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Contents

1. Principles
2. Movement of Children Subject to a Child Protection Plan to Knowsley from another Local Authority Area
3. Movement of Children Subject to a Child Protection Plan from Knowsley to another Local Authority Area
4. Resolving Cross Boundary Differences
   
   Appendix 1: Transfers in to Local Authority
   
   Appendix 2: IRO Rota

1. Principles

This guidance should be applied with regard to the following:

• The child's welfare and safety is paramount;
• Promoting and creating positive communication and information sharing within Knowsley and between Knowsley and other Local Authority Areas in respect of children subject to Child Protection Plans;
• Promoting effective child protection plan case transfers to avoid drift and delay for the child and their parents/carers and to ensure children are safeguarded;
• Ensuring services in the local area are identified and offered in a timely manner to children suffering or at risk of suffering significant harm who move into the Knowsley area;
• Child Protection Planning is robust and timely and takes account of all available information.

2. Movement of Children Subject to a Child Protection Plan to Knowsley from another Local Authority Area

All requests for a transfer-in conference should be received and responded to by the Duty Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) on the day of receipt.  Where they are not available the request should be passed to the Quality Assurance Unit, Service Manager for their attention and action.  Where a request is made by telephone by another Local Authority Area, the IRO should request that this is put in writing and either securely faxed, emailed or posted to the IRO.

It is the responsibility of the Local Authority requesting the transfer-in to ensure the written follow-up is made in a timely manner. The 15 day timescale for convening the transfer- in conference will commence upon receipt of all the written information as detailed below.

Following a request for a transfer-in conference, the IRO will collate relevant information on a Proforma.  As a minimum this will include:-

• Full details of the child - name, DOB, current address and planned Knowsley address gender, ethnicity;
• Details of any siblings - names, DOB, current address and planned Knowsley address, gender, ethnicity;
• Details of Parents and/or carers - names, DOB, current address and planned Knowsley address, gender, ethnicity;
• Background information relating to the case:
  • Reason for the Child Protection Plan;
  • Category of abuse;
  • Length of time the child has been the subject of a plan;
  • Overview of the historical involvement with the child and their family, including any history of previous sibling adoptions or previous periods of being a Looked After Child;
  • Assessment and intervention work undertaken;
  • Any legal information;
  • The organisations contributing to the plan;
  • The planned outcomes for the child.
• Establish if Knowsley holds any historical information in relation to the child, their siblings, their parents or carers and record the information on the relevant format in the integrated children's system (ICS);
• Request the responsible Local Authority to forward copies of the core assessment, child protection plan, minutes of the Initial Child Protection Conference, Child Protection Review Conferences, all Core Group minutes, legal papers and any other relevant assessments or information, including the Section 47 Child Protection Enquiry.

The IRO will then:

• Liaise with the QAU Business Support Assistant to request that information is shared to enable all relevant systems in Children's Services and in partner agencies to be updated and to include details of the child and their status.  A contact to be inputted on ICS by QAU BSA;
• QAU BSA will then reassign to the relevant Safeguarding Team Manager in the area where the child is to be resident of the intention to convene a transfer-in conference and provide the background information to the case; sharing with the Safeguarding Team Manager contact details for the responsible authority (i.e. pro-forma completed by IRO);
• Request QAU, Business Support Assistants to convene the transfer-in conference within 15 working days of written notification of the permanent address;
• Include in the recommendations of the transfer in conference the need to undertake a core assessment in Knowsley.

NB - the Social worker/ Safeguarding Team Manager should always give consideration to the need to read the case records held in the Responsible Local Authority area. 

Any historical records relating to the child or their family in Knowsley should ALWAYS be accessed and read by the allocated worker in Knowsley.

Where the child and their family are moving to Knowsley and the planned address is temporary, e.g. a refuge supported housing provision or other temporary accommodation, the IRO will collate the information as outlined above. The information should then be passed to the Quality Assurance Service Manager.

The Quality Assurance Service Manager will be responsible for liaising with the Responsible Authority on at least a monthly basis to monitor the progress of the case and continue to confirm plans to secure permanent accommodation in the Knowsley area; where a permanent address has been secured the transfer-in conference should be convened within 15 working days of written notification of the permanent address by the Quality Assurance Service Manager, in line with the requirements above.

If after a period of three months the child and their family continue to live in temporary accommodation in Knowsley, a transfer-in conference must be arranged within 15 working days.  This will be the responsibility of the Quality Assurance Service Manager, in line with the requirements.

Responsibility for the Child Protection Plan during the period in temporary accommodation will remain with the Responsible Authority, (i.e. the Local Authority requesting the transfer-in Child Protection Case Conference) until the transfer-in Initial Conference has been held in Knowsley and a decision whether a child protection plan is required.

