1

London Borough of Hillingdon

Permanency Strategy

2019 - 2022

2

LONDON BOROUGH OF HILLINGDON PERMANENCY STRATEGY

Definition of permanence

Achieving Permanence for children and young people who are looked after by the

London Borough of Hillingdon (LBH) involves careful care planning for every

individual child. Our aim is to support the child to build and maintain strong, stable

and lasting relationships with their caregivers. For them to have a sense of belonging

and family membership, to feel valued and supported and cared for, and to have

secure living arrangements where they feel safe.

Children have many different needs and come from diverse and complex families.

The Permanency Planning process will examine the child’s needs which are

regularly reviewed and may change and evolve along the child’s journey.

Finalising Permanence for a child may be a return parent/s, to a family

member/connected person, or, if this is not possible, looking to adoption and long

term foster care. A child being able to remain with their parents or family is the

primary consideration for future permanence, but where this is not possible, the LBH

aims to ensure that children are given the opportunity to build new, secure

attachments to new carers for the duration of their childhood, as early as possible.

Legal Framework

The Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations sets out the clear expectation that

Local Authorities should (where necessary) secure permanent care arrangements for

the children in its care. This has been strengthened in the revised regulations where

achieving Permanence for every child must be a key consideration from the day a

child becomes Looked After (Care Planning Placement and Case Review (England)

Regulations 2010).

Our Principles for Permanence

At the latest every child will have an agreed written permanence plan in place at

the second Looked after Review in accordance with the Care Planning

Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010 and the Adoption and

Children Act 2002. This is incorporated into the Looked After Review care plan

document.

Where it is necessary for a child to leave his or her family, this should be for as

short a time as needed to secure a safe, supported return home. If a child cannot

return home, plans must be made for alternative permanent care. Family

members and friends should always be considered in the first instance with the

permanence secured through the appropriate legal order to meet the child's

needs. Where it is not in the child's best interests to live within the family network,

3

it will usually be in the interests of the child for alternative permanent carers to be

identified and the placement secured through Adoption, Long Term Foster Care,

Child Arrangement Orders, or Special Guardianship Orders. Residential group

living is provided only when a need for this is identified within the child’s Care

Plan and when substitute family care is not appropriate.

LBH will ensure that systems for assessment, planning intervention and review,

are robust, legally compliant and informed by best practice and research.

All children will have a Child Permanence Report, which will be updated every 6

months.

Permanency planning will be child focused and decisions about the permanent

placement of children will include careful exploration of all their needs; Identity,

religion, language and cultural background, examining their life journey and

experiences, physical and emotional health, education and any learning needs,

contact, relationships, and any other needs will be taken into account as part of

the planning and matching process.

The child’s hierarchy of needs will be considered as to paramountcy in achieving

permanence.

Children will be sensitively and age appropriately consulted in the care planning

process, it is important their voice is present throughout.

Children will be prepared for their permanency journey in an age appropriate

manner, ensuring they have the information and support required to help them on

that journey. We have a number of resources to assist with preparing children to

understand their journey, and preparing for a transition.

Parents and Carers will be worked with in partnership to ensure they are clear

and involved (where appropriate) in decisions about the best interests of their

children. They will be offered appropriate information and support. Where conflict

arises between the wishes of the birth parent/s regarding permanence, the child’s

needs will be paramount.

Where siblings become Looked After, careful consideration to be given to their

individual needs and their need to be placed together; this will be established by

way of a “Together or apart” sibling assessment; The sibling relationships will be

thoroughly explored and all professionals involved in the child’s life will be

consulted, as will parents. Where a placement together is assessed as not viable,

sibling contact will be included in the child’s care plan. Where possible; Good

quality, meaningful contact will be promoted by the child’s care givers.

Every young person must have support services available to meet their assessed

needs and have readily available assistance in the event of difficulties or

placement breakdown. They can access this support via their Social Worker.

4

Every young person must have information about how to make complaints or

representations if required and how to access advocacy services.

Parallel Planning

Parallel Planning is the key principle which underpins this permanency

strategy and is essential for our work with all Looked After Children in

Hillingdon.

Where care proceedings have been or are planned to be initiated, and there are

concerns regarding the viability of the child being able to return to his or her birth

family; parallel planning will be put in place to avoid delay and to provide the

Court with a clear care plan. Parallel Planning needs to begin for all children

under 14 years by the first Looked After Review, and children need to have been

referred for a Permanency Planning Meeting within this timescale. Our aim is to

parallel plan as early as possible, this includes unborn babies especially if there

have been previous longstanding concerns and other children have not been able

to remain with their birth parents.

Parallel planning refers to a situation where two or more potential care plans run

in parallel. The main focus will be upon rehabilitation for the child to parent/s but,

at the same time, a parallel plan or plans (e.g. placement with family/friends

and/or adoption/ or long term foster care) will be established in order to achieve

an alternative permanent placement if rehabilitation is unsuccessful.

Birth parents must be informed from the outset that two or more options are

under consideration within a strictly controlled timescale and that the primacy of

the rehabilitation plan must also be stressed.

Parallel planning does not pre-empt the Court decision but does prevent delay

when reunification is not feasible.

