4.6.2 Holidays and School/Organisational Trips Inside the UK |
SCOPE OF THIS CHAPTER
This procedure applies to holidays and school/organisational trips within the UK for every Child in Care. Procedures for holidays and school/organisational trips outside of the UK are set out in Holidays and School/Organisational Trips Outside the UK
For organisational trips, it should be read in conjunction with Activities and Transporting Children Procedure.
Contents
- Holidays in the UK
- School/Organisational Trips of up to 4 days Away
- School/Organisational Trips of More Than 4 days
1. Holidays in the UK
Where there is a proposal for a Looked After Child to go on holiday in the UK, the child’s social worker must obtain full information about the holiday, and seek the views of the child and where appropriate, the parent.
If the parents Consent, their consent must be obtained in writing.
Where the social worker, parent and staff/carer agree to the proposed holiday, the holiday can be approved and should be included in the child’s Placement Plan/Placement Information Record.
Where parental consent is not given, the social worker should obtain legal advice as to whether the holiday can go ahead.
Where the social worker considers that the holiday should go ahead despite the parents’ opposition and legal advice supports this, the approval of the social worker's manager should be sought. This request for approval should include the legal advice that has been given.
Written confirmation of the manager’s decision, together with the reasons, should be provided to the parent.
Where the holiday will involve additional costs, the social worker should obtain approval for the costs from the relevant manager before the holiday can be agreed.
Foster Carers and social workers should not make commitments to trips unless financial authority has been obtained. This is to avid unnecessary disappointment for the child. Where the holiday will involve additional costs, the social worker should obtain approval for the costs from the relevant manager (see Designated Manager Appendix for delegated financial authority) before the holiday can be agreed.
It is expected that Foster Carers take their Looked After Children away on family outings, weekends and holidays so that they may have positive experiences of family life. Respite will be considered in exceptional circumstances only.
If approved, the holiday should be included in the child’s Placement Plan/Placement Information Record.
Where the holiday will interrupt contact arrangements between the child and parents, consideration should also be given to including in the Placement Plan additional contacts before and after the holiday.
Staff and foster carers must not take children on holiday during school terms.
2. School/Organisational Trips of up to 4 days Away
The procedure for risk assessments and other arrangements set out in Activities and Transporting Children Procedure should also be followed.
The child’s participation in school/organisational trips should be considered at the time of the placement, and the consultation required before they can be agreed should be included in the Placement Plan/Placement Information Record.
Where a child is placed with the parents, the Placement Plan/Placement Information Record will usually provide that a school trip can be agreed by the social worker in consultation with the school and the parent.
Where a child is placed in foster care or residential care, the Placement Plan/Placement Information Record will usually authorise the staff/carer to agree to the child going on school or other organisational trips of without prior consultation with the social worker or the parent. If the staff/carer have not been so authorised, the child’s social worker and parents must be consulted before agreement can be given.
For trips of up to 4 days away that staff/carers can agree, see also Section 2, Visits/Stays Away Which the Staff/Carer can Agree of the Contact with Relatives and Friends (including overnight stays) Procedure.
Where parental consent is not given, the social worker should consult their manager and obtain legal advice as necessary. Where the manager agrees to the child going on the trip despite parental opposition, the reasons must be recorded and explained to the parent.
3. School/Organisational Trips of More Than 4 days
Where the child expresses a wish to go on a school/organisational trip that is for more than 4 days, the following procedure should be followed.
To obtain approval for the trip, the social worker must first obtain full details of the arrangements for the trip including how many staff will be present, and whether all the adults on the trip including volunteers have had the necessary checks.
The procedure for risk assessments and other arrangements set out in the Activities and Transporting Children Procedure.
The child’s social worker must seek the views of the parent, staff/carer and school as soon as possible and decide whether it is appropriate to recommend that the child be allowed to go. Where possible, a Placement Plan Review should consider agreeing to the trip.
If the social worker considers that it would be appropriate for the child to go on the trip and there is insufficient time for it to be considered in a Placement Plan Review, the social worker must seek the consent of his/her manager.
The written request for such approval should explain the purpose and length of the trip; the wishes of the child; the views of the parent; the views of the staff/carer (unless the child is placed at home), the views of the school; arrangements for adult supervision on the trip, whether the adults are well known to the child and vice versa and the likely cost and how it is to be funded. The request for approval may be accompanied by a request for financial support.
Where parental consent is not given, the social worker should obtain legal advice and the request to the social worker’s manager should refer to the legal advice given. Where the manager agrees to the child going on the trip despite parental opposition, the reasons must be recorded and a written explanation should be provided to the parent.
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