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Gateshead Children's Services Procedure Manual Contents

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This contents list is sub divided into the following sections, each Section contains relevant Chapters/Procedures: (Click on the title to jump to the Section you require):

  1. All Children
  2. Case Management and Recording
  3. Prevention and Family Support
  4. Children in Particular Circumstances
  5. Looked After Children
  6. Fostering, Adoption and Special Guardianship
  7. Appendices, Local Contacts and List of Agency Decision Makers, Designated Managers and Nominated Officers


1. All Children

1.1

Policy Values and Principles

  
1.1.1 Children’s Services Policies, Values and Principles  
1.1.2 Children and Families Social Work Strategy  
1.1.3 Children in Need Including Those in Need of Protection  
1.1.4 Confidentiality Policy  
1.1.5 Consultation Policy  
1.1.6 Family and Friends and Connected Persons Care Policy  
 

See also:

  
1.1.7 Lone Working Policy  
1.1.8 Children's Consultation and Participation  
1.1.9 Supervision / Staff Development Policy  
1.1.10 Emergency Duty Team: Supervision/Staff Development Policy  
1.1.11 Early Help Service Supervision/Staff Development Policy  
  See also: Children & Families Service & Early Help Service: Practice Standards (Documents Library)  
1.1.12 Capacity and Consent Updated


 

1.2

CAF and Thresholds for Children's Social Care Services

  
1.2.1 Threshold Document / Indicators of Need  
1.2.2 Children in Need (including children in need of protection): Indicators of Need  


 

1.3

Children's Social Care - Assessment and Planning

  
1.3.1 Initial Contacts and Referrals  
1.3.2 Assessments Updated
1.3.3 North and South of Tyne Safeguarding Children Partnership Procedures, Assessments Procedure  
1.3.4 Section 47 Enquiries  
1.3.5 Transfer and Closure of Cases  
1.3.6 Procedure for Business Support Audit at Transfer, Closure and 3 Month Intervals  
1.3.7 Early Help Referral to Assessment & Intervention Team (A&I)  
1.3.8 Protocol for the Transfer of Cases to the LAC Team from SGCP Teams  
1.3.9 Allocation of Work for Homeless 16/17 Worker  
1.3.10 Guidance Regarding Working Agreements and Written Agreements  
  See also: Guidance on Compiling a Chronology  


 

1.4

Court Proceedings

  
1.4.1 Applications for Emergency Protection Orders  
1.4.2 Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline  
1.4.3 Legal Gateway Meetings  
1.4.4 Protocol and Good Practice Model: Disclosure of Information in Cases of Alleged Child Abuse and Linked Criminal and Care Direction Hearings (October 2013)  
1.4.5 Private Law - Section 7 and 37 Reports  
  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)  
  and Guidance on Compiling a Chronology  


 

1.5

Miscellaneous

  
1.5.1 Death or Serious Injury to a Child (Looked After and Child In Need)  
1.5.2 Safeguarding Children and Young People from Sexual Exploitation  


 

1.6

Mental Capacity and Deprivation of Liberty

  
1.6.1 Mental Capacity  
1.6.2 Deprivation of Liberty  


 

1.7

Complaints and Whistleblowing

  
1.7.1 Complaints and Representations  
1.7.2 Whistleblowing Policy  
  See also: Whistleblowing to Ofsted about Children's Social Care Services - Policy and Guidance for Whistleblowers  


2. Case Management and Recording

2.1 Recording Policy and Guidelines  
2.2 Case Records and Retention  
2.3 Access to Records / Subject Access Requests  
2.4 Electronic Recording of Meetings and Conversations  
2.5 Guidance on Compiling a Chronology  
2.6 Storage of Data on Mobile Devices  
2.7 Use of Social Media Sites by Social Care and Safeguarding Staff  


3. Prevention and Family Support

3.1 Child in Need Plans and Reviews  
3.2 Transfer of Responsibility for Children Who Move from One Local Authority Area to Another  
3.3 Private Fostering  
3.4 Prevention of Homelessness and Provision of Accommodation for 16 and 17 year olds who may be Homeless and/or require Accommodation; and Duty to Refer Updated
3.5 A Guide to the Duty to Refer  
  See also: Allocation of Work for Homeless 16/17 Worker  


4. Children in Particular Circumstances

4.1

Children with Disabilities

  
4.1.1 Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Updated
4.1.2 Direct Payments  
4.1.3 Short Breaks  
4.1.4 Carers Support Needs Assessment in Gateshead  
4.1.5 Carer’s Assessment Support Plan Form (April 2014)  
4.1.6 Children with Disabilities Team: Access to Services Eligibility Criteria Updated
4.1.7 Placing and Visiting Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities or Health Conditions in Long-Term Residential Settings  


 

4.2

Children from Abroad

  
4.2.1 Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Trafficking and Modern Slavery  
4.2.2 Families with No Recourse to Public Funds  


 

4.3

Young Carers

  
4.3.1 Young Carers  


 

4.4

Procedures Regarding Missing Children and Young People
(North and South of Tyne Safeguarding Children Partnership Procedures)

  
4.4.1 Procedures Regarding Missing Children and Young People  
4.4.2 User Guide for the Return Home Interview (RHI) Form  
4.4.3 Missing Child: Return Interview  


5. Looked After Children

  See also: Procedures Regarding Missing Children and Young People in the North and South of Tyne Safeguarding Children Partnership Procedures  