Permanency Planning Meetings occur for all children and young people under the

age of 14 are chaired by the Permanence Team Manager (for adoption and long

term fostering) or Advanced Practitioner (for long term fostering). The minutes

and the decisions of the meeting are recorded on ICS forms, and permanence

updates are included in case notes and practice supervision.

Care Planning for permanence and stability (Looked After Children)

For all Looked After children, it is a legal requirement to have an up-to-date Care

Plan; The Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations

2010 set down minimum requirements for the review of care planning for Looked

After Children.

5

In summary, the first review should take place within 20 working days of the child

becoming Looked After. The second review should take place no later than three

months after the first and then at intervals of no more than six months thereafter.

(section 4 Care Planning, Placement, Review)

In addition the Care Planning Regulations and the Adoption Act 2002 requires

there to be a written Permanence plan presented to the second statutory review

(i.e. within 4 months of becoming Looked After). This is incorporated within the

LAC Review Social Worker’s report. Permanency Planning meeting minutes will

note updates to the child’s permanence plan being progressed.

The Permanence plan will identify the appropriate option (or options depending

upon the stage reached in any care proceedings) for the child and will be formally

endorsed at this second statutory review. Responsibilities for implementing the

plan and actions contained within it will be clearly attributed with timescales for

outcomes. The plan will include evidence of contingency arrangements.

The plan will be made available, and updated, at each subsequent review. The

Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) will be informed by the social worker of

any changes to the Care Plan for the child’s permanence, and any significant

events in the child's life between reviews.

Key Objectives in Permanence Planning

The objective of planning for permanence is to ensure that children are able to

achieve permanency without any undue delay; The question “how is the child’s need

for permanence being met?” should be at the core of everything we do.

Children age up to 14 who become Looked After should be referred to the

Permanence Team who will track and parallel plan alongside and in collaboration

with the child’s Social Worker until permanency is achieved.

For older children (age 14 and above), the child’s Social Worker will work alongside

the child, their foster carer, birth family and Independent Reviewing Officer (and any

other involved significant person) to bring about final permanency without undue

delay.

This may include securing a long term connected persons arrangement (Special

Guardianship for example), or long term fostering (a “staying put” arrangement), or

planning for independent living (which involves LBH 16 plus team). The wishes and

feelings of every child will be taken into account. The older and more mature the

child, the greater the weight should be given to his or her wishes.

6

Permanency Options;

Staying at Home

The first stage within permanence planning is work with families and children in

need to support them staying together. Staying at home offers the best chance of

stability. Research shows that family preservation has a higher success rate than

reunification. This of course has to be balanced against the risk of harm to the

child.

Where children become Looked After by the Local Authority the following options

for legal permanence must be fully considered;

Remain with or return to birth parent(s) without a legal order with appropriate

support to maintain this.

Live with a relative or person close to the child by virtue of a Special

Guardianship Order or Child Arrangement Order

Placement with Family or Friends/Connected Persons

If an assessment concludes that the child cannot safely remain at home, every effort

must be made to secure a placement with a family member or friend/Connected

Person as their carer. This will be either as part of the plan to work towards a return

home or - if a return home is clearly not in the child's best interests - as the preferred

permanence option. It is very important to establish at an early stage which relatives

or friends might be available to care for the child, to avoid the kind of delays that can

happen during court proceedings where this work has not been done.

A Family Group Conference will be convened at the earliest and most appropriate

opportunity to ensure all possible options have been explored. FGC's will be used to

explore family networks and options as early as is possible to avoid later delays due

to lack of knowledge about a family's full resources.

7

Guidance notes and procedure for the assessment and approval of :

Family and Friends Foster Carers, Connected persons (Kinship Carers) including Regulation 24

Special Guardianship applications

Introduction

There are three types of Family & Friends / Connected persons (generically called

Kinship Carer) assessments that are relevant for Hillingdon’s looked after children and

children where the plan is that they are going to become looked after.

These assessments are led by the Kinship Team located in Court and Specialist

Assessment Service.

1.Regulation 24 temporary foster carer approval (Care Planning Regulations 2010). This regulation allows the local authority to temporarily approve a person already known to a looked after child (LAC). This approval can be arranged in a planned way before the placement is made (the best option) or as it is often arranged, on a same day basis, allowing a looked after child to be placed with someone in their network at the point they become LAC. Once approved, this arrangement can last for 16 weeks. There is scope to extend this temporary approval by a maximum of 8 weeks, following consultation with the Fostering and Adoption Panel.

During the temporary approval period, an assessment to fully approve the temporary

carer as either a full Kinship Foster Carer with Hillingdon, or as Special Guardian

needs to be completed. This continuing assessment will stop if the child ceases to be

LAC by virtue of an alternative order, e.g. Child Arrangement Order, or they return

home and their LAC status ends. During this time, the carers receive full services from

children’s services in terms of statutory visits and support to the child and carers who

receive full fostering allowance payments.

Regulation 24 assessments are undertaken by the Kinship Team

2. Viability Assessments

These are completed when children are not in placement.

The purpose is to assess the suitability of an applicant to be assessed as a prospective

special guardian or a Kinship Foster Carer and will often move straight into a full

kinship assessment or SGO assessment.

