Case Transfer Protocol

Child Focus

The primary consideration for case transfer is the requirement to ensure that the needs and best interests of the child/young person and their family is met.

Where possible changes of allocated Social Worker due to transfer will be minimised.

No Delay

The transfer of cases will not cause delay to social work intervention with families.

Flexibility

The protocol outlined below must be used flexibly and with discretion between services in order to provide high quality services for children and their families. This will involve professional judgement, assessment, cooperation and effective communication between dedicated team managers and the teams they manage.

One Service

Standards of service delivery across Children’s Social Care are the responsibility of all managers and staff. The successful transfer of cases from one team to another is dependent upon both the current case holder and the receiving case holder being aware of and adhering to expected standards.

It is the responsibility of both the current case holding Team Manager and the receiving Team Manager to ensure that case transfer standards are met. (See Appendix 1: Case Transfer Requirements.)

Improved Performance

Assessments of all children, young people and their families should be undertaken in a timely way, be evidence based and all children & young people receiving a service should have a SMART plan subject to their status i.e. Early Help Family Support Plan, Child in Need, child protection or a Looked After child care plan.

Promoting Good Practice

1. Team Managers have the responsibility to seek speedy resolution of any disputes If disputes cannot be resolved then the relevant Strategic Lead should be informed for the appropriate decision to be made;
2. Sibling groups should be held within the same team, unless there are exceptional circumstances. Agreement should be made by the relevant team managers in the first instance, if agreement cannot be reached then Strategic Leads should make the final decision;
3. If there is need for intervention with regard to a child whose parent is an open case to the department, then they should have separate social workers;
4. Casework responsibility will not be relinquished until the agreed handover date. The case will remain the official responsibility of the sending team until the case officially transfers on LCS;
5. Children, young people and their carers, will be informed of the likelihood and rationale for a change of worker positively. Any social work practitioner concerns about the process, or transfer difficulties will be professionally managed, and every effort made to ensure that the process does not impact negatively on the service users welfare;
6. Financial arrangements will be notified formally to receiving managers as part of the handover information;
7. It is the responsibility of the holding team to advise the service user/involved professionals of the transfer process and this will be confirmed in writing with clear contact details.

Outlined below is the guidance for points of transfer which most cases will follow. There may be occasions when for child centred practice, or service reasons, cases will be transferred outside these points, but the principle of no delay and child focus within a single service should underpin such diversions. This document will be the basis for the case transfer process. The expectation is that the receiving manager will accept the case if the required transfer points have been reached.

The expectation is that all cases will be transferred on the agreed transfer date as agreed by Team Managers. The holding team will update and action all necessary changes on LCS.

Children in Need

Children in Need will be identified within the Advice and Assessment Team following a child and family assessment and a Child in Need Plan will be developed. If the likelihood is that the child will require a long term plan the case will transfer to the safeguarding teams after the initial child in need meeting. When there is a likelihood that a short term piece of intervention will lead to step down or closure, the case will remain with the Advice and Assessment team to complete this work.

Where a child is no longer the subject of a child protection plan the Safeguarding team will continue to work with the child and family for a period of at least 3 months under a CIN Plan. At this point the decision will be taken to step down to Lead Professional Team Around the Family Plan or the case will be closed.

If needed, the Early Help panel can assist in identifying a Lead professional where this cannot be achieved within the CIN Plan/meeting.

Children with Disabilities

The children with disabilities team will continue to receive referrals relating to children and young people with disabilities in accordance with the threshold for access to services.

If Child Protection concerns are identified which meet S47 criteria regarding a child in the family who does not have a disability, the the child protection enquiries will be undertaken jointly with the Advice and Assessment Team. If subsequently the children are subject to CP plan the case may be co-worked with the Safeguarding Team. A decision will be made in these circumstances based on the needs of the child(ren).

