person’s assessed needs Except in an urgent situation (for example because of an immediate risk of serious harm to the child/young person or to protect others from serious harm) any change of placement should only take place following a Looked After Review chaired by the child's/young person’s Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO).

Where it appears a child / young person would benefit from a transfer to another home or placement, the home's manager should discuss this with the child's/young person’s social worker who will, in turn, raise it with the Independent Reviewing Officer. A planned placement move can only take place once approval from the placing authority has been received in writing.

Before any change of placement or transfer to another home is made, the following people must be consulted and their views recorded:

• The child/young person;
• The child/young person's social worker;
• The child/young person's Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO);
• The child/young person's social worker should notify/consult the child/young person's parents / carers.

(NOTE: if, in an emergency situation, the registered person has to move a child/young person out of the home to other accommodation; the accommodation must be suitable to meet the child's/young person’s needs. The child's/young person’s social worker or their line manager should be informed and, where the child/young person is accommodated under S.20 (Children Act 1989), the parent must also be informed immediately by them. A Looked After Review should be convened as soon as possible after the emergency move has taken place. For more information on the procedure to be following when a child/young person is moved in an emergency).

Specific Requirements at Key Stage 4

A senior officer in the placing authority must approve of any change of placement affecting a child/young person in Key Stage 4, except in an emergency/where the placement is terminated because of an immediate risk of serious harm to the child/young person or to protect others from serious harm.

Before approving the decision, the placing authority must ensure that:

• The child's/young person’s wishes and feelings have been ascertained and given due consideration;
• The wishes and feelings of the parent(s) have been ascertained;
• The educational provision will promote educational achievement and is consistent with the PEP;
• The Independent Reviewing Officer has been consulted;
• The Designated Teacher at the child's/young person’s school has been consulted.

Other than in Key Stage 4, where the placing local authority proposes making any change to the child's/young person’s placement that would have the effect of disrupting the arrangements made for education and training, they must ensure that other arrangements are made for education or training that meet the child's/young person’s needs and are consistent with the PEP.

For a temporary move out of the home, it must be remembered that the child/young person will remain under their current Care Plan, and staff should discuss with the child/young person that expectations such as house rules, education etc. still apply.

Any decision to terminate a young person's placement and request that they are moved to another home must be approved by the Registered Manager.

Normally, young people will remain in the existing home for a minimum of 28 days after the decision to move has been reached to enable proper planning to take place.

2. Arrangements for the Transfer or Discharge

Assuming the decision to move the child/young person has been approved at the Looked After Review, the manager of the existing placement should liaise with the manager of the new placement and take all reasonable steps to ensure the young person's transfer or discharge is managed sensitively and that the move is a positive experience.

The young person and parents should be consulted and kept informed of all key decisions and arrangements in relation to any transfer or discharge. If possible, the young person and parents should undertake visits to the new home/placement and should be provided with information such as the Statement of Purpose or Children's Guide.

The manager of the existing placement should liaise with the following people to ensure that the child's/young person’s plans and records (see below) are completed or brought up to date before the young person moves:

• The social worker;
• The Key Worker;
• Parents or those with Parental Responsibility;
• The young person;
• The manager of the new home;
• Virtual School Head;
• Other relevant people/agencies, e.g. Personal Adviser, advocate.

The Plans or records that must be brought up to date or completed by the social worker or others, and made available for the manager of the new placement / carer, are:

• The young person's Care Plan - the social worker is responsible for this record;
• Where appropriate, the young person's Pathway Plan - the social worker or Personal Adviser is responsible for this plan;
• The young person's Personal Education Plan (PEP), any recent SEN Support Plans or, where appropriate, the young person's Education, Health and Care Plan - the social worker should obtain these plans/reports;
• Details, plans or arrangements relating to the young person's Health Care Assessment - the social worker is responsible for this plan.

