Blackpool Children Logo


Top of page

Size: View this website with small text View this website with medium text View this website with large text View this website with high visibility

3.1.7 Placement Disruption and Disruption Meetings

SCOPE OF THIS CHAPTER

This chapter was incorporated into the Manual in February 2012, to replace the previous Placement Planning and Disruption Meetings procedure.  It should be read in its entirety.


Contents 

  1. Application and Scope
  2. Disruption Meeting - Definition and Purpose
  3. Arrangements for Chairing Disruption Meetings
  4. Participation in Disruption Meetings
  5. Disruption Meeting Agenda
  6. Distribution of Minutes
  7. Panel


1. Application and Scope

Consideration should always be given to convening a Disruption Meeting in relation to children whose long term fostering and residential placements has ended abruptly or on an unplanned basis. A disruption meeting is considered helpful when considering the needs of the child and helping the child and carers to move on, informing future planning.

For children whose pre adoptive placements disrupts, a Disruption meeting should take place.   Please refer to Disruption of Adoptive Placements Procedure.

In cases where there is concern regarding the stability of a long term placement, a Placement Support Meeting should be held.  

The need to hold a Disruption Meeting must not delay putting in place alternative arrangements for meeting a child's needs and any immediate action required to remedy any problems arising from a disruption.

A Disruption Meeting must be held within two weeks of the placement ending.


2. Disruption Meeting - Definition and Purpose

A Disruption Meeting is different from a support meeting (see Placement Support Meeting Procedure) which is set up in the immediate aftermath of a placement breakdown to plan where the child goes next.

The purpose of a Disruption Meeting is to:

  • Identify significant factors leading to the disruption;
  • Enable participants to share feelings and information about the placement and disruption;
  • Gain information about the child to inform future planning;
  • Look at the quality of the preparation and support offered to family and child.


3. Arrangements for Chairing Disruption Meetings

The arrangements for chairing of Disruption Meetings will be as follows:-

  • The meeting will be chaired by the Corporate Independent Reviewing Officer;
  • The Chair will have a discussion with the Social Worker/Team Manager and Supervising Social Worker to agree attendees/venue/date. The Team Manager will arrange a minute taker; preferably someone from the Admin Team in the Looked After Children's Service.


4. Participation in Disruption Meetings

The meetings may include the following:

Essential

  • Childs IRO;
  • Child's Social Worker  from designated Child Care Team;
  • Fostering/Adoption/Residential Team Manage;
  • Family placement Social Worker.

Desirable

  • Therapists;
  • Representative School;
  • Views from Child and Parents (if appropriate).

If anyone who is thought to have an important contribution cannot make that date they should send written notes or speak to the Chair before the meeting to convey their views.


5. Disruption Meeting Agenda

The areas to be covered in the meeting are as follows:

Disruption Meetings provide an opportunity to explore and understand and must not be used to apportion blame.

Depending on the time available it is important to address at least 3 points from each section to order to get as full a picture as possible.

Child's life prior to reception into care

  1. Date and place of birth;
  2. Ethnicity;
  3. Parent's details and where they are now;
  4. Sibling's details and where they are now;
  5. Involvement of Social Services or other agencies;
  6. Number of care settings the child has experienced.

Reception into care

  1. Reasons for removal of child;
  2. What the plan was for the child;
  3. What is the child's legal status.

Child's life in care

  1. Number of care settings the child has had;
  2. The Care Plan for the child in each setting;
  3. Information about the child's response to any move, including behaviour and relationships in the placements;
  4. The child's progress at school;
  5. The child's health;
  6. How many Social Workers has the child had;
  7. Details of any specialist assessments the child has had;
  8. Details of ongoing specialist support;
  9. Contact arrangements between the child and birth family.

The recruitment, assessment and selection of the kinship/foster carers/residential home

  1. Who assessed the adopters/carers?
  2. Did any significant issues arise during the assessment?
  3. Description of family structure;
  4. How and why was the family selected for the child?
  5. Is this the family's first placement;
  6. Were any issues raised at Panel?
  7. What post placement support was agreed?

Introduction and placement of the child

  1. Discuss the introduction process including who chaired the meeting and how soon introductions started following the meeting;
  2. How was the child prepared for the move?
  3. Did the child have a life story book/treasure box to take with them?
  4. Did any issues arise during the introductions?
  5. Who moved the child into the placement?
  6. How did the child react to the move?
  7. How did the carers/adopters react to the move?
  8. When did it become apparent that difficulties were emerging?
  9. What were the problems? 
  10. What support was put in place to address the problems?
  11. How was the decision made to move the child?
  12. How has the child reacted to the disruption?
  13. How have the carers/adopters reacted to the disruption?

The future

  1. Where is the child now?
  2. How is the child in placement?
  3. What support is being given to the child?
  4. Are the carers/adopters still in touch with the child?
  5. What support are the carers/adopters receiving?
  6. Have the birth family been informed about the disruption. If not, is there a plan to inform them;
  7. What is the proposed plan for the child now?


6. Distribution of Minutes

Once the Chair has added the Introduction and Summary and checked the minutes they will distribute to all those who attended the meeting and sent apologies.

Minutes must be taken with a copy recorded on the child's case record and if relevant the foster carer's file and sent to participants of the meeting and the following:

  • Group Manager Safeguarding;
  • Group Manager, Fostering/Adoption;
  • Group Manager LAC/Locality Team.

The Corporate IRO must keep a record of all disruptions including statistics of the numbers of disruptions and meetings held.


7. Panel

If the disruption meeting is held in respect of a breakdown in a foster care placement and the IRO is of the view that the case needs presenting to the panel, this should be discussed with the Fostering Team Manager.

Other matters

  • A review of the carers should be completed as soon as possible after the disruption and be presented to the appropriate panel;
  • An annual audit of disrupted placements (where a Placement Disruption Meeting has been held) should be undertaken by the Corporate IRO and presented for discussion.

End