5.1

Decision to Look After and Care Planning

  
5.1.1 Decision to Look After and Care Planning Updated
5.1.2 Local Authority's Sufficiency Duty - Accommodation for Looked After Children  
5.1.3 Permanence Planning Guidance  
  See also: Fostering for Adoption, Concurrent Planning and Temporary Approval as Foster Carers of Approved Prospective Adopters  
5.1.4 Placement Planning and Disruption Meetings  
5.1.5 Placements in Foster Care  
5.1.6 Placements in Residential Care  
5.1.7 Remands to Local Authority Accommodation or to Youth Detention Accommodation  
5.1.8 Out of Area Placements  
5.1.9 Placements with Connected Persons Updated
  See also: Family and Friends and Connected Persons Care Policy  
5.1.10 Placements in Secure Accommodation on Welfare Grounds Updated
5.1.11 Placements with Parents Updated
5.1.12 Placements Outside England and Wales  
5.1.13 Notifications from Other Local Authorities/Placement Providers  
5.1.14 Delegation of Authority to Foster Carers and Residential Workers  
5.1.15 Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority Claims for Looked After Children  
5.1.16 Ceasing to Look After a Child Updated
  See also: Looked After Children and Young People in Contact with Youth Justice Services  


 

5.2

Monitoring and Reviews

  
5.2.1 Social Worker Visits to Looked After Children  
5.2.2 Gateshead's Advocacy Offer for Children and Young People  
5.2.3 Independent Visitors Policy  
5.2.4 Looked After Reviews  
5.2.5 Appointment and Role of Independent Reviewing Officers  
5.2.6 South of Tyne Consortium Policy and Procedure for Secure Accommodation Reviews  
5.2.7 Serious Incident Notifications & Need to Know  


 

5.3

Contact and Overnight Stays

  
  See also: Delegation of Authority to Foster Carers and Residential Workers  
5.3.1 Contact with Parents and Siblings  
5.3.2 Social Visits (Including Overnight Stays)  


 

5.4

Education, School Trips and Holidays

  
  See also: Delegation of Authority to Foster Carers and Residential Workers  
5.4.1 Holidays and School Trips in the UK  
5.4.2 Holidays and School Trips Outside the UK  
5.4.3 Education of Looked After and Previously Looked After Children Updated


 

5.5

Health and Wellbeing

  
5.5.1 Health Care Assessments and Plans  
5.5.2 Personal Care and Relationships Updated
5.5.3 Behaviour Management and Safe Caring  
5.5.4 Restrictive Physical Intervention  


 

5.6

Identity

  
5.6.1 Change of Name of a Looked After Child  
5.6.2 Marriage of a Looked After Child  


 

5.7

Leaving Care and Transition

  
5.7.1 Leaving Care and Transition Updated
5.7.2 Care Leavers Entitled to Continuing Support after the Age of 21 – Personal Adviser to 25 Policy  
5.7.3 Staying Put  
5.7.4 Financial Arrangements for Care Leavers  
5.7.5 Pathway Plan Guidance  
  See also: Responsibilities of the Local Authority to Former Looked After Children and Young People in Custody  
  and Ceasing to Look After a Child  


 

5.8

Youth Offending

  
5.8.1 Looked After Children and Young People in Contact with Youth Justice Services  
5.8.2 Responsibilities of the Local Authority to Former Looked After Children and Young People in Custody Updated
  See also: Remands to Local Authority Accommodation or to Youth Detention Accommodation  
  There is also additional local information in the Documents Library.  


6. Fostering, Adoption and Special Guardianship

6.1

Fostering Services

  
6.1.1 Fostering Panel  
6.1.2 Persons Disqualified from Fostering  
6.1.3 Assessment and Approvals of Foster Carers  
6.1.4 Exemptions and Extensions/Variations to Foster Carer Approval  
6.1.5 Supervision and Support of Foster Carers  
6.1.6 Review and Termination of Approval of Foster Carers  
6.1.7 Allegations Against Foster Carers  
  See also: Fostering for Adoption, Concurrent Planning and Temporary Approval as Foster Carers of Approved Prospective Adopters  


 

6.2

Adoption

  
6.2.1 Assessment and Approvals of Prospective Adopters  
6.2.2 Adoption Panel  
6.2.3 Placement for Adoption  
6.2.4 Adoption Support  
6.2.5 Monitoring and Supervision of Adoptive Placements  
6.2.6 Adoption Reviews  
6.2.7 Disruption of Adoptive Placements  
6.2.8 Allegations Against Prospective Adopters and in Relation to Children Placed for Adoption or Already Adopted  
6.2.9 Inter Country Adoption  
6.2.10 Non Agency Adoption  
6.2.11 Adoption Case Records  
6.2.12 Access to Birth Records and Adoption Case Records Updated
6.2.13 Intermediary Services  
6.2.14 Life Story Books Guidance  
6.2.15 Later Life Letters  
6.2.16 Fostering for Adoption, Concurrent Planning and Temporary Approval as Foster Carers of Approved Prospective Adopters  
6.2.17 Relinquished Children  


 

6.3

Special Guardianship

  
6.3.1 Applications for Special Guardianship Orders  
6.3.2 Court Reports in Adoption/Special Guardianship Guidance  
6.3.3 Policy for the Calculation and Payment of Special Guardianship Allowances  


7. Appendices, Local Contacts and List of Agency Decision Makers, Designated Managers and Nominated Officers

7.1 Local Contacts  
7.2 List of Agency Decision Makers, Designated Managers and Nominated Officers  
7.3 Working Together to Safeguard Children  
7.4 Amendments  

End