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Contents

1.	Consultation and Planning
2.	Placements Process - Planned Placements
	2.1	Definition of Planned Placement
	2.2	Placement Request
	2.3	Identification of Placement
	2.4	Placement Planning
	2.5	Notification of Placement
3.	Support, Monitoring and Ending of Placements
	3.1	Support and Monitoring of Placements
	3.2	Ending of Placements
4.	Permanent Placements
	4.1	Identification and Approval of Placements

1. Consultation and Planning

1.1 Consultation 

At the point that it is determined that a placement may be required, and throughout the subsequent process of identification, planning and placement, the social worker must consult and take account of the views of the following people:

1. The child
2. The child's parents
3. Anyone who is not a parent but has been caring for or looking after the child
4. Other members of the child's family who are significant to the child
5. The child's school or education authority
6. The Youth Offending Service, if the child is known to them

The views of these people should be given by them, in writing, or should be recorded by the social worker.

1.2 Planning

See Decision to Look After Procedure for procedures relating to the initial decision to Look After a child, and the drafting and approval of the Care Plan.

2. Placements Process - Planned Placements

2.1	Definition of Planned Placement
2.2	Placement Request
2.3	Identification of Placement
2.4	Placement Planning
2.5	Notification of Placement

2.1 Definition of Planned Placement

A Planned Placement is the placement of a child in a foster home following an assessment and planning process whereby, at the time of the placement, a Care Plan and Placement Plan/Placement Information Record are in place.

Where the above plans are not in place, the placement is deemed to be an Emergency. See Emergency Placements Procedure.

2.2 Placement Request

For placement with permanent/long-term foster carers, see Section 4, Permanent Placements.

In all other cases, where a decision has been made that a child requires a foster placement, the child's social worker should complete and send a Referral Form to the fostering duty officer.

The Referral Form contains information about the child, the type of placement sought, the date by which the placement is required, the likely length of time for which the placement is required and the expected level of contact between the child and parents. The referral should be supported by the following documents:

• Initial Assessment or Core Assessment
• Any relevant medical reports
• The child's Statement of Special Education Needs (SEN) (where relevant)
• The most recent Looked After Review minutes (in relation to a child already Looked After)
• The most recent Strategy Meeting or Child Protection Conference minutes (where applicable)

The Fostering Team will liaise with the social worker to discuss alternatives to the child being/remaining looked after and ensure the referral complies with the authority's Placement Strategy (see Section 2, Placement Strategy of the Post Placement Arrangements Procedure).

If satisfied that the referral is appropriate, the Fostering Team will then identify the availability of an appropriate in-house resource, and with the social worker as necessary for clarification or for more information, for example whether the child may be a risk to other children living in the foster home.

The Out of Borough Panel will consider all external placement requests and it will only  authorise a placement if satisfied that there are no alternatives to the child being or remaining Looked After. The Panel will ensure that all internal resources have been explored before agreeing to recommend a placement with an external provider.

2.3 Identification of Placement

If an in-house foster placement is identified, the Placement Planning process can start - see Section 2.4, Placement Planning. If the placement is outside the foster carer's terms of approval, the approval of the Designated Manager (Foster Placement - Exemption to Exceed Usual Limit) is required. All exemptions must be presented to the Fostering  Panel  which may consider the terms of the carers approval.

If a placement with an external fostering agency has been authorised by the Designated Manager (Placement of Looked After Children Outside the Authority), the Commissioning Manager will consult appropriate providers, identify possible placements and liaise with the social worker about their suitability. The Commissioning Manager should arrange for a copy of any brochure or written material that is available for the proposed placement to be forwarded to the social worker.

At this stage initial discussions will be held with the providers as to the appropriateness of the referral, time-scales for vacancies and the basic costs of the placement.  The Commissioning Manager will ascertain the services included in the basic cost, what would be regarded as extra cost and the conditions relating to the notice period, and liaise with the child's social worker and relevant manager as necessary.

If an external placement appears suitable and a vacancy is available, the Commissioning Manager will undertake the following:

• Contact the Regulatory Authority
• Request a copy of the provider's registration certificate and the most recent inspection report
• Obtain at least 3 verbal references from other local authorities who have placed children with the provider in the last 12 months
• Liaise with social workers who have previously used the provider

Where the proposed placement is with a foster carer living outside Luton, the views of the local authority where the foster carer lives must be sought and taken into account.

Where there is a child already in the proposed foster placement from a different local authority, the consent of that child's local authority should be sought by the social worker for the child about to be placed. If the placement is provided by an Independent Fostering Agency it is their responsibility to ensure that this is done.

