Child in Need Planning and Review

1. Introduction

Section 17 of the Children Act 1989 imposes a general duty on Local Authorities to Safeguard and Promote the Welfare of Children who are ‘in need’ and to promote the upbringing of such children by their families by providing a range and level of services appropriate to those children’s needs. Other agencies have a duty to co-operate with Social Care in carrying out their duty to assess the needs of children and to provide services as necessary.

This child-centred approach is fundamental to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of every child. A child centred approach means keeping the child in focus when making decisions about their lives and working in partnership with them and their families.

The Children Act 1989 defines a Child in Need as in need if:

• He/she is unlikely to achieve or maintain, or to have the opportunity of achieving or maintaining, a reasonable standard of health or development without the provision for him/her of services by a Local Authority;
• His/her health or development is likely to be significantly impaired, or further impaired without the provision for him/her of such services;
• He/she is disabled.

(Section 17(10), Children Act 1989)

To determine whether a child is 'in need' according to the above definition a Child and Families Assessment will need to be carried out by a qualified social worker. This assessment should be very clear in the analysis as to what the potential implications for the child are, both the short term and the long term, if their identified needs are not met. This analysis will support further decision making should services offered be refused.

Parents’ agreement to any social work intervention or to services for their child is necessary.

Young people of an age of understanding, particularly those aged 16 or over should be asked for their consent as well.

Withheld consent

A child ‘in need’ is one where the Local Authority have completed an assessment which concludes that they would benefit from support and they meet the definition of a Child in Need as set out by the Children Act 1989. If parents or a young person of age of understanding, (particularly those aged 16 or 17) refuse the support offered under the proposed plan there will need to be further consideration as to the potential impact upon the child. In the first instance discussions should take place with the parents and young person regarding their concerns and reasons for refusal, in order to try and provide reassurance/further clarification. If a suitable alternative source of support is proposed by the parent or young person that will adequately meet the identified need, this should be given due consideration. The Social Worker, in conjunction with other agencies involved, will need to identify how this will be monitored and further discussed with Children’s Social Care if this intervention is either not subsequently sourced, or ceases prior to the desired outcome being achieved.

If there is no suitable alternative support identified and consent to provide services under S.17 is refused, the Social Worker and Team Manager will need to hold a reflective case discussion and consider the impact for the child - both in the short term and the long term. The analysis within the assessment should have set out the implications of not receiving the support identified and the focus should be on will this benefit the child or is it a need. If the child would benefit from the support but the impact of not receiving this support will not be significant, then the refusal has to be accepted and recorded properly by the Social Worker/Team Manager. If it is a need and “their health or development is likely to be significantly impaired, or further impaired without the provision for him/her of such services” then consideration should be given to undertaking an assessment under S.47. Decisions should be clearly recorded on the child’s file including the analysis behind the decision.

2. Child in Need Plan

Whilst an initial Child in Need Plan can be initiated at any time during a Child & Family Assessment the first meeting that should be held with a family is a Support Network Meeting. This is within the Signs of Safety Practice Guidance and will ensure that families have the opportunity to come up with a plan that will meet the children's needs and keep them safe before a formal Child in Need (CIN) meeting needs to be held. The initial Support Network Meeting should be held following the 10 day Manager's Supervision review of the assessment and before the end of the assessment and draft plan is to be recorded within the Child & Family Assessment. Follow up Support Network Meetings can be held at any time.

The Support Network Meeting will be facilitated by the Social Worker, and will be made up of people chosen by the family; this may be wider family, neighbours, friends etc. - whoever the family feel are their support network. If people that the family chose pose a risk to the children, the Social Worker should discuss this with the family to see if there are any ways these people can support them, without posing a risk to the children.

If however, following the completion of the Support Network Meeting there remain unmet needs that reach the threshold for a Child in Need  plan, the Social Worker will recommend this to the Team Manager and the Team Manager will record their decision in the Child & Family Assessment.

Once the assessment has been authorised by a Team Manager to progress a case to a Child in Need plan, the Social Worker should convene a formal meeting  no longer than 7 working days. However, good practice would be that the first Child in Need meeting is held within the Child and Family assessment process.

The Child in Need Plan should be further developed at a meeting which includes the child/ren, parents, Support Network if possible and relevant professionals who can usefully contribute to the collation of the information and the formulation of the Plan. The meeting is arranged by the allocated social worker it should be held in person where possible. If the meeting is held virtually (via Microsoft Teams) a professional should be present with the parent(s) to support them within the meeting.

The Children in Need meeting can be chaired by a Team Manager, or Social Worker, however where a case is allocated to a ASYE qualified social worker, the initial Child In Need meeting will be chaired by a Team Manager or Experienced/Advanced Social Worker.

