Care Planning

• Leaders and managers understand the plans for the children and drive the achievement of important milestones, goals and permanence for their futures;
• Leaders and managers monitor the progress that individual children make and can demonstrate the positive impact that a placement has had on individual children's progress and life chances;
• Leaders and managers ensure that plans for individual children comprehensively address their needs. The Agency works proactively and positively with other agencies and professionals;
• Leaders and managers seek to build effective working relationships with parents and social workers from placing authorities and with the local authority where they are located to secure positive outcomes for children;
• Foster carers work very effectively together with children's social workers so that placements are appropriate, planned and meet the needs of children. They are part of the team around the child, which is mutually supportive. They are actively involved in planning for the child, and their views are valued by Community Foster Care and positively influence children's progress.

Every Looked After Child must have a Care Plan which is completed and updated by their allocated social worker.

The Care Plan must be prepared prior to a child's first placement, or, if it not practicable to do so, within 10 working days of the first placement.

The overall purpose of the Care Plan is to safeguard and promote the interests of the child, prevent drift and provide focus for work with the child and their family.

The Care Plan contains information on the arrangements for the current and longer term care of the child (including, by the time of the second Looked After Review, how permanence will be achieved). It also summarises the child's current developmental needs and identifies the services required to meet those needs. The Care Plan must include the name and contact details of the child's Independent Reviewing Officer. It should also include information on the arrangements for on-going contact between the child and their family.

The Care Plan will be reviewed at the child's Looked After Review. Any changes or updates agreed must be made within 10 working days of the review.

In accordance with Standard 31, Placement Plan and Review:

The Agency and foster carers are required to:

• The Agency support foster carers to play an active role in agreeing the contents of each child's placement plan, in conjunction with the responsible authority;
• The foster carer is given a copy of the child's placement plan as soon as this is provided to them by the responsible authority. If provision of the care plan by the responsible authority is delayed, the Agency  follows this up with the responsible authority;
• The foster carer is supported to contribute effectively to the review of their care plan, which includes the placement plan;
• The foster carer is supported to assist the child to put forward their views, wishes and feelings as part of each review process, and the Agency helps to ensure that these are fully taken into account by the child's responsible authority;
• Foster carers are supported to explain the child's care plan, and any changes to those plans, to the child;
• The Agency  contacts the responsible authority to request statutory reviews or visits if these are overdue for any child, or if a review has not already been arranged by the responsible authority and a change in the care plan is needed, there has been a significant change in arrangements for the child's care or a major action (e.g. a change of placement) which is not in the care plan appears likely;
• The Agency  and foster carer contribute effectively to each child's Placement Plan review and statutory review of the child's care plan;
• Children are assisted to secure an independent advocate to support them in providing their views, wishes and feelings to statutory reviews (see Advocacy and Independent Visitors Procedure).

Every Looked After Child will have a placement plan which sets out in detail how the current placement will contribute to meeting their needs as set out in the Care Plan.

The Placement Plan is concerned both with both how the placement will meet the aims of the Care Plan and contributes to achieving the Permanence Plan, as well as covering how the child's needs will be met on a day to day basis.

Placement Plans must be agreed with the child and their carers, and are likely to be most effective when drawn up at the Placement Planning Meeting which involves everyone concerned in the care of the child (see Reviews and Meetings Procedure).

The Placement Plan covers the following areas:

• Objectives and purpose of the placement;
• Arrangements for the child's education and training, including the name and address of the child's school/other educational setting/provider and designated teacher; the Local Authority maintaining any Education, Health and Care Plan;
• The child's personal/cultural history;
• The child's likes/dislikes;
• 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;
• The rules of the placement, including expectations around behaviour;
• Agreements for contact between the child, their family and others;
• Frequency of social work visits to the child and yourself, and any review meetings;
• If an Independent Visitor is appointed, the arrangements for them to visit the child and their contact details;
• Delegated Authority where appropriate;
• The Placement Plan must show who can make decisions about situations such as:
• Medical and dental treatment;
• Education and school trips;
• Overnight stays;
• Leisure and home life;
• Faith and religious observance;
• Use of social media;
• Any other matters which the local authority/person with Parental Responsibility consider appropriate.

The Placement Plan must also identify any matters about which the Local Authority/person with Parental Responsibility considers that the child may make a decision about.

The Placement Plan may incorporate a detailed Behaviour Management Plan for some children.

Foster carers are provided with respite care only when it is in the child's best interests, including improved stability of the child's placement with the foster carers. Any respite care provided takes full account of the child's needs. Children who receive short breaks will be monitored to ensure that they are making progress in their development and acquiring skills and/or new experiences because of the  service.

The Looked After Review should consider whether care is being provided in line with the agreed approach and whether this approach continues to be the most appropriate placement for the child. The Placement Plan should be reviewed in the light of a Looked After Review or any change to the Child's Care Plan.