These assessments are undertaken by the Kinship Team

8

3. Kinship carer / SGO assessments

These assessments are undertaken by the Kinship Team following a Regulation 24

approval, a positive viability which then continues as a full assessment as part of the

PLO, or in proceedings. The content of a kinship and SGO assessment is the same,

although there are differences in the timescale for completion and report presentation.

SGO’s require a support plan and need to meet court filing deadlines and kinship

assessments, the requirements of the Fostering and Adoption Panel. The final reports

are quality assured by the Kinship Team Manager

4. Special Guardianship assessments

SGO assessments are a joint piece of work led by the Kinship Team, in partnership

with the child's social work team. The kinship assessing social worker assesses the

applicants. The final report is a collaboration between the child's social worker and

kinship social worker and includes the support plan.

The final amalgamated report is quality assured by the Kinship Team Manager who is

responsible for ensuring the report is filed in accordance with court timescales

SG assessment will commence on receipt of one of the following:

A court direction, referred by child’s social work team

Part of the PLO – referred by child’s social work team

If a temporary approved foster carer (Reg 24)) wishes to apply for a SGO in accordance with the child’s care plan

9

Regulation 24 assessment and approval procedure

Full assessments undertaken. This is either SG assessment - timescale - court directed OR Kinship

Foster Carer approval 16 weeks or a maximum of 24 weeks if extension of 8 weeks is granted

Child becomes looked after - senior management approval. Childs requires placement. Birth parents / young

person, (according to their age and understanding) asked if there is anyone suitable to provide care. Action

- child's SW team

If child remains LAC and temporary approval given - full assessment to commence Temporary carers

required to sign temporary Foster Carer Agreement. Action - Kinship Team

Regulation 24 placement supervised and supported by child’s SW team and Kinship Team - duration of 16

weeks. If extension of 8 weeks required, extension report submitted by kinship SW to Fostering and Adoption

Panel by Week 16. Action - Kinship team / Child SW

Prospective carer visited by child’s social worker and Kinship duty officer if available to establish suitability

of the proposed carer to provide immediate same day placement. Senior Management approval needed for

agreement of emergency placement. Telephone police check and ICS check undertaken by child's SW

team. Action - child's SW, Kinship Team - Hoss

If placement suitable - child placed. Applicant advised that this is subject to a further assessment to be

completed in next 3 - 5 working days, to establish if temporary foster carer approval is recommended.

Case immediately referred to Kinship Team to follow up and continue Regulation 24 assessment.

Action - child’s SW team, Kinship Team

Kinship SW completes Regulation 24 temporary approval assessment within 3-5 working days. All

statutory checks initiated in this period. Applicant given F&F information leaflet .Action - Kinship Team

Regulation 24 assessment outcomes shared and agreed with child’s SW team - If recommendation is

negative, urgent legal planning meeting required. Temporary Assessment report QA by Kinship TM, if

positive it is submitted by Kinship Team to next HARP for temporary approval. Child SW to complete

request to HARP

Case presentation to HARP by Kinship SW / TM and child’s SW/TM. If agreed, temporary approval

granted. If HARP does not approve – convene urgent LPM. Action Childs SW, Kinship SW

10

Special Guardianship Assessment Procedure

SGO cases – referrals for SG assessments must be sent to the Kinship Duty tray on

ICS - this is required in all cases, even when a court direction is submitted.

SG assessments have an initial, mid- way and final meeting to plan the case and

ensure court timescales are adhered to and support plans are robust .

SG applicants are entitled to a maximum of 3 hours LA funded legal advice regarding

i . SG application and assessment

ii. Consultation on the support plan.

A maximum of £300 (inclusive of VAT)is offered for the above.

If there are any anticipated delays identified at any stage of the assessment these must be

relayed in writing by the Kinship Team Manager to LBH legal representative and to the Head

of Service - Court and Specialist Assessment Service. The SG support plan needs to be

agreed, signed by Head of Service- Court and Specialist Assessment Service before filing.

Initial Meeting

On receipt of a SG application / court direction / referral, the Kinship Team Manager will allocate case within

24 hours, convene a planning meeting (either face to face or a virtual meeting ) between the child’s social

worker, team manager and kinship assessing social worker, to discuss the child’s care plan, identify issues,

establish timescales and allocation of tasks. A mid-point review date and the final date for the submission of

reports, including who is responsible the different parts of the assessment, including the formulation of the SG

support plan, is agreed. Advanced Practitioner in Kinship Team to lead - action - Kinship Team

Mid-point review

The support plan needs to be discussed, drafted and agreed with the applicant by mid-point in the

assessment, ideally with 28 days to consider this, seek legal advice and sign the support plan. Legal

advice, cost agreed prior to appointment, is funded by the LA. When the above timescale to review the

support plan cannot be offered due to court timescales, the applicant must have a minimum of 7 days to

consider the written support plan and seek legal advice

Final Meeting

A final meeting will only be convened if there are outstanding issues that need further discussion and

resolution. The child’s SW team are responsible writing and quality assuring the child’s sections (A and

B). The Kinship SW is responsible for writing and quality assuring sections C and D- .The kinship TM

is responsible for the overall quality assurance of the whole SG report including the support plan and

for filing the final report. Front sheet to be signed by Child SW and Kinship SW.

