3.1.5 Placement Plans

Contents

1. Timescales for Placement Plans
2. Information to be included in the Placement Plan
3. Additional Information to be included where the Child is placed with Parents
4. Additional Information to be included where the Child is placed with Foster Carers, in a Children’s Home or in other Arrangements

1. Timescales for Placement Plans

A Placement Plan must be drawn up by the social worker before the child is placed, or, if not reasonably practicable, within 5 working days of the start of the placement, and forms part of the overarching Care Plan.

Currently the Placement Plan is recorded on ICS using the Placement Information Record.

2. Information to be included in the Placement Plan

1. How on a day-to-day basis the child will be cared for and the child’s welfare will be safeguarded and promoted by the appropriate person
2. Any arrangements for contact between the child and parents/anyone with Parental Responsibility/any other Connected Person, including, if appropriate, reasons why contact is not reasonably practicable or not consistent with the child’s welfare; details of any Contact Order (under Section 8 or 34 of the Children Act 1989); the arrangements for notifying any changes in contact arrangements.
3. Arrangements for the child’s health (physical, emotional and mental) and dental care, including the name and address of registered medical and dental practitioners; arrangements for giving/withholding consent to medical/dental examination/treatment;
4. Arrangements for the child’s education and training, including the name and address of the child’s school/other educational institution/provider and designated teacher; the Local Authority maintaining any Statement of Special Educational Needs.
5. The arrangements for and frequency of visits by the child’s social worker; and for advice, support and assistance between visits
6. If an Independent Visitor is appointed, the arrangements for them to visit the child
7. The circumstances in which the placement may be terminated
8. The name and contact details of  the Independent Reviewing Officer, the Independent Visitor if one is appointed, the social worker who will be visiting the child, and the Personal Adviser for an  Eligible Young Person.

3. Additional Information to be included where the Child is placed with Parents

See also Placements with Parents Procedure.

1. Details of the support and services to be provided to the parents during the placement .
2. The obligation on the parents to notify the Local Authority of any relevant change in circumstances including any intention to change address, any changes in the household in which the child lives and and any serious incident involving the child
3. The obligation on the parents to ensure that any information relating to the child  or the child’s family or any other person given in confidence to the parents in connection with the placement is kept confidential and that such information is not disclosed to any person without the consent of the Authority.
4. The circumstances in which it is necessary to obtain the prior approval of the Authority for the child  to live in a household other than that of the parents
5. The circumstances in which  the placement of the child  with the parents pending completion of the assessment of suitability will be terminated  if the decision following completion of the assessment is not to confirm the placement

4. Additional Information to be included where the Child is placed with Foster Carers, in a Children’s Home or in other Arrangements

(See also Placement in Foster Care Procedure and Placements and Admissions in Residential Care Procedure)

1. The type of accommodation to be provided, the address and, where the child  is placed in ‘other arrangements’, the name of the person who will be responsible for the child at that accommodation.
2. The child’s personal history, religious persuasion, cultural and linguistic background and racial origin.
3. Where the child  is not in care (i.e. where the child is accommodated under Section 20 Children Act 1989 and not subject to a Care Order), the respective responsibilities of the Local Authority and parents/anyone with Parental Responsibility; any delegation of responsibility by parents/anyone with Parental Responsibility to the Local Authority for the child’s day-to-day care; the expected duration of the arrangements and the steps to bring the arrangements to an end, including arrangements for the child to return to live with parents/anyone with Parental Responsibility; where the child is aged 16 or over and agrees to being provided with accommodation under Section 20 Children Act 1989, that fact.
4. The circumstances in which it is necessary to obtain in advance the Authority’s approval for the child to take part in school trips or overnight stays
5. The Authority’s arrangements for the financial support of the child during the placement
6. Where the child is placed with foster carers, the obligation on the carers to comply with the terms of the foster care agreement. 

End