BexleyChildren's Services Procedures Manual

Contents

1. All Children

CAPTION: All children

1.1	Children's Services Policies, Values and Principles
1.1.1	Our Vision for Children, Schools and Families in Bexley
1.1.2	Our Professional Values when we are Working with Children, Young People, Families and Carers
1.1.3	Director's Statement on Approving Policy Changes for Bexley Children's Social Care
1.1.4	Signs of Safety Practice Framework and Expectations
	See also: Family Network Meetings
1.1.5	Bexley Quality Assurance Framework
1.1.6	Bexley Children's Social Care Supervision Policy
1.1.6	Equality and Diversity
1.2	Participation Policy of Children and Young People
1.2.1	Children's Consultation and Participation
1.2.2	99 Ways and Bexley Looked After Children Commitments
1.2.3	Super Hero Corporate Parents
1.2.4	Capacity and Consent
1.3	Early Help and Thresholds for Children's Social Care Services
1.3.1	Early Help: Family Wellbeing Procedure and Practice Guidance
1.3.2	The Bexley Threshold: Bexley Safeguarding Partnership - Effective Support for Children, Young People and Families in Bexley
1.3.3	Having a Child Through Surrogacy
	See also: Early Intervention - Policy and Provision (House of Commons Library)
1.4	Children's Social Care - Assessment and Planning
1.4.1	Contacts and Referrals
1.4.2	Assessments	Updated
1.4.3	Strategy Meetings and Child Protection Enquiries (Section 47)
	See also: London Safeguarding Children Procedures, Child Protection S47 Enquiries
1.4.4	Case Management Review Panel Protocol
1.4.5	Allegations Against Staff or Volunteers (People in Positions of Trust), who Work with Children (London Safeguarding Children Procedures)
1.4.6	Neglect
1.4.7	Team Remit and Case Transfer Between Teams
1.5	Child in Need
1.5.1	Child in Need of Our Support and Protection
1.5.2	Social Work Visits to Children and Young People
1.5.3	Signs of Safety Direct Work Resources
1.6	Legal Proceedings
1.6.1	Applications for Emergency Protection Orders
1.6.2	Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline	Updated
1.6.3	Legal Gateway/Planning Meetings
1.6.4	Protocol and Good Practice Model: Disclosure of Information in Cases of Alleged Child Abuse and Linked Criminal and Care Direction Hearings (October 2013)
	See also: Cross-border child protection cases: the 1996 Hague Convention (DfE)
	and Family Justice Resource Hub (ADCS) - This hosts a series of practical resources, such as templates, tools and practice guidance, which will be of interest to those working in the family justice system.
1.7	Complaints and Whistleblowing
1.7.1	Children's Social Care Statutory Complaints Procedure
1.7.2	Bexley Corporate Complaints Procedure
1.7.3	Internal Children's Services Escalation Procedure (Policy Updates)
1.7.4	Bexley Whistleblowing Policy and Procedure
1.8	Notifications
1.8.1	Death or Serious Injury to a Child (Looked After, Child in Need or Care Leaver up to and Including the Age of 24)	Updated
1.8.2	Bexley Serious Incident Notification Policy

2. Case Management and Recording

CAPTION: Case Management

2.1	Recording Policy and Guidelines
2.2	Case Records and Retention
2.3	Access to Records / Subject Access Requests
2.4	Confidentiality Policy
2.5	Electronic Recording of Meetings and Conversations
2.6	Case Load Guide for Children's Social Care
2.7	Use of Social Media Sites by Social Care Staff
2.8	Storage of Data on Mobile Devices

3. Children in Particular Circumstances

CAPTION: Particular circumstances

3.1	Children with Disabilities
3.1.1	Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities	Updated
3.1.2	Direct Payments
3.1.3	Short Breaks
3.1.4	Placing and Visiting Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities or Health Conditions in Long-Term Residential Settings
3.2	Deprivation of Liberty and Mental Capacity
3.2.1	Deprivation of Liberty
3.2.2	Mental Capacity
3.3	Children from Abroad
3.3.1	Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Child Victims of Trafficking and Modern Slavery
3.3.2	Modern Day Slavery
3.3.3	Families with No Recourse to Public Funds	Updated
3.4	Homelessness
3.4.1	Prevention of Homelessness and Provision of Accommodation for 16 and 17 year olds who may be Homeless and/or require Accommodation; and Duty to Refer
3.5	Family and Friends Care
3.5.1	Family and Friends Care	Updated
3.5.2	Private Fostering
3.6	Young Carers
3.6.1	Young Carers	Updated
3.7	Relinquished Children
3.7.1	Relinquished Children
3.8	Education Matters
3.8.1	Children Missing Education and Pupils Missing Out on Education
3.8.2	Elective Home Education Policy
3.8.3	Education Briefing for Social Workers (for Children in Need)
3.9	Children Missing from Home and Care
3.9.1	Children Missing from Home, Care or Education
3.10	Mental Health
3.10.1	Aftercare under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983	Updated