11

Special Guardianship Orders

Special Guardianship addresses the needs of a significant group of children, who

need a sense of stability and security within a placement away from their parents but

not the absolute legal break with their birth family that is associated with adoption. It

will also provide an alternative for achieving permanence in families where adoption,

for cultural or religious reasons, is not an option.

The following persons may apply:

Any guardian of the child;

A local authority foster carer with whom the child has lived for one year

immediately preceding the application;

Anyone who holds a Child Arrangement Order with respect to the child or who

has the consent of all those in whose favour a Child Arrangement Order is in

force;

Anyone with whom the child has lived for 3 out of the last 5 years;

Where the child is subject of a Care Order, any person who has the consent of

the local authority;

Anyone who has the consent of all those with Parental Responsibility for the child

e.g. anyone, including the child, who has the leave of the court to apply.

The parents of a child may not become the child's special guardians.

Special Guardianship Orders offer greater stability and security to a placement than

Child Arrangement Order s in that - whilst they are revocable, there are restrictions

on those who may apply to discharge the Order and the leave of the Court, if

required, will only be granted where circumstances have changed since the Special

Guardianship Order was made.

Special guardians will have Parental Responsibility for the child and although this will

be shared with the child's parents, the special guardian will have the legal right to

make all day to day arrangements for the child. The parents will still have to be

consulted and their consent required to the child's change of name, adoption,

placement abroad for more than 3 months and any other such fundamental issues.

A Special Guardianship Order made in relation to a child who is the subject of a Care

Order will automatically discharge the Care Order and the local authority will no

longer have Parental Responsibility.

Special guardians may be supported financially or otherwise by the local authority.

As with adoptive parents, they have the right to request an assessment for support

12

services at any time after the Order is made. In LBH this must be supported by an

SGO plan. Financial support will be decided following consideration of this plan.

Special Guardianship has the following advantages as a Permanence Plan:

The carers have Parental Responsibility and clear authority to make decisions on

day to day issues regarding the child's care;

There is added legal security to the Order in that leave is required for parents to

apply to discharge the Order and will only be granted if a change of

circumstances can be established since the original Order was made;

It maintains legal links to the birth family;

The child will no longer be in care and will not require social work involvement.

The Special Guardian or child have the right to request an assessment of their

support needs

Special Guardianship has the following disadvantages as a Permanence Plan:

The Order only lasts until the child is 18 and does not necessarily bring with it the

sense of belonging to the special guardian's family as an Adoption Order does;

As the child is not a legal member of the family, if difficulties arise there may be

less willingness to persevere and seek resolution;

Although there are restrictions on applications to discharge the Order, such an

application is possible and may be perceived as a threat to the child's stability;

Although a parent requires leave to apply for a Child Arrangement Order, they

can apply for any other Section 8 Order (i.e. Contact Order, Prohibited Steps

Order or Specific Issues Order) as of right.

Child Arrangement Order

A Child Arrangement Order may be used to increase the degree of legal

permanence in a placement with family or friends/Connected Persons, or a long-term

fostering placement, where this would be in the child's best interests.

Where a child would otherwise have to be placed with strangers, a placement with

family or friends/Connected Persons may be identified as a preferred option and the

carers may be encouraged and supported to apply for a Child Arrangement Order

where this will be in the best interests of the child.

A Child Arrangement Order confers Parental Responsibility, to be shared more

equally with the parents than with Special Guardianship, which in some cases may

be a more appropriate arrangement.

13

The holder of a Child Arrangement Order does not have the right to consent to the

child's adoption nor to appoint a guardian; in addition, he/she may not change the

child's name nor arrange for the child's emigration without the consent of all those

with Parental Responsibility or the leave of the court.

Whilst support may continue for as long as the Child Arrangement Order remains in

force, the aim will be to make arrangements which are self-sustaining in the long run.

The making of a Child Arrangement Order can now be made until the child is 18 and

will have the effect of discharging a Care Order.

The following people may apply for a Child Arrangement Order:

A parent or guardian;

A party to a marriage (whether the marriage is subsisting or not) where the child

was brought up as a child of the family;

A person with whom the child has lived for 3 years. (This need not be continuous

but must not have started more than 5 years before or ended more than 3

months before the making of the application);

A local authority foster carer with whom the child has lived for 1 year;

Where a Child Arrangement Order is already in force, a person who has the

consent of those in whose favour the Child Arrangement Order was made;

Where the child is Looked After, a person with the consent of the relevant local

authority;

In any other case, a person who has the consent of all those with Parental

Responsibility.

Anyone else who wishes to apply, including the child, must apply to the court for

leave to make the application for a Child Arrangement Order.

A Child Arrangement Order has the following advantages:

It gives Parental Responsibility to the carer whilst maintaining the parents'

Parental Responsibility;

The child will no longer be Looked After and there need be no social work

involvement, therefore, unless this is identified as necessary;

There is no review process;

The child will not be Looked After and so less stigma is attached to the

placement;

14

Any contact is likely to be agreed and if considered necessary by the Court, set

out in a Contact Order.