At the transfer-in child protection conference the IRO will ensure any gaps in information or the assessment are identified and action taken to address this, this includes the allocated worker completing a core assessment. Action and recommendations should be monitored at future child protection review conferences until fully completed.

Where a Core Assessment is not completed in time for the first Child Protection review conference in Knowsley, then the IRO should ensure this is recorded in the minutes along with a recommendation for completion in 10 working days. The IRO should also ensure the relevant Team Manager and the Service Manager is notified on an issues log.

Appendix 1 provides an outline of how and who should record information on ICS

3. Movement of Children Subject to a Child Protection Plan from Knowsley to another Local Authority Area

It is the responsibility of the Social Worker, or in their absence their manager, to notify the Quality Assurance Service Manager when a child who is the subject of a child protection plan is intending to move or has already moved out of the Knowsley area, whether this is to a permanent or temporary address.

The notification should be made within one working day from the information coming to the attention of the social worker or their manager.

The social worker/ team manager should provide the following information to the Quality Assurance Service Manager:

• The address to which the child has moved and confirm whether or not this is temporary accommodation;
• The names of all adults who have moved with the child;
• Adults with whom the child will be living with in the receiving Local Authority area;
• The reason for the move;
• The arrangements made by the social worker/Team Manager to safeguard the child in the receiving Local Authority area.

The social worker/ team manager must notify the receiving children's social care services providing the required information and determining the need for a transfer in conference.

The Quality Assurance Service Manager will liaise by telephone with their equivalent in the area where the child has moved, providing the required information and determining the need for a transfer in conference.

If a transfer in conference is to take place this will be followed up in writing by the QAU Business Support Assistants. As a minimum the following information will be sent securely by the QAU Business Support Assistant to the receiving authority:

• Details of all child subject to a child protection plan - name, DOB, current address and planned address gender, ethnicity;
• Details of any siblings - names, DOB, current address and planned address, gender, ethnicity;
• Details of Parents and/or carers - names, DOB, current address and planned address, gender, ethnicity;
• Details of other adults who will be living at the planned address;
• Full details of the allocated Social Worker - their name, work address, telephone number and email address;
• Background information relating to the case - reason for the Child Protection Plan, category of abuse, length of time the child has been the subject of a plan, legal papers, assessment and intervention work undertaken, the organisations involved and the planned outcomes for the child;
• Copies of the core assessment, child protection plan, minutes of the Initial Child Protection Conference, Child Protection Review Conferences, all core group minutes and any other relevant assessments or information, including the Section 47 Child Protection Enquiry.

NB - all documents that are sent to other local authority areas should be sent securely, with a request that the receiving local authority acknowledge safe receipt; where confirmation is not received within 5 working days, the sender should follow this up.

The QAU Business Support Assistants will notify relevant organisations in Knowsley that the child has moved out of the area and the forwarding address.  It is the responsibility of the Quality Assurance Service Manager to ensure all information is sent and notifications are made in a timely manner.

When a date for the transfer-in conference in the receiving Local Authority has been set the allocated social worker or social work representative of the Responsible Local Authority must attend the 'transfer-in' conference.

The child's plan should not be discontinued in Knowsley until written confirmation has been given by the receiving Local Authority that the transfer-in conference has been held and a decision made whether the child remains subject to a child protection plan.  On receipt of this notification the originating QAU Business Support Assistant should:

• Confirm the decision of the transfer in case conference in writing to all relevant organisations and individuals in the area;
• Update ICS and discontinue the plan, recording the end date as the date the receiving Local Authority held the transfer-in conference and the decision was made.

Appendix 2 provides an outline of how and who should record information on ICS.

4. Resolving Cross Boundary Differences

There may be occasions where difficulties arise in the transfer of cases between Local Authority areas. It is essential that any difficulties are addressed and resolved as swiftly as possible by the Service Manager Quality Assurance.

In the first instance the matter should be addressed by telephone discussion between the Service Manager Quality Assurance in Knowsley and their equivalent in the other Local Authority area. It is anticipated that most matters will be resolved at this stage. This should be done within 2 working days of an issue with the transfer being raised.

Where the matter remains unresolved following this telephone contact, the Service Manager Quality Assurance should discuss the case with Service Director, Safeguarding & Specialists Services. It may then be appropriate for them to contact their equivalent in the Local Authority area, either in writing or by telephone (or both) in order to ensure the matter remains live and is resolved at the earliest opportunity. Progress should be reviewed on a weekly basis to minimise the risk of drift or further delay.

Finally where difficulties continue to persist in the transfer, the matter should be referred to the Director of Children's Services.  It will be their responsibility to liaise with their equivalent in the Local Authority area and reach ultimate agreement and a clear plan. It is anticipated that few cases should reach this stage.

End