Every child in need receiving a service should have an individual Child in Need Plan which details:

• Any unmet needs of the child/young person;
• Overall Aim of the Plan;
• Tasks to be achieved to meet the objectives;
• Services to be provided and what their purpose is;
• Responsibilities for each aspect of the Plan;
• Timescales for the tasks to be achieved;
• Views of the child / young person / parent / carer;
• Review arrangements.

The Child in Need Plan ensures that:

• All children and young people have clearly stated objectives for them to gain maximum life chance benefits from education, health care and social opportunities;
• Desired outcomes are clear. The plan includes SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic Targets) objectives which are reviewed at every multi agency Child In Need meeting;
• Consideration is given to factors which protect children from Emotional, Physical and Sexual Abuse and Neglect.

When agreeing the detail of the Child in Need plan, consideration should be given to other plans that are in place, such as a Health Care Plan (HCP) or an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP) to enable outcomes to be aligned and reduce duplication for the child and family. The outcomes and services for the HCP/EHCP will be recorded in the CIN plan.

3. Reviewing Child in Need Plans

The first Child in Need plan review takes place within 4 weeks of the initial CIN meeting and at a minimum of 4 weekly intervals thereafter.

For children with disabilities please refer to the specific guidance Children with Disabilities Referral Assessment and Planning Procedure. The frequency of reviews for children with disabilities, can be less than 4-6 weekly in specific circumstances and the rationale for this should be recorded by the team manager on the child's file.

The meeting is arranged by the allocated social worker and responsibility to chair and minute review meetings can be decided by members of the meeting, it is not only the social worker’s responsibility. If the case is deemed to have a level of complexity, then the Team Manager / experienced social worker may attend and chair themselves to ensure robust oversight of the risks and plan.

If any family member is unable to attend the CIN meeting, they should be assisted to present their contribution in either written or verbal format. Professionals who are unable to attend must provide a written report in advance of the meeting.

Where it becomes necessary to make minor adjustments to the Plan and services provided in between scheduled reviews, consultation with the parents and the child/young person (where appropriate) and key professionals from other agencies should always be sought. Additional services arranged in the interim should be agreed and added to the CIN plan at the next meeting.

As part of the Child in Need Review, consideration should be given to other plans that are place, such as a Health Care Plan (HCP) or an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP).

If the HCP does not reflect the current intervention or needs of the child, the Social Worker must address this with the lead Health professional.

If the EHCP does not reflect the current intervention or needs of the child, the Social Worker must request a formal review of the ECHP via the SEND email address: SENDadmin@knowsley.gov.uk.

After a Plan has been in place for 6 months the next review must be chaired by a Team Manager who will review the effectiveness of the Plan and its impact on improving the outcomes for the child / young person involved.

All open CIN cases should have a new Child & Family Assessment completed every 12 months to ensure that any changes in circumstances are analysed. If there are any significant events within the 12 months the social worker and their Team Manager must ensure that these events are analysed and this may require undertaking a Child & Families assessment to ensure that the plan continues to meet the needs of the child/ren.

Supervision

Supervision should be every 2 months to ensure good management oversight of the case and to prevent drift. This supervision should offer reflection and ensure that there is no drift and delay for the children/family and consider the support needs of the family.

4. Outcomes of the Review Meeting

The Review Meeting may conclude:

• Progress is being made, but the aims of the Plan (the Safety/Wellbeing Goals) have not yet been achieved and services will continue to remain involved with the family working within the Child in Need Plan;
• The outcomes specified in the Plan (Safety/Wellbeing) have been achieved, and the Child in Need Plan is no longer required. A Child in Need Plan should not be ended without the completion of a further Child & Family Assessment to inform the decision;
• The need can be met by other agencies under Early Help procedures; an Early Help action plan is put in place and lead professional appointed, the step down process should be followed if this is deemed appropriate;
• Lack of progress or heightened concerns indicate the need to initiate Safeguarding Procedures and a Strategy Meeting is convened. For further guidance, refer to the Child Protection Procedures;
• A Legal planning is convened due to the lack of progress in the CIN planning process. In such circumstances the social worker should complete the Legal planning meeting request via the legal workspace and discuss the case in supervision with their Team Manager;
• Review concludes that the child can no longer be cared for safely at home and a recommendation is made that the child should become Looked After. Social worker will then discuss this with their Team Manager, Head of Service and Legal services who will agree the appropriate course of action with reference to the relevant procedures;
• Any decisions recommended at the CIN review must be agreed and endorsed by the team manager, especially if it is to close or step down a case to Early Help;
• If a key agency is not present at the review then their views must be sought before a decision is made to close / step down the case.

It is important that the child/ren and family attend the meeting and arrangements are made to facilitate their attendance. Consideration should therefore be given to accessibility, location, timing and the need for an Advocate/interpreter. The age at which children should attend these meetings cannot be rigidly set. Each child should be assessed and the decision made as to the suitability of them attending using the following criteria:

• Does the child have sufficient understanding of the process?
• Does the child or family member require the assistance of an interpretation service?
• Has the child expressed a wish to attend?
• Will attendance cause the child any harm?