A Child Arrangement Order has the following disadvantages:

It is less secure than Adoption or Special Guardianship in that an application can

be made to revoke the Child Arrangement Order. However, the Court making the

order can be asked to attach a condition refusing a parent's right to seek

revocation without leave of the court;

There is no formal continuing support to the family after the Order is made

although in some instances, a Child Arrangement Order Allowance may be

payable by the local authority;

There is no professional reviewing of the arrangements after the Order unless a

new application to court is made, for example by the parents for contact or

revocation. (NB New applications to court may be expensive to defend, and the

carers would have to bear the cost if not entitled to assistance with legal costs).

There is no right to an assessment of need.

Long term Fostering

For those children who remain Looked After; an important route to permanence is

long-term care with their current short-term foster carer/s or finding and matching

them with long-term foster carer/s. This option can particularly be useful for older

children who retain strong links with their birth families and adoption is no longer the

primary care plan for them. Where a child is placed with long term carers, it is

important that the child has access to the friends, family or community within which

they were brought up and which form part of their identity and their long term support

network. For these reasons children should be placed in local provision wherever

possible. Approval for Long term fostering matches for children and young people up

to age 14 are made by LBH’s Fostering Panel. Children and young people are

consulted and invited to be present at panel if they wish to (and where appropriate).

Children over the age of 14 being matched to Long term carers, are presented at an

internal meeting at LBH known as the 14 Plus Panel; This comprises of the Head of

Service for LAC, leaving care and Corporate parenting, Social Workers and their

managers. The child is fully consulted and will be part of this meeting, as will their

Independent Reviewing Officer.

Long-term fostering has the following advantages as a Permanence Plan:

15

The local authority retains a role in negotiating between the foster carers and the

birth family over issues such as contact;

There is continuing social work support to the child and foster family in a

placement that is regularly reviewed to ensure that the child's needs are met;

It maintains legal links to the birth family who can still play a part in the decision

making for the child.

Long-term fostering has the following disadvantages as a Permanence Plan:

Lack of Parental Responsibility for the carers;

Continuing social work involvement;

Regular Looked After Reviews, which could possibly be regarded as unsettling

to the placement;

Stigma attached to the child due to being in care;

The child is not a legal member of the family. If difficulties arise there may be less

willingness to persevere and seek resolution.

Adoption

Adoption transfers full Parental Responsibility for the child from the birth parents and

others who had Parental Responsibility, including the local authority, permanently

and solely to the adopter(s).

The child is deemed to be the child of the adopter(s) as if he or she had been born to

them. The child's is issued an adoption certificate and a new birth certificate will be

generated.

Research strongly supports adoption as a primary consideration and as a main

factor contributing to the stability of children.

In Hillingdon, adoption will be considered for all children regardless of age, if it could

potentially be a viable permanence option for that child. The needs of individual

children as part of a sibling group need to be assessed (as to their care planning)

and to be placed together, or individually, for adoption (if appropriate) by way of a

together and apart sibling assessment.

Adopters may be supported, including financially, by the local authority and will have

the right to request an assessment for support services at any time after the Order is

made. In LBH this must be supported by an Adoption support plan. Financial

support will be decided following consideration of this plan.

16

Adoption has the following advantages as a Permanence Plan:

Parental Responsibility is held exclusively by the carers;

The child is no longer Looked After;

Decisions about continuing contact will usually be made by the new parents (on

the child's behalf) who are most in touch with the child's needs, although this may

be subject to any Contact Order made by the Court at the time of the Adoption

Order; (Letterbox is the most usual form of contact adopters will have agreed to

prior to final Adoption Order);

The child is a permanent family member.

Adoption has the following disadvantages as a Permanence Plan:

It involves a complete and permanent legal separation from the family of origin;

There is no review process.

Agency Decision Maker ( ADM)

The Agency Decision Maker ( ADM) has an essential role in making decisions about

the best plans for children , their carers and adopters. The ADM has to demonstrate

that they have considered the Welfare Checklist in Section 1 of the Adoption and

Children Act 2002. The ADM is expected to identify key arguments in the case and

set their reasons for making the decision. The ADM will:

List the material taken into account in reaching the decision

Identify key arguments

Consider any additional information available before making their decision

Consider any missing information before making decision

State reasons given for their decision

The following ADM process should be used when considering adoption cases

17

L.B. Hillingdon - Adoption Plans for children -

Agency Decision Making Process

HOS for Specialist Service (Elizabeth Souter) will liaise with Michelle Smith (DCS PA)

to request an ADM once all assessments are complete

At least 48 hours before ADM meeting the following paperwork must be sent to Michelle

Smith :

CPR - QA'd and signed by SW, Team Manager and Head of Service for Specialist Service - copy should have been shared with parents and parents offered independent advice via PAC- UK (CPR must contain a photograph of the child and parent, where it is not possible to obtain this an explanation should be provided in the CPR)

All Family and Friends/SGO assessments/Viability assessments

Any additional expert reports

SW child and family assessments

Child's most recent LAC medical

Legal Advice Memo to ADM

Meeting between the ADM, allocated SW for the child, Family Finder, Team Manager and any other officer who might assist the ADM decision making

ADM decision sheet will be ready and placed on the child’s records within 7 working days of the meeting taking place

18

Process for ongoing review and rescinding an

Agency Decision Maker Adoption Decision

All children on Placement Orders will be reviewed every 3 months chaired by the AD for Corporate Parenting and/or DCS to monitor adoption/permanence progress for each child awaiting adoption.

