Contents


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This contents list is sub divided into the following sections, each Section contains relevant Chapters/Procedures: (Click on the title to jump to the Section you require):

  1. All Children
  2. Case Management and Recording
  3. Children in Particular Circumstances
  4. Looked After Children
  5. Fostering and Adoption
  6. Contacts, List of Agency Decision Makers and Appendices

See Local Resources for St. Helens Local Documents and Protocols.


1. All Children

1.1 Children's Services Policies, Values and Principles Updated
1.2 Children's Consultation and Participation  
1.3 Equality, Diversity and Inclusion  
1.4 Supervision Policy for Staff in Children's Social Care  
1.5 Team Meetings  


 

1.6

Early Help and Thresholds for Children's Social Care Services

  
1.6.1 Multi-Agency Practice Standards Updated
1.6.2 Multi-Agency Think Family Procedure
(St. Helens Multi-Agency Procedures)		  
1.6.3 Multi-Agency Early Help Strategy for Children, Young people and Families in St. Helens 2023-2026  
  See also: Appendix A: Early Help (EH) Plan on a page, St. Helens Multi-Agency Procedures (SHSCP)  
1.6.4 St. Helens CSC Quality Assurance Framework  
1.6.5 St. Helens Descriptions of Need Document  
1.6.6 Capacity and Consent  
  See: Early Intervention - Policy and Provision (House of Commons Library)  


 

1.7

Children's Social Care - Assessment and Planning

  
1.7.1 Contacts and Referrals Updated
1.7.2 Assessments New
1.7.3 Child and Family Assessment Protocol and Guidance  
1.7.4 Children and Families Assessment: Practice Standards  
1.7.5 Child Protection Enquiries (Section 47) Updated
  See also: St. Helens Multi-Agency Procedures  
1.7.6 Case Transfer & Allocation Protocol  
1.7.7 Case Management Pathway for Team Managers  


 

1.8

Child in Need

  
1.8.1 Child in Need Plans and Reviews  


 

1.9

Legal Proceedings

  
  See St. Helens Legal Gateway - Local Resources.  
1.9.1 Applications for Emergency Protection Orders  
1.9.2 Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline Updated
1.9.3 Legal Gateway/Planning Meetings  
1.9.4 Disclosure of Information between Family and Criminal Agencies and Jurisdictions: 2024 Protocol  
  See also:  


 

1.10

Complaints and Whistleblowing

  
1.10.1 Complaints and Representations  
1.10.2 Whistleblowing - Confidential Reporting Policy  
  See also:  


 

1.11

Notifications

  
1.11.1 Death or Serious Injury to a Child (Looked After and Child In Need)  
  See also: Notifications of Significant Events Procedure  


2. Case Management and Recording

2.1 Recording Policy and Guidelines  
2.2 Case Records and Retention  
2.3 Access to Records/Subject Access Requests  
2.4 Confidentiality Policy  
2.5 Electronic Recording of Meetings and Conversations  
2.6 Use of Social Medial Sites by Social Care and Safeguarding Staff  
2.7 Storage of Data on Mobile Devices  


3. Children in Particular Circumstances

3.1

Children with Disabilities

  
3.1.1 Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities  
3.1.2 Personal Budgets and Direct Payments Updated
3.1.3 Short Breaks  
3.1.4 Placing and Visiting Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities or Health Conditions in Long-Term Residential Settings  
3.1.5 Children and Young People’s Continuing Care National Framework New


 

3.2

Deprivations of Liberty and Mental Capacity

  
3.2.1 Mental Capacity Resource  
3.2.2 Deprivations of Liberty  


 

3.3

Children from Abroad

  
3.3.1 Children from Abroad, including Victims of Modern Slavery, Trafficking and Exploitation Updated
3.3.2 Families with No Recourse to Public Funds  


 

3.4

Homelessness

  
3.4.1 Prevention of Homelessness and Provision of Accommodation for 16 and 17 Year Olds who may be Homeless and/or Require Accommodation; and Duty to Refer  


 

3.5

Family and Friends/Kinship Care

  
3.5.1 St. Helens Connected Carers Policy (2023)  
3.5.2 St. Helens Family Arrangements Protocol  
3.5.3 Kinship Care  
3.5.4 St. Helens Private Fostering Guidance  
3.5.5 Family Networks and Family Group Decision Making New


 

3.6

Young Carers

  
3.6.1 Young Carers  


 

3.7

Relinquished Children

  
3.7.1 Relinquished Children  


 

3.8

Safeguarding

  
3.8.1 Missing Children Protocol  
3.8.2 St. Helens Child Criminal and Sexual Exploitation Flowchart  
  See also: Pan Merseyside Multi-Agency Child Exploitation Protocol  


 

3.9

Mental Health

  
3.9.1 Aftercare under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act Updated


4. Looked After Children

4.1

Decision to Look After and Care Planning

  
4.1.1 Local Authority's Sufficiency Duty - Accommodation for Looked After Children  
4.1.2 Decision to Look After  
4.1.3 Care Planning  
4.1.4 Ceasing to Look After a Child  
4.1.5 Permanence Planning Guidance  
  See also: Together for Adoption Manual, Fostering for Adoption, Concurrent Planning and Temporary Approval as Foster Carers of Approved Prospective Adopters  
4.1.6 Placement Planning and Disruption Meetings  
4.1.7 Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority Claims for Looked After Children  
4.1.8 Risk Assessment and Planning  
4.1.9 Providing Personalised Care  
  See: NICE Guideline - Looked After Children and Young People  
  and Promoting Wellbeing and Positive Identity for a Child or Young Person Who is Looked After: A Quick Guide for Social Workers and Social Care Practitioners  


