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Contents

1. The Needs Assessment
2. Risk Assessment
3. Referral to the 16+ Team
4. The Pathway Plan
5. Young Person's Lead Professional
   
   Appendix 1 - Definitions

1. The Needs Assessment

A needs assessment must be completed for every eligible child. See Appendix 1- Definitions. In practice, most children who are Looked After on or after their sixteenth birthday will require a needs assessment.

The purpose of the needs assessment is to determine what advice, assistance and support will be provided - both for the period the child remains looked after, and for the period that the child is a care leaver. It will provide the basis of the Pathway Plan.

The needs assessment will be commissioned at the last scheduled statutory review before the child's sixteenth birthday. For children who become looked after later than the age of 151/2 it will be at their first review.

The needs assessment will be led by the child's allocated social worker.

The child will be consulted and involved in the completion of the needs assessment. 

The needs assessment will normally involve the following people, but the statutory review may agree to their exclusion from the process, particularly if the child requests it:

• Parents
• Others with Parental Responsibility
• Other family members who are important to the child
• Foster carer/key worker
• School representative
• GP/health representative
• Independent visitor (if applicable)
• Connexions advisor
• Advocacy Worker
• Anyone else the child and the local authority considers relevant

The Luton 16+ Team will not participate in the needs assessment, but may advise the social worker - See Section 5, The Person's Lead Professional.

To support good practice, the review chair will advise the young person that the needs assessment will be led by the young person's social worker, and will be based on the ICS "Pathway Plan" Exemplar. The young person should be consulted along with family, carers and all agencies involved in the young person's care. The assessment will be recorded and discussed at a Pathway Planning Meeting where the Plan will be agreed."

The needs assessment is to be completed within three months of the child's sixteenth birthday - or the date the child becomes eligible, relevant or former relevant if later. See Appendix 1 - Definitions.

The needs assessment should take account of the existing assessments and plans, i.e.

• Background Information 
• Existing Care Plan
• P.E.P.
• Health Plan
• Referral Record

The needs assessment will cover the dimensions of the child's needs, and include the Five Outcomes relating to Every Child Matters guidance.

• Health
• Education, training and employment
• Identity
• Family and social relationships
• Emotional and behavioural development
• Self care skills and social presentation
• Self care skills - finance
• Support, family and environmental factors, and accommodation needs

The needs assessment is to be recorded using ICS Exemplar Pathway Plan -Assessment Questionnaire

The completed needs assessment will be copied to the child, and - with the child's consent - to their parents, foster carers or key worker.

2. Risk Assessment

A risk assessment is to be completed for every child who has a needs assessment, and be recorded on the I.C.S. pro forma.

The risk assessment must be completed by the social worker in partnership with the child and signed accordingly. It is to be reviewed at each statutory review.

3. Referral to the 16+ Team

Once a needs assessment and risk assessment has been completed the social worker will forward them to the 16+ Team - electronically or in hard copy - with invitations to a the next Statutory Review.

The 16+ Team cannot accept referrals for service without the completed needs and risk assessment.

The 16 + Team will acknowledge receipt of the referral and arrange to be represented at the relevant meetings.

4. The Pathway Plan

Following case transfer a Pathway Plan must be completed within three months. For any relevant or former relevant child who does not have one, a Pathway Plan must be completed within three months.

The Pathway Plan will address the needs, strengths and difficulties identified in the needs assessment.

The Pathway Plan will be written by the child's social worker at a Pathway Planning Meeting-The meeting will be chaired by the child's social worker (or exceptionally a Social Care Manager) and involve the child, their parents, carers, and other professionals involved in the case as appropriate.

The Pathway Plan will be formally reviewed and if necessary amended, -, at the child's next statutory review. It will replace the child's existing Care Plan, and Reviewing Officers will ensure the plan covers all aspects of the child's needs both before and after leaving care. If the young person leaves care before the statutory review has taken place, the meeting must still go ahead, at the earliest convenient date.

Pathway Plans will take account of:

• Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 Regulations and Guidance.
• National Protocol - inter-authority arrangements for care leavers (DfES).
• The Children and Young Persons Act 2008.
• Luton County Council Financial Procedures.
• A student guide to Education Maintenance Allowance Reach Your Goal".
• National Standards in Leaving Care 2008.

Reviews of the Pathway Plan will take place at least every six months, and may take place sooner, either at the request of the child (or the young person's advisor on the child's behalf), or if there has been a significant change in circumstances. A review should always take place within three months of the child ceasing to be eligible.

Reviews will be chaired by a I.R.O. and attended by the child's social worker (whilst they remain eligible) and the Personal Adviser. The child should be present at the review, but if they are unwilling to attend they should, if possible, be consulted in some other way, and if necessary the review should go ahead in their absence.

Elements of the Pathway Plan may only be changed at a Pathway Plan Review. Changes will be recorded by the Social Worker or Personal Advisor.

The Pathway Plan will continue to be actioned and reviewed whilst the child remains eligible, relevant or former relevant.

When the young person is no longer entitled to a service, the Case Holder/ Lead Professional will complete a Closing summary in consultation with the young person and any other parties as appropriate.

5. The Person's Lead Professional

It is a statutory requirement that each eligible, relevant or former relevant child has a young person's advisor. The Act allows for this role to be undertaken by a variety of people, but in Luton all Eligible and Relevant young people will have a qualified Social worker. Once they become Former relevant this position can become that of a personal advisor   all these persons are based in the 16+ Team.

Within Luton it is the 16+ Team who are responsible for providing the Leaving Care Service they are located centrally within Luton. The child's social worker will invite a representative of the Luton 16+ Team to the first review after the child reaches 151/2. Once the case transfer criteria has been met post 16, the young person will be allocated a Social Worker from the 16+ Team and the case transfer.

The responsibilities of the young person's Social Worker / personal advisor will include:

• The completion of the Pathway Plan.
• Advising and assisting the young person in achieving the targets set in the Pathway Plan.
• Holding case responsibility, taking the lead role in ensuring there is a Team around the child approach to the support available to the young person.
• After the young person has left care continuing with case responsibility, and the lead role in coordinating the Pathway Plan.

Appendix 1 - Definitions

Eligible children are children aged 16 and 17 who have been looked after for at least 13 weeks since the age of 14 and who are still looked after. Children who are subject to a care order continue to be eligible regardless of whether they are placed with parents or living independently, or in any other situation.

Relevant children are children aged 16 and 17 who have been looked after for at least 13 weeks since the age of 14 and have been looked after at some time while 16 or 17, and have left care. The category includes those who would have been relevant but for the fact that on their 16th birthday they were detained through the criminal justice system or in hospital.

Former relevant children are young people aged 18-21 who have been either eligible or relevant children. If at the age of 21 the young person is being helped with education or training, he or she remains a former relevant child till the end of the agreed programme.

Other young people qualifying for advice or assistance are those aged 16 to 21, or up to 24 if in full time further or higher education, who have been looked after over the age of 16 and are no longer looked after. This includes those accommodated for a consecutive period of three months in any residential care home, mental nursing home, health service accommodation, and those who have been privately fostered. It includes children who were formerly looked after before coming under Special Guardianship. It also includes young people who were previously eligible or relevant but have now successfully returned home.

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