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Contents

1. Normal Frequency
2. Conditions
3. Who should be seen
4. Purpose
5. Recording

1. Normal Frequency

All Looked After children in Knowsley will have an allocated social worker.

Wherever a Looked After Child is placed (foster placement, residential unit or placed with birth parents or relatives), the child’s social worker must visit the child in the placement at the following intervals, subject to the conditions in Section 2, Conditions:

• On the day the child is placed, to assist in the placement process
• Within one week of the start of any placement
• Then at intervals of no more than six weeks during the first year of any placement
• Thereafter, at intervals of not more than 6 weeks (or 3 months if the placement is intended to last until the child is 18)
• Immediately a complaint is received from the child or from another person relating to the child concerning the standard of care they are receiving.
• The frequency of visits can then be reviewed after six months and a further visiting pattern agreed which should be no less than six weekly for the next six months and no less than three monthly after the first year. Placements can only be visited on a three monthly basis when the child is in a stable, long term placement and the frequency has been agreed at the child's Looked After Review.
• Where the child or young person is in custody, visits should occur at least every six weeks. In these circumstances and if the child or young person is deemed to have mental health needs, visits should take place once every three weeks at a minimum. In the case of the children being held in custody, consideration must always be given to appointing an advocate or Independent Visitor.
• After a child is placed with adoptive parents s/he should be visited once a week until the first CLA review and thereafter (until the making of an adoption order) at a frequency agreed at the first review, which may be revised at subsequent reviews.

This applies to all new placements where, for example, a child moves from one placement to another.

Some visits should be unannounced. (The foster carers, parent or residential unit should be informed by the child's social worker at the time of placing that there will be occasional unannounced visits and the reason for this explained.

Meetings involving a child i.e. Looked After Reviews, do not in themselves constitute a Visit, unless time is taken outside of the meeting to talk with and spend time with the child. The child's social worker should on occasion take the child out from the placement (for example for a snack or a visit to a park) as this can strengthen the relationship between the child and the social worker and is also in the interests of child protection in that the child may feel more able to discuss issues that are of concern to him/her.

2. Conditions

If the child is placed with parents under a Care Order, within one week of the Care Order, thereafter at intervals of not more than 6 weeks.

If the child is placed with a Connected Person with temporary approval, visits must take place at least once a week until the first Looked After Review, thereafter at intervals of not more than 4 weeks.

If the child is in the care of the Local Authority but another person is responsible for the child’s living arrangements (for example where a child is placed in a Youth Offenders’ Institution or a health care setting), within a week of the start/any change of living arrangements, at intervals of not more than 6 weeks for the first year; at intervals of not more than 3 months in any subsequent year.

Visits should be made more frequently if circumstances require and whenever reasonably requested by the child or the staff/carer.

3. Who should be Seen

Wherever possible, the child must be seen in private and alone (unless the child of sufficient age and maturity and refuses or the social worker considers it inappropriate to do so). If this is not possible, a further visit must be made at short notice in order that the child can be seen alone and observed with the staff/carer.

The social worker should be aware of who else lives in the placement and they should know about changes in structure and composition as well as the relationships within the household or unit.

For young people who are not able to verbally communicate their views. The social worker to ensure that observations of the young person are made in their placement and also in other settings for example, school. Information and opinion to be gathered from other professionals about their presentation.

On some occasions, the social worker should also arrange to visit at times when all members of a household can be seen; or for children’s homes, a significant number of adults and children.

Social workers must consider the balance of time spent with carers and with children during a statutory visit. The social worker must prioritise their time with the young person as opposed to the foster carer. Issues raised by carers can be discussed when a child is not present for example when they are at school.

Social Workers should provide feedback to carers regarding their visit unless it is not in the interest of the child placed.

