2.4 Placement and Disruption Meetings

Contents

1. Placement Planning Meetings
2. Disruption Meetings

1. Placement Planning Meetings

1.1 Emergency Reviews/Meetings

If the child is placed on an Emergency/Unplanned basis, an Emergency Review/Meeting should be convened at the following intervals: within 72 hours when the child is placed in residential care.

1.2 Placement Planning Meetings

After a child is placed, Placement Planning Meetings should be held at the following intervals:

1. Within seven working days of the child’s placement if a Placement Plan was not completed prior to the placement, sufficient to sustain the child until the first Looked After Review
2. As part of all Looked After Reviews or, if this is not possible, a Placement Plan Review should be conducted as soon as possible after each Looked After Review
3. After serious incidents or in the light of significant changes in the child’s circumstances which suggest that it is necessary to review the arrangements as set out in the Placement Plan
4. At other times agreed between the social worker/home
5. Where the Statement of Purpose for a home determine that such reviews should occur.

1.3 Arranging and Chairing Meetings

In Children's Homes, meetings will be arranged and chaired by the Manager or Keyworker.

1.4 Who Should Contribute to Meetings

The people listed below should contribute to the meetings (if the child has been placed on an emergency basis, it may not be possible to notify/invite all those listed. However, it is essential that the following people are invited/contribute):

1. The child's Social Worker and/or other professional associated with the child e.g. Personal Advisor or Advocate
2. The child
3. The child's Parents
4. The child's Keyworker/Carer(s), and/or Home Manager
5. The Child’s Independent Reviewing Officer
6. Other significant people/agencies

1.5 Preparation and Conducting Meetings

If the child has been placed on an emergency basis, it may not be possible to undertake all of the following arrangements.

Before the review/meeting the chairperson should obtain or be updated on the following, if available:

• The child's Placement Plans/(Recorded on the Placement Information Records)
• Any work which has been undertaken by key professionals involved in supporting the child's placement
• If relevant: the child's Care Plan, Personal Education Plan and Pathway Plan

Where the proposed placement has the effect of disrupting the arrangements made for the child’s education and training - See Education Procedure.

The chairperson should also ensure that the child, Parent(s) and others who have been asked to contribute understand the purpose of the review, how it will be conducted and are given the opportunity to put their views and suggestions.

During the meeting, the chairperson should ensure that consideration is given to the appropriateness of the placement within the context of the child's Care Plan or Pathway Plan and the need for the Placement Plans (recorded on the Placement Information Records) to be drawn up or amended as appropriate.

This does not mean that amendments to Placement Plans/Placement Information Records may only be made at Planning Meetings. When Placement Plans/Placement Information Records are formulated and at each Planning Meeting, the Social Worker and Manager/chair should agree the extent to which they can be amended between Planning Meetings or without consultation.

The chairperson should consider whether the child requires an Advocate or the appointment of an Independent Visitor; if so, this should be raised with the child's social worker.

If there are concerns about the suitability of the placement, consideration should be given to the following:

• Whether it is possible to sustain the placement until the next Looked After Review by, for example, providing additional support to the placement
• Bringing forward the date of the next Looked After Review in consultation with the Independent Reviewing Officer, see Children's Services Looked After Reviews Procedure
• Ending the placement

2. Disruption Meetings

Disruption Meetings should be convened in relation to children whose planned long term placement in a children's home  has ended abruptly or on an unplanned basis. Strenuous efforts must be made to seek to resolve the unplanned endings of placements for children. The child's Social Worker will lead in this process and should consult with and keep the Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) informed.

2.1 Preparation for Disruption Meeting

Where a placement breaks down or ends on an unplanned basis, a Disruption Meeting will be held within 12 calendar weeks following the date of the child's last day in the placement. This applies to all placements of children who are looked after by the Local Authority Within the first 10 working days following the breakdown of a placement, the child's Social Worker will contact the Senior IRO to nominate an IRO to chair the Disruption Meeting. The nominated IRO will not be the child's existing allocated IRO. Details of date, time, agenda and who to invite will be agreed between the child's Social Worker and the nominated IRO. The child's Social Worker's admin section will book a suitable venue for the Disruption Meeting. The child's Social Worker should make available documentation which will assist the nominated IRO in getting up to date with what led to the breakdown and work done to prevent it.

2.2 Attendance and Consultation

Consideration should always be given to restricting attendance. However it is important that those who have a vital contribution to make particularly in order to promote the child/young person's attendance and full participation  are invited . The final decision of who is invited is the nominated IRO's.

The following people should always be invited:

1. The child's Social Worker;
2. The Team Manager (or Senior Practitioner);
3. The Family Placement Officer or residential representative for the disrupted placement;
4. The carers involved in the disruption;
5. The child/young person, depending on their wishes, feelings, age and understanding

The following people may also be invited to attend:

1. The child's birth/adoptive family;
2. The child's current carers;
3. The child's allocated IRO;
4. Any other relevant person

Detailed consultation prior to the meeting is essential. Written contributions are important from those unable to attend or not invited.

The child/young person should be carefully prepared even if attendance is not anticipated. The child/young person's invitation should be hand delivered by the child's Social Worker and the reasons for the meeting explained.

Letters of invitation and consultation forms should be sent out by the child's Social Worker's admin section to all those agreed. This should take place at least 3 weeks prior to the meeting.

The child's Social Worker should complete the consultation form ensure that the ICS chronology is up to date.

The nominated IRO should receive copies of the consultation forms and any other written responses to requests for information no later than 3 working days before the Disruption Meeting.

The Meeting will ensure the child (depending on his or her age and level of understanding) is given the opportunity to understand the reasons and be supported with transition – including return home and independence.

2.3 Agenda

The agenda for the Disruption Meeting will be based on the following:

1. Introduction;
2. Reasons for choosing type of placement (i.e. foster or residential);
3. Reasons for choosing particular carers or residential placement;
4. How placement were prepared e.g. recruitment, training, information given, documentation give, visits (etc);
5. How child was prepared (including how decisions were made to progress placement);
6. Progress since placement (including support given to carers and child);
7. Disruption and subsequent events;
8. Identification and discussion of factors leading to disruption (including factors noted in consultation forms);
9. Action plan with timescales, if appropriate;

The Meeting will ensure the child (depending on his or her age and level of understanding) is given the opportunity to understand the reasons and be supported with transition - including return home and independence.

2.4 The Meeting

An agenda based on the format in Section 2.3, Agenda will be used, with possible additions based on individual circumstances.

The chair will take written notes of the meeting in the form of a summary and an action plan will be formulated at the meeting.

If there are practice implications the chair may make recommendations in addition to the recommendations made in the action plan.

Before the meeting closes, it should be agreed to whom copies of the summary and action plan will be sent. The meeting may consider sending these to people other than those invited to the meeting if it is relevant. The nominated IRO will make a record of this.

2.5 After the Meeting

The summary and action plan should be typed and circulated (after being  approved by the nominated IRO) within 10 working days of the meeting by the child's Social Worker's admin section.

End