If the threshold is lowered to level 3, cases will transfer to Team Oasis and will be allocated to the dedicated CWD Child and Family workers. Cases that can be managed by a Lead Professional will not transfer and will be stepped down in accordance with Team around the Family processes and notifications will be made to the Early Help Consultants.

Pre-proceedings

In many instances pre proceedings will not begin until the family, child or young person is subject to a child protection plan and consequently they will be held within the Safeguarding teams. However where the Advice and Assessment team begins the pre proceedings process the trigger point for transferring cases will be following the first pre-proceedings meeting.

Child Protection Cases

Where the Child Protection process has started in the Advice and Assessment teams they will transfer to Safeguarding teams at the Initial Child Protection Core Group, although it is expected that the receiving team will attend the Initial Child Protection Conference. The responsibility for preparation of all related reports and documents lies with the Advice and Assessment Team until the case has been transferred to the Safeguarding Team.

Advice and Assessment Team will complete Section 47 Enquires and Conference report with recommendations before attending ICPC.

The holding and receiving Social Work teams will both attend the Initial Child Protection Conference and the first Core Group to ensure that all information is shared and that the detailed Child Protection Plan is sufficiently informed. Both social workers will arrange a joint home visit as per good practice standards.

Invoking Powers of Police Protection

If a child/young person is made subject to a Powers of Police Protection then it will be the responsibility of the Advice and Assessment Service to undertake an assessment in order to inform future intervention and team allocation as appropriate. If the case is already allocated then the team with the case holding responsibility will undertake further assessment.

Transfer in Child Protection Cases

Children subject to Child Protection Plans who move into Bury from another local authority will be allocated to Safeguarding team. An assessment by the safeguarding team will be completed confirming Bury is the permanent address for the child. This will then progress with outcome to complete the Child and Family Assessment.

Unborn babies

The Advice & Assessment Service will undertake assessments in relation to any concerns raised regarding unborn babies unless the family are already an open case in which case the case holding Social Worker will complete the assessment. Otherwise, assessments will be completed by the Advice & Assessment teams in close consultation with the likely receiving Safeguarding team to ensure continuity and consistency of care planning if necessary.

EDT

Cases coming to the attention of the Emergency Duty Team will continue to be checked against LCS for current team allocation and where allocated information will be passed to the case holding team. Where EDT provide an out of hours response to a child or young person not currently active to a team then information will be passed to MASH.

Care Proceedings

In cases where the Advice and Assessment Service have instigated proceedings via an Emergency Protection Order the case will transfer at the first ICO hearing to the appropriate Safeguarding Team.

Where care proceedings are instigated by the Safeguarding team they will retain case responsibility until the conclusion of the proceedings or when the Care Plan as ratified by the Court for a child to be permanently looked after i.e. Care Order/long term fostering then case will transfer to Children Young People in Care team.

Where the Care Plan as ratified by the Court is for Adoption, the case will remain with the Safeguarding teams.

Supervision Orders

Children & young people subject of Supervision Orders will be case held by the Safeguarding Teams.

Special Guardianship Orders / Child Arrangement Orders

SGO Social workers within the Adoption team will assess SGO applicants who are not currently known to the Fostering Team. The assessing social worker will devise a support plan, and referrals will be made if appropriate. If ongoing support is required the SGO social worker can assist and advise. When the child is an open case the allocated team will contribute to the assessment.

Social workers within the Fostering team will assess SGO applicants who are currently known to the Fostering Team. The assessing social worker will devise a support plan, and referrals will be made if appropriate. If ongoing support is required the SGO social worker can provide advice and assistance. Where the child is an open case the allocated team will contribute to the assessment.

If a child is subject to a SGO and Supervision Order then the case will be held by the safeguarding team.

Step Parent Adoptions

These cases will be case held by the Adoption Team.

Inter-Country Adoptions

Inter country adoption cases are dealt with by a contracted service with Nugent Care.

Relinquished Babies

These will be referred through Advice and Assessment team if not already open to another team and they will be worked jointly with the Adoption team.