4. Purpose

It may not be possible for a social worker to gain all the information listed below in one visit but they must try to obtain a holistic view of the placement. The purpose of the visit is to ensure the placement continues to promote the child’s welfare and in particular:

1. To give the child the opportunity to express his or her wishes, feelings and views
2. To advise, assist and befriend the child and to ascertain who they would turn to in times of difficulty 
3. To promote an effective casework relationship between the child and social worker with particular reference to the role of the social worker as a link with the child’s history and birth family.
4. To identify daily routines including getting up and going to bed. Meal times and whether the they all eat together. What are the arrangements for washing and is the child provided with privacy and support that is relevant to their stage of development.
5. To identify arrangements for holiday and leisure time including playing games, access to clubs, cultural and sporting activities.
6. To identify what special arrangements are made to meet any needs that arise from their culture, religious or heritage including communication, diet and skin/hair care.
7. To observe the child with the staff/foster carer/parent and to analyse parenting styles and the promotion of the child's self esteem
8. To monitor the standard of care offered by the placement including the physical standards, house rules and behaviour management strategies. To identify whether there are toys or games to play with and the access that the child has to them.
9. To monitor how the contact arrangements are working and to discover whether these are promoted within the unit or home.
10. To consider  the child's sleeping arrangements  such as room sharing, display of personal belongings  and the physical state of the room. Has the child got clean clothes that are stored appropriately
11. To  identify any areas where additional support is required
12. To evaluate whether the placement is helping to achieve the objectives of the child’s Care Plan, with particular reference to whether the placement is meeting the educational, health and social development needs of the child. Where it is a long term placement, the social worker should observe whether there are signs that the child is an integral part of the family such as photographs.
13. To carry out specific casework tasks with the child, for example carrying out a programme of life story work.
14. To identify whether older children and young people are encouraged to play an increasing part in their self care such as laundry, food preparation and the purchase of food, clothes and budgeting.
15. To identify the arrangements for the young person to get support with school work, do homework (including where appropriate, access to a computer), visit a library and where appropriate, have contact with friends. Do the carers attend parent's evenings?
16. To identify whether the child has access to complaints procedures and are supported appropriately
17. To monitor that the Child Health Record is stored safely, is up to date and is accessible to the child as appropriate to the child's age and understanding

Social workers visiting children with disabilities and/or complex health needs should also consider the following:

• Practices that are being employed do not compromise a carers or a young person’s safety i.e. lifting a disabled child.
• Does the carer have sufficient equipment i.e. bath chair / hoist etc.?
• Who arranges a young persons health appointments and who will attend. For young people in residential placement is this a named person. If they have complex health needs does thought need to be given to ensure that there is consistency of worker due to the young person’s health concerns.
• For young people with complex health needs to ensure that there is clear written information re medication

Placement Planning Meetings can be undertaken during social workers visits.

When visiting children in residential settings the social worker should read the daily log, Incident book/record, Restraint book/record (evidence of notification), Complaints book/record to gain an understanding of recent events in the child's life and also to identify any themes highlighted in the recording for example, issues of concern for the child, how this impacts on those concerns, impact on their behaviour and staff strategies for managing situations and/or the over/inappropriate use of restraint.

In addition they should review and agree with the Unit staff the child’s respective ‘holistic plan’.

5. Recording

The Social worker should record the visit as a Case Note (type of contact must state Boarding Out visit). The reason section should also state Boarding Out visit and the content of the visit should be recorded in the Detailed Notes section. The social worker should finalise the note and the Team Manager should add a further case note confirming that it has been checked by them when this takes place. The Principal Officer (KAFS) or Residential Manager will have access to the child’s file in Protocol so it is not necessary to copy information to them but if any aspect of the care afforded to a child in a Knowsley foster placement is found to be unsatisfactory, this should be drawn to the attention of the Principal Officer (KAFS), or Residential manager immediately. Any such instance and its resolution must also be included in the KAFS social worker’s report to the foster carer review.

The social worker must complete the ICS template (click here to view Statutory Visit to a Looked After Child Template) Statutory Visits to Looked After Child template).

The record should include:

1. Who was seen
2. Whether the child was seen and if not why not
3. Whether the child was seen alone
4. Any comments made by the child or the staff/carers/parents
5. Any matters of concern or difficulties

End