Decision Making and Accountability Framework
DECISION MAKING AND ACCOUNTABILITY FRAMEWORK
The table below provides guidance about which posts have authority for decision making in the areas of childcare, finance and human resources. The posts listed indicate the lowest level at which decisions can be made but do not preclude decision making at a higher level.
This framework should be used in conjunction with the Delegated Authority – Decision Support Tool and the Leicestershire, Leicester City and Rutland Child Protection Procedures.
CHILDREN’S CASEWORK DECISIONS
Decision / Post / Body / Notes about the processDecision about acceptance of referral / First Response Team Manager / N/A / See Service specification
Service manager to monitor activity and performance on a monthly basis
Single Assessment / Team Manager / N/A
Commence Section 47 enquiries / Team Manager / Strategy meeting with the police and other agencies / Should clearly be recorded by Team Manager
Agreement to end S47 investigation without going to Child Protection Conference or Legal Proceedings / Team Manager and 2 Agency Colleagues / LSCB / Senior Practitioner or Team Manager to discuss ICPC with the two multi-agency colleagues before closing and/or refer back to a reconvened strategy meeting
Agreement to refer a child for a Child Protection Conference / Team Manager / LCSB / LSCB procedures to be followed
Presentation and attendance at Child Protection Conference / Social Worker/Senior Practitioner /
Senior Social Worker/Team Manager / The Team Manager will make a decision about who should attend the conference taking into account the complexity of the case and the experience of the Social Worker.
Attendance at court / Senior Social Worker / Senior Practitioner / Other members of Unit may be delegated to go if straightforward hearing
Transfer to another local authority / Senior Practitioner / Team Manager / Follow up in writing
Acceptance of a case from another Local Authority / First Response Team Manager / Should follow LSCB timescales and ICPC within 15 days
Case Closure – Single Assessment / Team Manager / Service Manager to monitor activity and performance on a monthly basis
Children staying with friends or family under Section 17 agreements / Service Manager and Team Manager / Expenditure over £50 per annum on one family to be monitored by Budget Monitor
LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN
The table below only gives the level of decision making – not the detailed procedure. The assumption is made that parents/carers with parental responsibility will be consulted when appropriate.
Decision / Post / Body / Notes about the processAccommodating a child under Section 20 / Service Manager / N/A / The child should also have been considered under S47 before requesting accommodation
Accommodation in an emergency EPO/PPO / Service Manager (Locality) / N/A / If accommodated in emergency S47 enquiries to be completed. EPO applications must be approved by the Head of Service
Application to the court to look after a child including ICO / Service Manager / N/A / Applications will only be accepted following a legal planning meeting and compliance with PLO regulations
Placement in in-house foster care, supported lodgings or a contracted 16+ provision / Service Manager / Service Manager for Fostering and Placements or the relevant covering Service Manager (usually the SM for the Children in Care Service)
Agreement to search for an Independent Fostering Agency Placement / Assistant Director / In-house placements and searches should always be done before this authorisation is sought; the view of the Service Manager/s for Fostering and Placement Services should be sought before AD authorisation is sought;
Consideration should be given to additional resource to support an in-house provision to enable placement;
A clear trajectory/end date should be identified with continued search for in-house provision.
Authorisation for Residential Placement / Director / In-house placements and searches should always be done before this authorisation is sought; the view of the Service Manager/s for Fostering and Placement Services should be sought before Director’s authorisation is sought;
Consideration should be given to additional resource to support an in-house provision to enable placement.
A clear trajectory/end date should be identified with continued search for in-house provision or supported lodging/contracted bed where appropriate.
Authorisation for Placements and Resources / Placements and Resource Panel / Chair: Head of Strategy / The panel will consider placement resources including:-
· Approval of out of authority (agency) placements in advance of planned placements
· Ratification of any emergency out of authority (agency) placements
· Applications for Special Guardianship Orders and Child Arrangements Orders where enhanced allowances are being considered
· Foster carer requests for adaptations to their property or additional resources
· Funding requests for young people to remain in an independent agency fostering or residential placement at intervals of one month, three months after placement is made until permanency decision is made
· Adoption support e.g. adoption support plans and therapeutic costs that have not been agreed when the Adoption order was made
· High cost independent living provision for children in care
· Requests for exceptional resources for children in need under Sec 17
· Variation to IFA or Residential placement
· Spot purchase 16+
Terms of Reference are available.