Section 7 Reports

Any S7 report request will be allocated to the Advice and Assessment Service unless the case is already held in another team.

Section 37 Reports

These will be allocated within the Safeguarding Team.

Private Fostering

Private fostering cases will be assessed within the Advice and Assessment Team and transfer to the CYPiC team.

Children in Care S20

Advice and Assessment and Safeguarding Teams (if open case) will retain case responsibility for newly accommodated children until completion of a Child and Family Assessment: this will identify the plan for the child and whether accommodation is likely to be short or longer term. If there is no immediate opportunity for the child to return home the case will transfer to the Safeguarding Team after the first review.

If at the second Looked After Children’s statutory review and no later than 5 months following accommodation, the Team have not been able to progress a return home, then the case will transfer to the Children & Young People in Care team. LPM must be considered at this stage.

If a child is accommodated and subsequently care proceedings are initiated then the Safeguarding teams will retain case responsibility until the conclusion of the proceedings. If the outcome is a care order the case will transfer to CYPIC.

All cases transferring to CYPiC must have an assessment within the preceding 12 months which is relevant to the child’s current plan.

Unaccompanied asylum seeking children will be age assessed and placed in accommodation by the Advice and Assessment Team followed by transfer to the Children & Young People in Care team at the first review.

Re-referrals

If a case has been closed and there is a re-referral within 12 weeks then the last case holding team resumes case responsibility and will re-assesses the situation. If a case has been closed for over 12 weeks then the Advice and Assessment Team will reassess.

Post Adoption/Special Guardianship Contact

All post adoption or special guardianship order contact both direct and indirect will be managed by the post adoption service. New referrals will go from MASH to the adoption team.

Children in Care

If the Plan moves away from Adoption, the case will transfer from the Adoption Team to CYPiC following the discharge of the Placement Order.

CYPiC will retain responsibility for a case if the plan is for reunification until such time as the case can be stepped down to Lead Professional (TAF plan). If a Supervision Order is granted, then the safeguarding team will retain case responsibility for the length of the Order. Two months prior to the end of the Order a CIN review will be convened to decide if S17 support on an ongoing basis is needed. The case will continue to be held in the safeguarding team, until it can be stepped down to TAF with Lead Professional. If a child is discharged from s20 Voluntary Accommodation or a Care Order is discharged then the CYPiC Team will remain involved until the case can be stepped down to TAF.

1. The case is identified for transfer based on this transfer policy;
2. Holding Team Manager (HTM) will audit the case to ensure its readiness for transfer. It is expected that assessments will be completed, recording up to date and a Chronology is attached and current. The case should not be placed on the transfer list for discussion unless an audit has been completed and is satisfactory. Please refer to ‘The Case Transfer Minimum Requirements‘ document. Case will be presented to Transfer meeting (which is held fortnightly) and details placed on the template;
3. HTM will close down any outstanding assessment/activities on LCS;
4. In Supervision the Holding SW will be asked to complete a transfer summary;
5. The Receiving Team Manager (RTM) and holding team manager will discuss the case and agree transfer timescale. (This date will be based on the best interests of the child and not on a date that meets the logistics and needs of the Social Work team.);
6. RTM completes the Transfer checklist and LCS Audit to ensure case is ready for transfer (if not the RTM advises HTM of the work outstanding and the work will be completed in 10 working days);
7. RTM will identify SW to be allocated SW and then informs HTM;
8. Once named SW is identified the child & family will be informed (waiting for a named SW likely to be less stressful for the child and family). Professional judgement is required to minimise the impact on the child and family;
9. A standard letter goes from current SW team to all professionals in the case. (templates for all changes to a child’s circumstances e.g. change of SW, change of placement);
10. HSW contacts RSW to arrange a pre meet and joint visit to child;
11. RSW has the responsibility of liaising with the professionals involved with that child;
12. HSW to initiate transfer on LCS;
13. Receiving Team Manager to change allocation on LCS.

Click here to view Appendix 1: Case Transfer Requirements.