4. Children in Our Care

CAPTION: Children in Our Care

4.1	Decision to Look After and Care Planning
4.1.1	Local Authority's Sufficiency Duty - Accommodation for Children in Our Care
4.1.2	Decision to Look After
4.1.3	Care Planning
4.1.4	Ceasing to Look After a Child
4.1.5	Permanence Planning Guidance
	See also: Fostering for Adoption, Concurrent Planning and Temporary Approval as Foster Carers of Approved Prospective Adopters
4.1.6	Permanence Panel Protocol and Terms of Reference
4.1.7	Placement Planning and Disruption Meetings
4.1.8	Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority Claims for Children in Our Care
4.1.9	Children's Social Care Resource and Care Panel
4.1.10	Risk Assessment and Planning
4.1.11	Providing Personalised Care
	See also: NICE Guideline - Looked After Children and Young People
	Promoting Wellbeing and Positive Identity for a Child or Young Person Who is Looked After: A Quick Guide for Social Workers and Social Care Practitioners
4.2	Placements
4.2.1	Placements with Parents
4.2.2	Placements with Connected Persons	Updated
4.2.3	Placements in Foster Care
4.2.4	Placements in Residential Care	Updated
4.2.5	Placements in Secure Accommodation on Welfare Grounds	Updated
4.2.6	Out of Area Placements
4.2.7	Placements Outside England and Wales
4.2.8	Remands to Local Authority Accommodation or to Youth Detention Accommodation
4.2.9	Notifications from Other Local Authorities/Placement Providers
4.2.10	Delegation of Authority to Foster Carers and Residential Workers
4.2.11	Placements in Other Arrangements
4.2.12	Health and Safety	Updated
	See also: Children in Our Care and Young People in Contact with Youth Justice Services
4.3	Monitoring and Reviews
	See also: Policy Updates
4.3.1	Social Worker Visits to Children in Our Care
4.3.2	Advocacy and Independent Visitors
4.3.3	Looked After Reviews
4.3.4	Appointment and Role of Independent Reviewing Officers
4.3.5	Secure Accommodation (Criteria) Reviews
4.3.6	Notifications of Significant Events	Updated
4.3.7	Child in Our Care Review Checklist (Policy Updates)
4.4	Contact and Overnight Stays
	See also: Delegation of Authority to Foster Carers and Residential Workers
4.4.1	Family Time with Parents/Adults and Siblings
4.4.2	Social Visits (Including Overnight Stays)
4.5	Education, School Trips and Holidays
	See also: Delegation of Authority to Foster Carers and Residential Workers
4.5.1	Education of Children in Our Care and Children Previously in Our Care	Updated
4.5.2	Virtual School
4.5.3	Holidays and School Trips In and Outside the UK
4.5.4	Leisure Activities
4.6	Health and Wellbeing
4.6.1	Health Care Assessments and Plans
4.6.2	Personal Care and Relationships
4.6.3	Positive Relationships and Behaviour Management
4.6.4	Restrictive Physical Intervention and Restraint
4.7	Change of Name and Marriage/Civil Partnership
4.7.1	Change of Name of a Child in Our Care
4.7.2	Marriage/Civil Partnership of a Child in Our Care
4.8	Leaving Care and Transition
4.8.1	Leaving Care
4.8.2	Policy to Promote the Welfare of Young Adults Leaving Care (Local Policy)
4.8.3	Staying Put	Updated
4.8.4	Financial Support for Young People Leaving Care - to follow
	See also: Responsibilities of the Local Authority to Former Looked After Children and Young People in Custody
4.8.5	Keeping on Caring - Our Offer for Young Adults Leaving the Council's Care
4.9	Youth Offending
	Refer to: Policy Updates for Bexley protocols and guidance documents.
4.9.1	Children in Our Care and Young People in Contact with Youth Justice Services
4.9.2	Responsibilities of the Local Authority to Former Children in Our Care and Young People in Custody
4.9.3	Protocol for the Exercise of Joint Responsibilities between Bexley Youth Offending (YOS) Service and Bexley Children's Social Care
4.9.4	Resettlement Policy
4.9.5	Children involved in the Youth Justice System: Additional National Guidance	New
	See also: Remands to Local Authority Accommodation or to Youth Detention Accommodation

5. Fostering and Adoption

CAPTION: Fostering and adoption

5.1	Fostering Services
5.1.1	Fostering Panel
5.1.2	Persons Disqualified from Fostering
5.1.3	Assessment and Approvals of Foster Carers
5.1.4	Exemptions and Extensions/Variations to Foster Carer Approval
5.1.5	Supervision and Support of Foster Carers
5.1.6	Review and Termination of Approval of Foster Carers
5.1.7	Allegations against Foster Carers
5.1.8	Training and Development of Foster Carers
5.2	Adoption and Permanence Services
	See: Adoption Partnership South East Regional Adoption Agency Procedures Manual
5.3	Special Guardianship
5.3.1	Applications for Special Guardianship Orders	Updated
5.3.2	Court Reports in Adoption/Special Guardianship Guidance

6. Safeguarding Children Procedures

CAPTION: Joint Operational

	SHIELD Bexley Safeguarding Children Partnership should be accessed for guidance for all practitioners on a range of topics including Child Sexual Exploitation, Trafficking and Modern Day Slavery, Children who are Missing and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
	See also London Safeguarding Children Procedures.

7. Local Contacts and Agency Decision Makers

CAPTION: Local contacts

7.1	Local Contacts
7.2	Agency Decision Maker List (Policy Updates)

8. Additional Procedures

CAPTION: Additional procedures

8.1	Working Together to Safeguard Children
8.2	Guidance for safer working practice for those working with children and young people in education settings
8.3	CAFCASS Public Law Cases
8.4	Children's Complaints Leaflet
8.5	London Safeguarding Children Procedures
	See Policy Updates for:
	Position Statement - Visiting Children during the Pandemic and Contact Arrangements for Children in Care
	Group Supervision Guide
	Lone Working Policy
	Guidance for Staff Experiencing Domestic Abuse
	Ofsted Inspection Framework