Packages of support/care for children and young people whose needs cannot be met through universal and specialist services alone / Integrated Children’s Panel / Chair: Assistant Director CSC or
Equivalent in Health or
Equivalent in Education / All decisions to be made or ratified at the Integrated Children’s Panel – a multi- agency decision making panel for children and young people with complex needs, who require multi agency assessment and intervention in the form of support packages/ programmes.
Terms of Reference are is available.
Placement of a child in secure accommodation / Director / Secure Planning Meeting chaired by Head of Service / Assistant Director must approve recommendation from Secure Planning Meeting
Attendance at Review of Arrangement / Senior Practitioner / Social Worker / Meeting / Communication department / As per procedure
Overnight stays away from placement for LAC / Parent/ Foster Carer / Social Worker / As per procedure
Holidays abroad for LAC / Service Manager (Locality) / As per procedure
Approval of passport applications for LAC / Team Manager / As per procedure. Can be signed by someone with PR
Adoption plan decision / Agency Decision Maker (ADM) / Legal Planning Meetings chaired by Service Manager;
Placing a child for adoption / Agency Decision Maker / / Legal Planning Meetings chaired by Service Manager;
Adoption Panel to recommend matches;
Permanency Panel chaired by Assistant Director / Following Planning Procedure;
Permanency Panel - The panel will consider and make decisions regarding the following Statutory Guidance: Permanence, long term foster placements and ceasing to look after a child- March 2015, and Care Planning and Fostering ( Misc Amendments) Regulations 2015
Approval of foster carers / Agency Decision Maker Fostering manager to sign off the report / Fostering Panel to recommend to Head of Service Children in Care service for decision / As per regulations
Allowances paid for Special Guardianship, Residence Orders or Adoption / Service Manager Fostering and Adopotion / The policy has been updated.
Revocation of Care Order / Service Manager with legal advice / LAC review
Legal Planning meeting
Placement with parents (nominated officer approval required) / Nominated Officer is
Head of Strategy – Fostering, Adoption and Children in Care. / Nominated officer approval for decision to place a looked after child with the parents – this must not be put into effect until approved by the Nominated Officer and the Placement Plan is prepared.
The Nominated Officer must be satisfied by a number of conditions outlined in the guidance/regs. before approving such a placement.
This arrangement must not be put into effect until the Nominated Officer has been approved.
Placements with parents before assessment is completed (Nominated Officer approval required) / Nominated Officer is Head of Strategy – Fostering, Adoption and Children in Care.
Out of hours the nominated officer is the on call Service Manager. / Nominated Officer might consider it necessary and consistent with child’s welfare to place with parents before assessment of the suitability to care for the child provided that a number of conditions are met (outlined in the Care Planning, Placement and Review guidance/regs, March 2010 – and updated).
Placements out of area (Nominated Officer approval required)
Any placement outside England and Wales / Nominated Officer is Service Manager Children in Care.
Nominated Officer as above. / Nominated Officer must approve decision to make such placements subject to being satisfied with a number of conditions (outlined in the Care Planning, Placement and Review guidance/regs, March 2010 – and updated).
Approval is not required where placement out of area is with a LA foster parent, either connected or approved by the responsible LA).
Emergency placements made out of area (except emergency placement with a LA foster carer under regulation 23) (nominated officer approval required) / Case responsible Service Manager to ensure that all the steps have been undertaken by the social worker and then to obtain Nominated Officer approval / Nominated Officer must be satisfied that the child’s feeling/wishes have been ascertained and considered, and must take steps to ensure within 5 working days that the IRO has been informed, relatives consulted (where appropriate) and area authority notified.