As long as no concerns have been raised in relation to a proposed external placement,  and where time permits, the Commissioning Manager will arrange to visit the placement (with the social worker if appropriate) and then discuss its suitability with the child's social worker.

The social worker may then arrange visits to the proposed placement, with the child (if old enough) and parents (if appropriate).

When the placement has been agreed as suitable, the Commissioning Manager will negotiate the terms and conditions of the placement with the provider. 

Initially, no contract will be for longer than 3 months and each will have a date for a contract review.

The provider's admissions procedure will then be followed.

2.4 Placement Planning

Before the child is placed, the fostering duty officer or the Commissioning Manager (depending on whether the carer is approved by Luton or an Independent Fostering Agency) will liaise with the child's social worker, foster carer and the fostering link worker (where the placement is with in-house carers) or independent fostering agency to arrange a pre-placement planning meeting. 

The child, parents and any other significant family members and relevant professionals should also be invited. 

The purpose of the meeting is to share information about the child and the Care Plan; plan the timing of the placement and ensure that a Placement Plan/Placement Information Record is drawn up.

Following the meeting, the child's social worker will complete and arrange for the circulation of the Placement Plan/Placement Information Record to the child, parents and foster carers. 

The social worker should ensure that any Children's Guide or other information about the placement that is available for the child is obtained and given to him/her.

If the child is being placed with an independent agency, the social worker must also ensure that the child is provided with information on using Luton's Children's Complaints Procedure.

In all cases, the child should be accompanied to the placement by the social worker and helped to settle in.

The child's Chronology should be updated.

2.5 Notification of Placement

Details of the required notifications are included in the Post Placement Arrangements Procedure.

3. Support, Monitoring and Ending of Placements

3.1	Support and Monitoring of Placements
3.2	Ending of Placements

3.1 Support and Monitoring of Placements

The child's social worker must visit the child in the placement within one week of the placement and then at specified intervals; See Social Worker Visits Procedure.

Also see Placement Plan Reviews Procedure.

The Commissioning Manager will also liaise with health and education in relation to jointly funded placements with external providers, and will maintain contact with external providers in relation to the children placed with them, taking up with them any concerns or funding issues as soon as they are drawn to the Team's attention. 

Where the needs of the child in the placement will involve costs in addition to those approved, the placement must be referred to the Out of Borough Panel for authority for any such additional costs before they are incurred.

3.2 Ending of Placements

All those notified of the placement should be notified also when a placement ends, including the Commissioning Manager.

All written information on the child, which the foster carer holds, should be transferred to the supervising social worker for transfer to the child's social worker.

Where a placement with an external provider ends in an unplanned way, the child's social worker will call a meeting to discuss the causes of the breakdown and inform further placement planning.  The child's social worker, the child, the parents, a representative of the external provider and any other significant people should be invited by the Social Worker.

The child's Chronology should be updated.

4. Permanent Placements

See Permanence Planning for Looked After Children Procedure.

4.1 Identification and Approval of Placements

Where a child's proposed placement with a foster carer is to accompanied by a Permanence Plan or the plan is for the existing placement to become permanent, the request for a placement must be made directly to the Fostering Service and the following must occur in order to obtain the necessary approval:

1. In relation to children under 12, the plan to achieve permanence for the child through a long term foster placement must initially be referred to the Adoption Panel upon whose recommendation the Designated Manager (Permanence Plans) can give approval in principle
2. Where the identified foster carers are not already approved as long-term foster carers, it will be necessary to conduct an assessment to obtain such approval.  When complete, the assessment should be presented to the Fostering Panel, who may recommend to the Designated Manager (Permanence Plans) Plans) that the foster carers be approved as long term
3. In all cases, an assessment of the suitability of the match of the long-term foster carers to the child or children in question should be conducted. 
   
   In these circumstances, the child's social worker should liaise with the foster carers' supervising social worker to agree who should undertake the assessment. Where the child is already placed with the foster carers, the assessments must be completed within 4 months. 
   When complete, assessments in relation to children over 12 years old should be presented to the Fostering  Panel, who may recommend to the Designated Manager (Permanence Plans) that the matching be approved. Children under 12 years will be matched at the adoption panel

The Panel will require the following information:

In relation to the foster carers:

1. Luton Fostering Assessment Form updated as necessary Last foster home review report
2. Fostering Panel minute recommending approval of foster carer's long term status
3. Up to date medical report from GP and any further information required by the Medical Adviser

In relation to the child:

1. BAAF Form E if available; full pen picture of child if not
2. Looked After Review minute recommending the plan for the placement
3. Personal Education Plan
4. Any specialist assessments and up to date medical information
5. Report of any home-finding

End