The Chair will ensure that:

• The meeting is as open and informal as possible;
• Particular attention is given to the use of language and any special terms explained;
• The child and parent(s) are given appropriate encouragement, assistance and opportunity to say what they wish;
• Differences and disagreements are respected and recorded;
• Any needs with regard to age, disability, culture, religion or race must be given specific consideration.

The Chair will summarise and reiterate agreed actions, roles and tasks, and all participants will be asked to sign the attendance sheet and their agreement to the proposed.

5. Recording the Plan

The objectives and individual responsibilities agreed at the Child in Need meeting should be recorded on the Child in Need Plan.

The Plan and reviews will be held on the child’s Electronic Social Record in the Children in Need section and should be added to ICS within 5 days of the meeting being held.

The Plan or review must not be disclosed to any party who is not part of the CIN group without the parent’s consent unless it is necessary to safeguard the child. The allocated worker must ensure that the multi-agency parental consent form has been completed and is held on file.

Copies of the Plan should be provided to the child/ren, family and participants in the planning and review group within 10 working days of the meeting. Copies should be hand-delivered to all relevant parties irrespective of whether they attend the meeting or not, or sent electronically via a secure email.

All Child in need plans should be authorised by a Team Manager to ensure that this is a SMART plan that is meaningful for evidencing impact for children and families.

6. Visiting Requirements for a Child / Young Person Subject to Children in Need Procedures

As a minimum standard visiting frequency is every four weeks.

The visiting frequency should form part of the overall Child in Need Plan and should be recorded in the CIN plan – Team Manager will add oversight to reflect visiting standards at each supervision it is expected that children open to CSC should be seen more frequently than 4 weekly. However, consideration should be given to the nature of involvement, the age and vulnerabilities of the child / young person, along with their wishes. In adopting good practice in undertaking visits to a child / young person, consideration also needs to be given to both planned and unplanned visits. The child MUST be seen on every visit in their home.

The only exception to this is for children who are open to the Children with Disability Team. Some children, for example those who are only open to receive financial or respite services may need visits that are less frequent than 6 weeks. The frequency of these visits should be agreed by the Team Manager and the reason for the frequency should be recorded on the child's record in the case summary. Good practice would be to visit these children at least every 3 months to ensure that the financial / respite services continue to meet the child's needs.

7. Supervision Orders

The Children Act 1989 explains:

1. While a Supervision Order is in force it shall be the duty of the supervisor:
   1. To advice, assist and befriend the supervised child;
   2. To take such steps as are reasonable necessary to give effect to the order; and
   3. Where:
      1. The order is not wholly complied with; or
      2. The supervisor considers that the order may no longer be necessary;
      3. To consider whether or not to apply to the court for its variation or discharge.
2. Parts I and II of Schedule 3 make further provision with respect to Supervision Orders.

Children and young people subject to a supervision order will therefore be seen as a child in need and the above procedures will be adhered to.

Three months prior to the supervision order end date, the social worker will request a Legal Planning Meeting.

The Legal Planning Meeting will consider if there is a requirement to apply to the court for an extension/variation of the order or a supervision order is no longer required.

If the Legal Planning Meeting decides that a supervision order is no longer required, at the point the supervision order lapses, the social worker will follow step down procedures if it is deemed appropriate. See: Supervision Order Policy.

8. Step Down

A Team Manager will make the decision for case to step down to Early Help following the completion of a new Child & Family Assessment and a review of the case with the social worker. This decision will also be informed by the Child In Need review process (as above). The management decision and a request to Early Help to attend the final CIN meeting needs to be completed. The social worker will invite the Early Help worker to attend the final CIN meeting.

Early Help will allocate a worker to attend the CIN meeting within 5 working days. The CIN meeting will act as a step down meeting.

It is good practice to undertake a joint visit to a family by the Social Worker and Early Help Worker if they haven't been known to the child and family previously, or if the family do not attend the CIN meeting.

The Early Help Worker will assume case responsibility from the final CIN meeting.

(See also: Knowsley Safeguarding Children Partnership Procedures, Step Up / Step Down Procedure Procedure).

9. Private Fostering

(See also Private Fostering Procedure).

10. Ending Child in Need Plan

At the point at which all of a child's needs are met and no longer require intervention from Children's Social Care (CSC), something that must be confirmed through the completion of a Child & Family Assessment, family members and professionals should be in agreement (N.B. In the case of disagreement the Knowsley Safeguarding Children Partnership Procedures, Multi Agency Escalation Policy should be implemented), and the case will close to CSC.

If the case is stepping down to Early Help the Social Worker should choose step down to Early Help as the outcome on the final CIN review. This will transfer the case into EHM (see Section 8, Step Down for more detail).

The social worker should inform all parties in writing that the case is closed.