SW, Line Manager, Adoption Worker, HOS will attend the panel and present the child and adoption progress made (minutes from most recent PPM and verbal update from team around the child on permanence progress and any concerns impacting on achieving/progressing permanence)

Panel chaired by AD/DCS will decide if adoption plan is no longer a viable option for the child and consider if Permanency Plan for adoption should be changed to alternative permanence options.

Once the panel decide adoption is no longer the option, there should be a LAC review to alter the child’s care plan to reflect this change (in some cases LAC Review may need to be brought forward to avoid delays)

Panel will meet monthly and each child will be presented at 3 monthly intervals.

Here in Hillingdon, we have high ambitions for our Looked After children, young people

and care leavers and we want them to grow up feeling loved, happy, settled and build

consistent and trusting relationships with their carers. Our children in foster care

repeatedly tell us that want to live in a family that has the same expectations for them as

they would have for their own children and they want their foster carers to help them to

succeed and thrive as they grow up.

Here in Hillingdon, we have high ambitions for our Looked After children, young people

and care leavers and we want them to grow up feeling loved, happy, settled and build

consistent and trusting relationships with their carers. Our children in foster care

repeatedly tell us that want to live in a family that has the same expectations for them as

they would have for their own children and they want their foster carers to help them to

succeed and thrive as they grow up.

19

Staying Put Arrangements:

Staying Put arrangements aim to improve support and assistance provided to Looked After Children to remain with their foster carers beyond the age of 18 years. The Children and Young Persons Act 2008, accompanying guidance and Regulations enable care leavers to remain with their foster carers until they are ready to adulthood. Once looked after children reach the age of 18 years, they are no longer legally ‘in care or looked after’ and therefore, fostering arrangements and legislation relating to children placed with foster carers no longer applies. Some looked after children will not be ready to move into independent living and may benefit from remaining living with their foster carers after their 18th birthday under ‘Staying Put arrangements.

The London Borough of Hillingdon is committed to promoting ‘Staying Put and Staying Close’ Arrangements for its care leavers if the young person is aged 18 to 21, or, if 21 or over is continuing a programme of education or training. Staying Put options should be discussed with the young person prior to their 18th birthday and recorded in their pathway plans.

For further information, refer to the London Borough of Hillingdon Staying Put Policy.

Placement with Parents Regulations:

There are some circumstances where a child may be placed back in the care of a parent without previous planning. For instance in the case of an unforeseen breakdown of a foster placement requiring the child's immediate move and where the permanence plan for the child was to consider returning them to the care of a parent. In those circumstances it may be appropriate to place the child back with a parent rather than in a further short term foster placement. Before this placement is made the following must be completed:

1. A face to face meeting with the parent to obtain as much of the assessment information as possible. Practitioners to meet with all the other members of the household in order to have a complete understanding of the household composition and relationships before placing the child. This is particularly relevant to identifying issues such as domestic abuse and substance misuse which may affect the child's safety;

2. The full assessment as set out in the placement with parent regulations must be undertaken within ten working days of the child being allowed to live with the parent. An early looked after review will also enable the parent, social worker and other agencies involved with the child to share information about progress and any difficulties which may have an impact on the child;

3. Within ten working days of the completion of the assessment (i.e. Within 20 working days of the date that the child was placed) a decision must be taken as to whether the placement should be confirmed or not and the sign off of the assessment should be completed by the team or

20

service manager and then sent for consideration of authorisation by the Director of Children's Services, or an Assistant Director of Children's Services;

4. A Placement plan should be developed at the same time as the assessment and shared with the parents as soon as possible after placement;

5. If the Director or Assistant Director of Children's Services agrees and authorises the placement then the Placement plan will need to be reviewed via a Looked After Review and if necessary updated/amended;

6. The review will set out any support which will be provided to the parent and child to meet the identified needs;

7. If the decision is not to confirm the placement with parents then it must be terminated.

Assessment and Checks before Placement with Parent/s

A Placement with Parents Assessment must be completed before considering placing the child with his/her parent/s. The Assessment should first be signed off by the Team Manager. Once completed, the assessment will require the signed authorisation of the Director of Children's Services or Assistant Director, Corporate Parenting Children's Services. The placement must not be confirmed or started until the signed authorisation is obtained.

The suitability of the proposed placement should be assessed through:

A Review the child's case file and a summary of their history; The wishes and feelings of the child; Details of why it is proposed to place the child with parents at this time. The

aims and objectives of the proposed placement and the long term plan for the child;

Summary of the parent's family history and any involvement with children's services for any other child in or has been in their care or during their own childhood. Their relationship with their parents and siblings. Considering any history of domestic abuse, substance misuse, mental health difficulties or involvement with police or probation. Parents past and present employment/sources of income and how placing the child back in their care may impact this;

The assessment should include any evidence of parent's previous experiences of looking after children, to include any expert reports and any findings against/involving parents; information about whether a parent has any other child subject to any order and details given including background and circumstances;

Assessment of the parent's capacity and the capacity of other members of the family household to care for the child/ren. Can the parent enable the child to develop and maintain secure attachments to the parents and other relevant family members;

