1.2.13 Standby Service

1. Introduction

The Knowsley Standby Services is the out of hour's emergency duty team, which provides an emergency social work service on behalf of the Department of Health and Wellbeing of Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council.

The service operates outside normal office hours, 365 days a year including weekends and bank holidays. The Standby Service starts at 5 pm and finishes at 9 am Monday to Thursday, and from 5 pm on Friday to 9 am on Monday, covering the weekend.

2. Service Provision

The Standby Service is designed to respond to emergency or crisis situations and provide appropriate services, in conjunction with other emergency agencies, for example Police and Health Services. Services are offered to individuals and families both resident in and visitors to Knowsley who are in crisis. The type of support offered would include direct support, social work intervention or redirect to more appropriate services for advice or service delivery.

The Standby Service is managed by a social work trained co-ordinator, supported by 2 qualified social workers, one of whom is an experienced child care social worker and the other is an approved mental health practitioner (ASW) or social worker under the Mental Health Act and is therefore able to provide an assessment to a number of service user needs, inclusive of:

A Child in Need
Children who may need to be Accommodated
Children who are or may be at risk of Significant Harm
Parents who are seeking advice in the management of their children
Provision of an Appropriate Adult for young people whose parents are unable or unwilling to attend the police station; and to vulnerable adults who have been arrested
Assessment and support to service users who have a mental illness who may require hospitalisation.
Provision of temporary accommodation for children and adults who have a learning disability
Support and provision of services to older people and their carers who due to their circumstances are at the time not able to be cared for without the provision of additional services
Assessment and intervention for vulnerable and older people considered to be at risk

It is recognised that each individual's circumstances are unique and require an individual response. Therefore the support or services provided in an emergency situation will depend on those circumstances and the Co-ordinator is responsible for making that assessment. The criteria for Contacts, Referrals and Assessments remain the same as during office hours and this is set out in: Contacts and Referrals Procedure and Initial Assessments Procedure which also sets out the procedures that must be followed in these circumstances.

Standby does not provide a service to adults who are homeless; this is managed by the KHT Homeless Team. Where the presenting person is 18 years and under and KHT Homeless Team have concerns that the young person is vulnerable, they will refer the young person to the Standby Service who will undertake an Initial Assessment (see Initial Assessments Procedure) and if the young person is assessed as being a Child in Need a plan will be drawn up and where appropriate, a service should be identified.

The Standby Service works in partnership with other agencies, which are not part of the Emergency Services and are contacted to support those other agencies where their specialist involvement is required.

3. Contact and Referrals

Anyone wishing to speak to Knowsley Standby Services can do so via the Paging Service Number. The Pager Service will take a message, which is then passed to the Standby coordinator, who will then make contact with the caller telephone, normally within 20 minutes.

The co-ordinator will record the contact (If it relates to a child) on ICS (See ICS Detailed Guidance Section 1.0, Contact CSICS1S) and make contact with the caller to discuss the reason for the call, and determine what course of action is required, for example information or advice, re-direction to another agency or service, or whether a visit is required.

Contacts in relation to Adults will be recorded manually and passed to the relevant team for inputting at the first opportunity.

The Standby Co-ordinator will then record all the contacts received and makes a decision as to how to progress the matter. In order to do this the Co-ordinator will search the appropriate database (ICS or Swift) to determine if the case is known or currently open and whether the child is the subject of a Child Protection Plan. The outcome of the enquiry will be:

Progression to referral
Link to existing referral
Referrals Provide information or advice
Refer to another agency
No further action

See Contacts and Referrals Procedure

If the case is already open, new information should be recorded as a contact within ICS and a standby log (CF 69) created by the standby co-ordinator and sent to the appropriate worker/ service the next working day unless there is a request for an immediate social work response. In this instance all actions will be recorded within ICS (See ICS Detailed Guidance Section 1.0, Contact CSICS1S)

Where there is a need for direct social work involvement the co-ordinator should take as much detail as possible from the caller and database to assist in determining the management of that intervention. The co-ordinator will then brief the duty social worker as to the concerns, anticipated action and expected outcome. This should be recorded by the co-ordinator including name, address, dates of birth and telephone numbers including that of the referrer. All actions should be initiated with the consent of the person subject of the referrer unless there are concerns as to significant harm to the child or adult.

4. Decision Making and Action

In cases of suspected significant harm there should be telephone contact with Merseyside Police to discuss via a Strategy Meeting and a course of action to ensure a co-ordinated response to the Safeguarding concern. In the event that an officer of the Vulnerable Person's Unit (VPU) is not available contact should be made to the duty detective inspectors. (See Section 4.6, Section 47 Enquiries in the SCB manual)

5. Decision Making and Action on Referral

In determining a course of action consideration must be given to the health and safety of social work staff. Where there are concerns of confirmed or alleged violence it is appropriate that 2 social workers visit with or without police assistance. In other circumstances given the area they are going into and the time of the visit it may be appropriate to advise the local police station of the attendance of the social worker in the area providing details of the address and time also where possible the duration of the visit.

In all cases it is important that the health and wellbeing of the service user and social work staff should not be compromised and essential emergency action is not delayed.

The duty social worker when called out should keep the co-ordinator informed of their actions and seek advice and direction of the co-ordinator as required. In providing a service the duty social worker should complete the necessary paperwork as prescribed in the procedures, not only of children's services but also Older People's Integrated Provider Services, Adults of working age and in line with the requirements of the Mental Health Act. Towards this end, the social worker should have with them for their immediate use the necessary paperwork and templates in order to provide alternative carers or services with significant detail to provide initial care.

6. Conclusion

Upon conclusion of referral both the co-ordinator and social worker should complete their respective log and forward to the appropriate service team for information or follow up.

In cases were there have been an emergency response due to concern of significant harm, provision of accommodation or requirement for immediate follow up telephone contact should also be made to the manager/ case worker of that service in order to alert them as to concerns.

In matters that require a senior management decision/consultation the standby coordinator should contact with the respective Service Head/Children's Services Manager in the first instance.

End