Cared for Children Review Process

Initial review within 20 working days from the first day the child becomes looked after. Head of Service for SQA to be notified immediately when a child becomes looked after.

Permission for a child to become looked after must be sought form the Assistant Executive Director (Early Help and Children’s Social Care). This should also include the signing of the placement plan. Social worker must ensure that carers are provided with all relevant records and detailed history of the child/ren upon admission.

A named IRO must be identified within 5 days of admission and contact made with the child if age appropriate.

N.B. photograph of the child/ren should be taken as soon as possible in line with missing from home/care protocol and placed on file.

Care in Practice Time Limits: An Aide memoir

Consultation on venue, invitations and dates to take place with child/ren and IRO within 5 days.

Discuss any issues that may arise as a consequence of invites and venue with IRO. (suitable for child and at this review CLA team and adoption team and fostering team to be invited as appropriate)

Care planning meeting to be held at least 10 working days prior to review and look at content of placement plan. This meeting should include professionals from fostering, CfC team and safeguarding team, Health, Education, parents and child if case is to be transferred. If appropriate adoption team manager should also be notified and attend if child's plan includes concurrent planning. If a Pre proceedings case, the plan upon admission should be almost established.

This meeting should include all those involved in the care of the child and should be used to develop and agree the overall care plan for the child/ren, including Placement Plan, health plan and PEP. Delegated authority should also be provided and included in the Placement plan. The meeting should also look to address issues around contact (including photographs), risk management and day to day arrangements.

N.B. the care planning template is to be recorded on the right hand forms section of the ICS case record.

Consideration must be given to the person most suitable person to chair the initial care planning meeting - this should be a team manager.

Care Planning Template

Social worker
CfC Team Manager
Fostering Team Manger
Children's Homes Manager
File Audit Group
Partner agencies

Initiate PEP and health assessment within 10 working days of the child/ren becoming looked after. This must be completed by the initial review and presented to the chair.

If a child/ren's plan is concurrent then adoption medical to be initiated.

Advise relevant professionals that this has been completed such as EST.

N.B. the above PEP'S provide good examples for social workers.

Family Group Meeting if it has not already occurred needs to be held within the first review period.

Compete Genogram and plan for any viability assessments. This should be discussed with the fostering team manager.

N.B. Genogram to be regularly updated as new information comes to light. The Genogram should explore and include all family members and connected persons. It is the responsibility of the social worker to seek out all family members and connected persons and assess their suitability to care for the child/ren.

Give out new into care pack (including complaints and NYAS). This should be done as soon as possible and provided to the child by the social worker on the first visit.

Young person's guide to fostering to be provided and 'welcome to my family' pack if appropriate.

Young person's guide to the home to be provided.

Social worker to undertake statutory visits in line with requirements, they should also be recorded in ICS using the standard template. This does not include visits made to place a child or any visits to the carer, the statutory visit must be a standalone visit for the purpose of seeing the child/ren and assessing the quality of the placement and their wishes and views.

Introduction letter from IRO and review contributions to be sent to the child/ren, carers and parents by SQA.

All contributions must be provided to the IRO upon receipt to SQA.

Provide detailed reports in ICS, including placement plan, PEP and health plan at least 3 working days prior to the review. This must also include court reports.

N.B. if there are any difficulties in completing reports then this must be discussed with the IRO. If reports are not provided then this may result in the review being cancelled.

All discussions must be recorded by IRO in ICS case notes.

Social worker to provide details of any ongoing assessments such as parenting and viability and timescales this must be in line with court timetable.

IRO to check that Permanence medical and CPR if case is twin tracked has been completed.

Social worker to ensure that the IRO is kept up to date with all significant changes, this includes contact, changes to schools, court dates and outcomes and any issues or changes to placement.

If necessary the IRO may convene an early review to look at the impact of any significant events on meeting the care plan.

IRO to check that carers have been provided with all documents in relation to the child/ren. Social worker should enter ICS case note when records have been given.

Fostering social worker should also ensure that carers have been provided with appropriate information.

IRO should ensure that child/ren are contacted, consulted and included in the review process in the most appropriate manner for the child.

2nd review should be held within 3 months of date of becoming looked after.

Social worker to discuss with the child/ren process for review including time, venue and invites 20 working days prior to review.

This should be followed up by a discussion with the IRO 15 working days prior to review.

Ensure IRO is informed of all significant changes to the child and provide regular updates around the care plan. No changes are to be made to the care plan without notification and discussion with IRO.

This includes, changes to schools, contacts, placements and changes to the overall plan for the child.

N.B. Nominated Officer must make decisions for changes to placement for children in key stage 4.

The IRO can at any time invoke the local dispute outcome resolution process if they feel that the child/ren's care plan is not progressing or there are issues impacting upon the child/ren and causing delay or risk is identified.

Social worker to ensure that IRO is made aware of placement order date.

The adoption team should have been notified and consulted were the child/ren's plans are adoption.

Preparation of the child for adoption should be reflected in the placement plan.

Post contact arrangements and process for reviewing contact should be provided to IRO and agreed at a review.

Arrangements for Letter box to be agreed and details provided to the IRO.

IRO's to be notified of mid way review meeting and outcomes from this - IRO's to be provided with all adoption records:

• Adoption support plan;
• Adoption placement plan;
• Consents;
• PEP;
• Health plan etc.