 

4.2

Placements

  
4.2.1 Placements with Parents  
4.2.2 Placements in Foster Care  
4.2.3 Placements in Children's Homes  
4.2.4 Placements in Secure Accommodation on Welfare Grounds  
4.2.5 Out of Area Placements  
4.2.6 Placements Outside England and Wales  
4.2.7 Remands to Local Authority Accommodation or to Youth Detention Accommodation  
4.2.8 Notifications from Other Local Authorities/Placement Providers  
4.2.9 Delegation of Authority to Foster Carers and Residential Workers  
4.2.10 Placements in Other Arrangements  
 

See also:

  
4.2.11 Health and Safety  


 

4.3

Monitoring and Reviews

  
4.3.1 Social Worker Visits to Looked After Children Updated
4.3.2 Advocacy and Independent Visitors  
4.3.3 Looked After Reviews  
4.3.4 Appointment and Role of Independent Reviewing Officers  
4.3.5 Secure Accommodation (Criteria) Reviews  
4.3.6 Notifications of Significant Events  


 

4.4

Contact and Overnight Stays

  
  See also: Delegation of Authority to Foster Carers and Residential Workers  
4.4.1 Contact with Parents and Siblings  
4.4.2 Social Visits (Including Overnight Stays)  


 

4.5

Education, School Trips and Holidays

  
  See also: Delegation of Authority to Foster Carers and Residential Workers  
4.5.1 Supporting the Education and Promoting the Achievement of Children with a Social Worker, Looked After and Previously Looked After Children Updated
4.5.2 Holidays and School Trips In and Outside the UK  
4.5.3 Leisure Activities  


 

4.6

Health and Wellbeing

  
4.6.1 Health Care Assessments and Plans  
4.6.2 Personal Care and Relationships  
4.6.3 Positive Relationships and Behaviour Management  
4.6.4 Restrictive Physical Intervention  


 

4.7

Change of Name and Marriage

  
4.7.1 Change of Name of a Looked After Child  
4.7.2 Marriage/Civil Partnership of a Looked After Child  


 

4.8

Leaving Care and Transition

  
4.8.1 Leaving Care and Transition  
4.8.2 Staying Put  
4.8.3 Financial Arrangements for Care Leavers  
  See also: Responsibilities of the Local Authority to Former Looked After Children and Young People in Custody  


 

4.9

Youth Offending

  
  Note: All YJS staff are PACE trained as Appropriate Adults and offer a rolling programme of AA training to social workers and Care Home staff in the Borough. To access a place please refer to the Training Hub on Teams.  
4.9.1 Looked After Children and Young People in Contact with Youth Justice Services  
4.9.2 Responsibilities of the Local Authority to Former Looked After Children and Young People in Custody  
4.9.3 Children Involved in the Youth Justice System: Additional National Guidance  
  See also: Remands to Local Authority Accommodation or to Youth Detention Accommodation  


5. Fostering and Adoption

5.1

Fostering Services

  
5.1.1 Fostering Panel  
5.1.2 Persons Disqualified from Fostering  
5.1.3 Assessment and Approvals of Foster Carers  
5.1.4 Exemptions and Extensions/Variations to Foster Carer Approval  
5.1.5 Supervision and Support of Foster Carers  
5.1.6 Review and Termination of Approval of Foster Carers  
5.1.7 Allegations Against Foster Carers  
5.1.8 Training and Development of Foster Carers  
  See also: Together for Adoption Manual, Fostering for Adoption, Concurrent Planning and Temporary Approval as Foster Carers of Approved Prospective Adopters  


 

5.2

Adoption and Permanence Services
(Together for Adoption Procedures Manual)

  
5.2.1 Assessment and Approvals of Prospective Adopters  
5.2.2 Adoption by Existing Foster Carers  
5.2.3 Adoption Panel  
5.2.4 Placement for Adoption  
5.2.5 Family Finding Role and Procedure  
5.2.6 Court Reports in Adoption  
5.2.7 Adoption Support  
5.2.8 Monitoring and Supervision of Adoptive Placements  
5.2.9 Adoption Reviews  
5.2.10 Disruption of Adoptive Placements  
5.2.11 Allegations Against Prospective Adopters and in Relation to Children Placed for Adoption or Already Adopted  
5.2.12 Inter Country Adoption  
5.2.13 Non Agency Adoption  
5.2.14 Adoption Case Records  
5.2.15 Access to Birth Records and Adoption Case Records  
5.2.16 Intermediary Services  
5.2.17 Life Story Books Guidance  
5.2.18 Later Life Letters  
5.2.19 Fostering for Adoption, Concurrent Planning and Temporary Approval as Foster Carers of Approved Prospective Adopters  
5.2.20 Lone Working Procedure  
5.2.21 Disaster Recovery Plan  


 

5.3

Special Guardianship

  
5.3.1 Special Guardianship Policy  


6. Contacts, List of Agency Decision Makers and Appendices

6.1 Local Contacts  
6.2 Scheme of Delegated Decision-Making Framework  
6.3 Working Together to Safeguard Children  
6.4 Ofsted Inspection Framework  
6.5 North West Regional Protocols Resource  
6.6 Amendments