The identity and background of all adult members of the household including their age and their relationship with the parent and child (whether that is partner or friendship);

Explore other family members who although not part of the household may have regular contact with the child;

21

To assess how the parent will provide for the child's physical and emotional needs and will protect them adequately from harm, including keeping safe from any person who presents a risk of harm to the child;

To ensure that any concerns highlighted at the time of the legal proceedings and the reasons why the Interim Care Order or Care Order was granted are fully explored. Record evidence of positive change or help and support put in place with the family to support change to allow the child to be placed back with the parent;

To ensure that the emotional needs of the child are met and any other particular needs arising from religious persuasion, racial origin or cultural and linguistic background are met. To ensure that any disability the child has is supported and needs met;

To ensure that the parent will meet the medical and health needs of the child including seeking appropriate medical and dental help and care;

Visit to the proposed home and accommodation to be provided for the child. To ensure that the home environment is safe and meets the needs of the child. Also where relevant, the need for risk assessment of any pets and the way in which they are kept;

To promote the child's learning and development by engaging with education and forming good relationships;

Checking criminal convictions and cautions of the proposed carer and all members of the household aged 18 and over with;

The Police (Public Protection Unit); or The parents and adult members of the household through them applying for a

basic DBS check (see DBS Basic Checks Guidance); To assess the health (emotional, physical and mental) of the parent and other

adult members of the household. Check with the carer’s GP (with their signed permission) and Children's Services records;

If the case has recently been through legal proceedings and a number of the above criteria are contained within reports provided then these can be attached as evidence/information to the placement with parent assessment and do not need to be repeated.

A Placement Plan should be available by the end of the assessment process. This should be reviewed via a looked after review where the plan can be amended/updated. Family and where appropriate the child, should have a copy of the plan.

Visiting the Child Placed with Parents under the Regulations:

Where a care order has been made in relation to a child under Section 31 of the 1989 Act and the child is placed back home under placement with parent regulations the child must be visited within one week of the making of the care order and then at intervals of no more than six weeks. The social worker should see and speak to the child alone unless the child is of sufficient age and understanding to refuse, or where the social worker considers it inappropriate to do so (having regard to the child's age and understanding). Any difficulties in communication must be identified and appropriate specialist resources put in place to allow the child to express their wishes and feelings.

22

Identifying the Best Permanence Option

Issues to consider:

The assessment process must ask how stability for this child will be achieved;

Long term stability means the sense of a permanent home with the same family

or group of people, as part of the same community and culture, and with long-

term continuity of relationships and identity;

Short or medium term stability or continuity will be important for children who are

going to stay in care for a brief period before going home and for children who

are going to need new permanent arrangements. The quality of a child's

attachments and life will be detrimentally affected by uncertainties, separations

from what /who is known and changes of school and placement;

Educational experiences, links with extended family, hobbies and friendships and

support to carers, contribute to guarding against disruption and placement

breakdown;

The importance of carefully listening to what children want from the placement,

helping the relationship between carer and child to build, making thorough plans

around contact with family, providing vigorous support during crisis times and

taking a sufficiently flexible attitude to adoption by carers;

The older a child is, the less likely it is that the child will secure a permanent

family through adoption. This is for various reasons, but primarily, because of the

established bond and knowledge of birth parent/s and ability to emotionally

accept a “new” parent;

The larger the family group of children, the harder it is to secure a single

placement that will meet all the needs of all the children.

All permanence options must consider when a child is planned to move to a

permanent new carer, that due consideration is given to a child-centred transition

plan.

Family and Friends and Connected Persons

The potential need for placements with Family, Friends and Connected Persons

will generally be considered as part of contingency planning arrangements whilst the

child remains in the care of parents.

Where this is not possible before a placement takes place, family and friends

(connected persons) may be temporarily approved under Regulation 24 of the Care

23

Planning Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010 pending a full

foster carer assessment (within 16 weeks).

The placement of a child on a temporary basis with family and friends (connected

persons) does not imply this is a suitable permanence solution, and a separate

assessment and careful consideration of long term implications must still be

undertaken.

Plans should seek to actively discourage families 'placing' children for extended

periods without consideration of the options for legal security and should encourage

families and friends to consider the appropriate seeking of an order best suited to the

child's needs.

Where it is the plan that children remain with a relative, friend or a connected person,

to independence, their legal permanence will be achieved if and when the friend or

relative secures a Child Arrangement Order (Section 8, Children Act 1989) or

Special Guardianship Order (Section 14A of the Children Act 1989 - as amended

by Section 115 of the Adoption & Children Act 2002

Similarly in cases involving children who are Privately Fostered the assessment

and planning process should also keep the issue of legal permanence at the centre

of planning. Since, by definition, the arrangements are known to be of a temporary

duration, then the plan must identify the reasons with details of the long term aims

for legal permanence along with associated timescales.

Where informal arrangements have been agreed it is recognised that families may

require Local Authority support in order for a child's permanence to be secured. This

support may take the form of advice, guidance, or in exceptional circumstances

provision of financial support as a single or recurring payment. (Section 17 monies)

Fostering to Adopt and Concurrent Planning

Social workers are encouraged to consider fostering to adopt for those children for

whom remaining or returning to birth parents is extremely unlikely. This would

include parents who have had children removed before and whose lifestyle has not

improved sufficiently to ensure the safety of those children. Also, babies whose

mothers are clear during pregnancy that they wish their child adopted (relinquishing).

