Children Placed in Hertfordshire - Notifications by Other Local Authorities/Placement Providers

1. Introduction

Where a Child Looked After is placed in the area of another local authority, notification must be made by the placing authority to the local authority's Children's Social Care Services where the child is living.

The Education Service and the relevant Health Trust for the area in which the Child Looked After is placed must also be notified.

The notification will include the address where the child is placed.

The Local Authority where the child is placed must maintain a register of Children Looked After for whom it is responsible and all Children Looked After placed in its area, including those children who are the responsibility of another local authority.

Under the Children's Homes and Looked after Children (Miscellaneous Amendments) (England) Regulations 2013, the Manager of a children's home must notify without delay the area local authority (if different from the placing authority) of the admission to/discharge from the Home of any child.

The notification must state:

• The child's name and date of birth;
• Whether the child is Accommodated under Section 20 or subject to a Care Order or Supervision Order;
• The contact details for:
  • The child's placing authority; and
  • The child's Independent Reviewing Officer;
• Whether the child has a Education, Health and Care Plan and, if so, details of the local authority which maintains the statement.

2. The Register

The Register should include the following information:

• The name, gender and date of birth of the child;
• The name and address of the person with whom the child is placed and, if different, the name and address of the child's parents and all those with Parental Responsibility;
• The name of the placing authority;
• Whether the child has a Child Protection Plan;
• Whether the child is Disabled;
• The date on which the placement was made and the date when it terminated including the reason for the termination;
• The child's legal status;
• Where arrangements have been made by the host local Children's Social Care Services to undertake the duties of the placing local authority; what those arrangements are and the name of the person within the placing authority with whom they were agreed.

Where children are placed in a series of short term placements at the same place, these can be treated as a single placement provided that all the placements occur within the period of a year, no single placement is for longer than four weeks and the total duration of the placements does not exceed 90 days.

3. Procedure on Receipt of Notifications in Relation to a Child Looked After

If a child is placed in Hertfordshire by another local authority:

• A case record in relation to the child must be opened;
• Details of the placement must be recorded on the case record;
• Supervisory arrangements must be agreed in writing between HCC and the other local authority and recorded on the case record;
• The child's name and details entered on the electronic database.

Customer Services must complete the electronic data and a register of placements must be held by the Services Manager Brokerage

4. Notification of a Child Protection Concern

Where a Child Protection Concern is notified regarding a Child Looked After placed in Hertfordshire by another authority the relevant Assessment Team or (in the case of notification out of hours) EDT should follow the Children Moving Across Local Authority Boundaries Procedure of the Hertfordshire LSCP Procedures.

The following managers should also be immediately notified:

• Manager of Brokerage Team;
• The placing authority.

This action will enable the managers or their appointed representative to attend the Initial Strategy Discussion and to be able to support the process.