Avoiding placements that disrupt education (nominated officer approval required) / Nominated Officer / Nominated Officer must approve any change of placement that will lead to a change in a school place of a child in key stage 4. However, Nominated Officer approval is not required if the change is a result of an emergency or where placement termination is due to immediate risk or serious harm or to
protect others from serious injury
Temporary approval of a ‘connected person’ one extension of up to 8 weeks or extension to the duration of an IRM appeal being concluded (nominated officer approval required) / Head of Strategy / The Head of Strategy for Fostering, Adoption and Children in Care will consider the Viability Assessment and make the decision as to whether the placement meets the child’s needs and whether welfare needs can be met.
Placing with a ‘connected person’ i.e. Grandparent(s), child minder, teacher, etc. Must be done under the Care Planning, Placement and Review guidance/regs (March 2010). / Head of Strategy / Staff must complete the proforma and obtain approval of the Head of Strategy for Fostering, Adoption and Children in Care.
Placement cannot commence without this authorisation, including out of hours.
Where the Head of Strategy for Fostering, Adoption and Children in Care is not available to make this decision, another Head of Strategy or Director can make this decision.
Representative to visit a former looked after child in custody to assess their needs. re: LA responsibilities to former LAC in custody / Should be embedded as good social work practice – Team Manager. / A qualified social worker employed by the LA, usually the child’s social worker or personal advisor allocated to the child for maintaining the care or pathway plan before they entered custody. In some circumstances a residential care worker or a foster carer known to the child might be appropriate to carry out this role). This role should not be carried out by a YOS worker
Designated manager To receive reports from the representative and decide how the LA will act on their recommendations re: LA responsibilities to former LAC in custody / Head of Strategy – Safeguarding / To inform the following where the decision is not to continue to support formerly looked after child after assessment by the representative:
- The child’s case manager in the YOS
- The Governor or manager of the custodial establishment
- The child, their parents and others with PR.
Designated Manager – Notifications / Placement Officer / Any notification received from another LA that a LAC has been – Notifications placed within the LA should be passed to the Designated manager – Notifications, who should ensure that the relevant information is provided and recorded in the register; information is collected and communicated to relevant staff/agencies.
FINANCE
Decision / Post / Body / Notes about the processSection 17 payments
Payments to support a LAC in placement e.g. equipment, transport costs, educational materials, leisure activities / Up to £350 per transaction – Team Manager
Up to £1500 per transaction – Service Manager
Up to £4000 per transaction – Heads of Strategy / Within council guidelines about cumulative amounts and ceiling. Sums above £50 go to Heads of Service Field work for decision
See Section 23 guidance
Payments to care leavers – Section 24 Children Leaving Care Act / Payment limits in this area need to be transparent for both staff and young people using the service
Packages of care for children with disabilities including homecare and Direct Payments
Jointly funded
Joint Solutions Forum
placements with
health or education / Service Managers Placements / Joint Funding Panel/Solutions Forum
Adoption Allowances, Residence Order Allowances, Special Guardianship, interagency adoption fees / Service Manager Fostering and Adoption / As per guidance
Payments to support a LAC in placement e.g. equipment, transport costs, educational materials, leisure activities / Service Manager/s for Fostering, Adoption or Children in Care / Discretionary Budget
And see Section 23 guidance
Payments to support contact arrangements for LAC (including transport costs) / Senior Practitioner – within agreed limits/guidance / Team Managers until systems are robust to manage spend
See Section 23 guidance
Payments to care leavers – Section 24 Children Leaving Care Act / Team Managers – LAC / As per policy
Packages of care for children with disabilities / Team Managers DCT and Service Manager DCT
Commissioning expert reports for court / Service Manager / Service Manager approval required process
Budget expenditure for new temporary staff/agency / Divisional Director / SMT
Budget expenditure for new permanent staff / Divisional Director / SMT
Expenditure to support kinship carers that cannot be drawn from the Adoption Support Fund / Head of Strategy / Placement and Resource Panel / Terms of Reference is available.
Expenditure to support adoptive parents that cannot be drawn from the Adoption Support Fund / Head of Strategy / Placement and Resource Panel / Terms of Reference is available.
Therapeutic support costs LAC / Head of Strategy / Placement and Resource Panel / Terms of Reference is available.
Exceptional S17 / Service Manager / Head of Strategy
Reviewed: September 2016 Next Review: March 2018