Concurrent planning would be considered where there the assessment concludes

there is a strong possibility of the child not continuing to live with birth family but all

options continue to be explored until the child's situation is clear. This would include

working towards a child's return home whilst at the same time developing an

alternative Permanence Plan, within strictly limited timescales.

Where children's cases are before the court in Care Proceedings, the Court require

concurrent planning to be reflected in the Care Plan.

24

In accordance with the Children Act 1989, the Local Authority is required to make

reasonable efforts to rehabilitate Looked after Children with their families wherever

possible. Where it is necessary to issue a Letter before Proceedings this will

clearly state the grounds for proceedings, the Authority's concerns and expectations

and any support that will be offered. Outcomes will be measurable and to timescales,

to support permanence planning.

Placement and Contact- Issues to Consider

Placement of sibling groups

It is important to assess the extent and quality of relationships in a sibling group.

Usually, and especially where there is a pre-existing and meaningful relationship, it

will be important to actively seek to maintain sibling relationships within any

Permanence Plan, including those where an alternative family placement is sought.

Permanency Planning in Hillingdon will address the sibling relationships at the onset

of the Permanency Planning process to consider if any assessments are required to

inform the Family Finding work and prevent unnecessary delays for children.

Issues from research:

The most enduring relationships people have are likely to be with their siblings;

The impact on separated siblings of losing vital support, a shared history and

continuity affect stability in the placement;

More successful outcomes occur for children placed together with their

siblings. Children should therefore be placed with their siblings unless there are

exceptional circumstances, such as dysfunctional interaction that cannot be

remedied, incompatible needs or where the lack of appropriate placement would

lead to unacceptable drift. The immediate non-availability of a suitable placement

should not prevent rigorous Family Finding efforts within an agreed time frame,

based on balancing the potential for success against the risk of undue delay;

The importance of identifying strengths and difficulties in sibling relationships in

order to make appropriate permanent placement decisions. It is important to

ascertain the perceptions and wishes of the child and their family, to assess the

shared experience of siblings and the children's individual permanence

needs. This involves thorough consideration of issues of gender, race, disability,

identity and attachment;

The importance of including regular contact between siblings within the

Permanence Plan wherever possible, if they cannot be placed together.

25

Direct Contact with Birth Family Members and Others

Contact must always be for the benefit of the child, not the parents or other relatives.

The nature of contact will vary depending on the permanency arrangements and

must be regularly assessed to ensure they continue to be appropriate to the child's

needs.

It may serve one or all of the following functions:

To maintain a child's identity. Consolidating the new with the old;

To provide reassurance for the child;

To provide an ongoing source of information for the child;

To give the child continuing permission to live with the adoptive family;

To minimise the sense of loss;

To assist with the process of tracing;

To give the adopters a secure sense of the right to parent. This will make the

parenting task easier.

Direct contact will generally work best if all parties accept/agree to

1. The plan for permanence;

2. The parental role of the permanent carers;

3. The benefit of contact;

4. The adoptive parents being present.

Direct contact is not likely to be successful in situations where a parent:

Disagrees with the plan for permanence;

Does not accept the parental role of the permanent carer and their own minimal

role with the child;

Has proved to be unreliable in their commitment to contact in the past;

Has not got a significant attachment with the child.

26

The wishes of the child to join a new family without direct contact, must be

considered and given considerable weight at any age.

If direct contact is a part of the Permanence Plan, a formal agreement setting out

how contact will take place, who with, where and how frequently must be negotiated

before placement, and reviewed regularly throughout the child's life.

Indirect Contact with Birth Family Members and Others

We do not all share the same sense of family - it means different things to different

people. It helps when children are helped to understand to whom they are related,

especially if they have complicated family trees including half-brothers or sisters

living in different places.

Wherever possible, indirect contact between the child and his or her new family

with people from the past should be facilitated;

To leave open channels of communication in case more contact is in the child's

interests in the future;

To provide information (preferably two-way) to help the child maintain and

enhance their identity and to provide the birth relative with some comfort in

knowing of the child's progress.

Indirect contact must be negotiated prior to placement, and all parties should be

asked to enter into an agreement with one another about the form and frequency

that the contact will take. Renegotiations of the contact should only take place if the

child's needs warrant it.

All parties to the agreement will need to accept that as the child becomes older and

is informed more fully about the arrangements for indirect contact, the child will have

a view regarding its continuation. No contact arrangements can be promised to

remain unaltered during the child's childhood. Those involved need to accept that

contact may cease if it is no longer in the child's interests. Alternatively, an older

child may need to change to direct contact.

The best options for children

This strategy defines and clarifies expectations around the permanency options for

the children of Hillingdon. It outlines options for those who may need additional help

and support when their families are having difficulties which require them to have

support in their home environment or live away from their birth parents.

All those working with children and families play a part in offering and supporting

these permanency options. It is the translation of best practice for children by all

involved in the journey of the child which will ensure best outcomes for Hillingdon’s

children.

27