Understanding Placement Plans and Looked After Reviews

Contents

1. Introduction
2. The Child's Care Plan
3. The Placement Plan
4. Looked After Reviews

1. Introduction

You will need as much information as possible about a child/young person before they come into their home. It is a legal requirement that you receive written information within 10 working days of placement, but in may be before or on the day of placement. No information should be withheld from you without a manager’s approval and this will only be in rare cases.

2. The Child's Care Plan

A Care Plan must be completed before the child’s first placement or within 10 working days.

This is a document that must be drawn up where a child/family is receiving a service from a local authority.  It should provide information relating to the child and their family, and will what work must be done to meet the needs of the child or young person in relation to future plans for them.

One of the main jobs of the Care Plan is to ensure that each child has a Permanence Plan by the time of the second Looked After Review.

The child’s overarching Care Plan should include:

• Placement Plan (setting out why the placement was chosen and how the placement will contribute to meeting the child’s needs) . 
• Permanence Plan (long-term plans for the child’s upbringing including timescales).
• Pathway Plan (where appropriate, for young people leaving care).
• Health Plan.
• Personal Education Plan.

3. The Placement Plan

This is a document that must be completed either on the day or within five days of a placement being made with you.  This plan is drawn up by your Supervising Social Worker or by a fostering duty social worker, with you, the child, family members and the child’s social worker. This plan details the expectations and routines of the child, as well as how their needs will be met in the foster placement.

The Placement Plan covers the following areas:

• Objectives and purpose of the placement.
• Arrangements for the child’s education and training, including the name and address of the child’s school/other educational institution/provider and designated teacher; the Local Authority maintaining any statement of Special Educational Needs.
• The child’s personal/cultural history.
• The child’s likes/dislikes.
• Arrangements for the child’s health (physical, emotional and mental) and dental care, including the name and address of registered medical and dental practitioners; arrangements for giving/withholding consent to medical/dental examination/treatment;
• The rules of the placement, including how the child should behave.
• Agreements for contact between the child and their family.
• Frequency of social work visits to the child and yourself, and any review meetings.
• If an Independent Visitor is appointed, the arrangements for them to visit the child and their contact details.
• Delegated Authority.
• The Placement Plan must show who can make decisions about situations such as:
• Medical and dental treatment;
• Education and school trips;
• Overnight stays;
• Leisure and home life;
• Faith and religious observance;
• Use of social media;
• Any other matters which the local authority/person with Parental Responsibility consider appropriate.
• The Placement Plan must also identify any matters about which the Local Authority/person with Parental Responsibility considers that the child may make a decision about.

4. Looked After Reviews

A Looked After Review (LAC or Statutory Review as it is sometimes known) is a meeting that covers the arrangements for making sure the plans put in place for a child in care happen.

Looked After Reviews are held at specific intervals. They are normally chaired by an Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO). They will discuss with all those involved with the child’s life including the child/young person how they are progressing and how their needs will continue to be met. The Independent Reviewing Officer has a monitoring role for the child overall so is a good source of support if needed.

Looked After Reviews happen at the following intervals:

• Within twenty working days of the child becoming Looked After;
• Then within three months of an initial Looked After Review;
• Then subsequent looked after reviews should be conducted not more than six months after any previous review.

Reviews must take place sooner if the Independent Reviewing Officer requests or that the child’s social worker's assessment is that their welfare is not being adequately safeguarded and promoted. You should attend the reviews of the child/young person you are caring for.

Also at the meeting may be the child/young person (if appropriate), the child’s teacher, their family, the child’s social worker and any other professionals working with the family.

If you are worried about these meetings discuss it with your Supervising Social Worker.