Prior to the move, the manager of the existing placement and manager of the new placement / carer must liaise with each other to ensure that all appropriate arrangements are made, for example:

1. The young person's Placement Plan - the manager of the new placement / carer is responsible for this but the manager of the existing placement should contribute/offer advice on plans/strategies that have been used. Ideally the Placement Plan must be completed before or upon admission, or if this is not possible, within 5 working days of the start of the placement.
2. The manager of the existing placement should ensure that the young person's file is brought up to date. Any hard copy documents should be passed to the manager of the new placement / carer;
3. If it appears necessary, the manager of the new placement / carer / child's / young person’s social worker should arrange a Placement Planning Meeting, preferably before the move/transfer, or if this is not possible, within 5 working days of the placement (Note that essential information for providing safe care to the child/young person must be available to the home at the start of the placement). See: Placement Planning Meetings Procedure;
4. If there is a risk that the young person may go missing, the manager of the new placement should arrange for a Risk Assessment to be completed;
5. The manager of the new placement / carer should liaise with the social worker to ensure arrangements are in place for the young person to be registered with a GP, Dentist and Optician (see Health Notifications and Access to Services Procedure) and should liaise with the manager of the existing placement to obtain information/arrangements for any medication or other healthcare arrangements;
6. The manager of the new placement / carer should check to ensure that the young person has had a Health Care Assessment in line with the guidelines set out in Health Care Assessments and Plans Procedure, and liaise with the social worker as necessary if this is required;
7. The manager of the new home / carer should ensure the young person is provided with:
   • A copy of the Children's Guide;
   • Access to the Placing Authority's Complaints Procedure;
   • Details of how to access an independent advocacy service;
   • All of their personal items and belongings (excluding withheld items).

For all transfers or discharges, the Registered Manager should ensure the following arrangements are made:

1. That the young person takes all their clothing and personal belongings or arrangements are made for them to be passed to the manager of the new placement / carer. The Registered Manager must ensure that the young person's belongings/clothing are packed in a luggage case/holdall or similar (see NYAS, My Things Matter Report);
2. Where children/young people have been in our care for an extended period, memento albums and photographs from the home should be prepared for them so they have a record of their period of life at the home;
3. If the young person is discharged from our care, the Registered Manager must ensure that the young person's file is brought up to date, collated, tidied and stored safely and securely until being archived;
4. The Registered Manager and the manager of the new placement / carer must ensure that the Designated Manager (Transfers) and others listed in Section 3, Notifications are notified of the transfer/discharge.

Important Note: where the young person will be moving to 'unregulated' accommodation (i.e. accommodation that is not regulated/inspected by OFSTED), or has a vacation placement if they are at college, the placing local authority must:

1. Arrange a review of the Pathway Plan 28 days (or as soon as practicable thereafter) from the time the accommodation is provided; and
2. Determine at what intervals (not exceeding 3 months) subsequent reviews will be carried out.

3. Notifications

The Registered Manager must notify, without delay, the local authority for the area in which the home is located of every admission of a child/young person into the home and every discharge of a child/young person from the home. The Registered Manager is not required to do so if the local authority for the area in which the home is located is also the placing authority for the child/young person.

The notification must state:

1. The child's/young person’s name and date of birth;
2. Whether the child/young person is provided with accommodation under section 20 or 21 of the Children Act 1989(1);
3. Whether the child/young person is subject to a care or supervision order under section 31 of the Children Act 1989(2);
4. The contact details for:
   1. The child's/young person's placing authority; and
   2. The Independent Reviewing Officer appointed for the child's/young person's case; and
5. Whether the child/young person has an EHC Pan and, if so, details of the local authority with responsibility for the EHC plan or for maintaining the statement of special educational needs.

The social worker should also notify the young person's parents and significant relatives or friends, and should liaise with the manager of the new placement / carer to make arrangements for contact with the child / young person. NOTE: No contact may be permitted between the child / young person and his/her parents, relatives or friends unless agreed with the social worker and set out in the child / young person's Care Plan.

4. Aftercare/Contact

Any arrangements for aftercare or on going contact between our care staff and the child / young person or their parents/family must be agreed with the social worker and set out in the child / young person's Placement Plan.