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


1. All Children

1.1

Policy, Values and Principles

  
1.1.1 Children's Services Policies, Values and Principles  
1.1.2 Consultation Policy  
1.1.3 Equality and Diversity  


 

1.2

Early Help and Thresholds for Children's Social Care Services

  
1.2.1 Effective Support for Families in Merton
(Merton Safeguarding Children Partnership)		  
1.2.2 Merton Children and Families Hub
(Merton Safeguarding Children Partnership)		  
1.2.3 Children's Emergency and Out of Hours Procedure  
1.2.4 Family Networks and Family Group Decision Making  
1.2.5 Capacity and Consent  
  See also: Early Intervention: Policy and Provision (House of Commons Library)  


 

1.3

Children's Social Care Assessment and Planning

  
1.3.1 Contacts and Referrals New
1.3.2 Assessments Updated
1.3.3 Child Protection Enquiries New
1.3.4 Merton Effective Support Guidance  


 

1.4

Children in Need

  
1.4.1 Children in Need Plans and Reviews  


 

1.5

Child Protection

  
1.5.1 London Safeguarding Children Procedures  
1.5.2 Dispute Resolution for Conference Chairs  


 

1.6

Legal Proceedings

  
1.6.1 Application for Emergency Protection Orders  
1.6.2 Care and Supervision Proceedings and the Public Law Outline Updated
1.6.3 Legal Gateway/Planning Meetings  
  See also: Family Justice Resource Hub (ADCS) - This hosts a series of practical resources, such as templates, tools and practice guidance, which will be of interest to those working in the family justice system.  


 

1.7

Notifications

  
1.7.1 Death or Serious Injury to a Child (Looked After, Child in Need or Care Leaver Up to and Including the Age of 24)  
1.7.2 Notifications from Other Local Authorities  
1.7.3 Notifications of Significant Events Updated


 

1.8

Complaints and Whistleblowing

  
1.8.1 Complaints and Representations  
1.8.2 Whistleblowing  
1.8.3 Confidentiality Policy  
  See also: Merton's Whistleblowing (Intranet link)  


2. Case Management and Recording

2.1 Quality Assurance Framework  
2.2 Supervision Policy and Procedure for Registered Social Workers Employed by London Borough of Merton  
2.3 Case File Transfer Protocol  
2.4 Caseload Allocation Policy  
2.5 Case Recording Practitioner Guidance  
2.6 Chronology Guidance  
2.7 Joint Working Protocol for Youth Justice and Other Teams in Children's Social Care  
2.8 Access to Records  
  See also: Access to Birth Records and Adoption Case Records  
2.9 Children’s Services – Retention of Records  
3.0 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 Updated
3.1.2 Personal Budgets and Direct Payments New
3.1.3 Social Care Children with Disabilities Team  
3.1.4 Procedure for Transition of Young People with Disabilities from Children's to Adults Services in Merton  
3.1.5 Placing and Visiting Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities or Health Conditions in Long-Term Residential Settings Updated
3.1.6 Children and Young People's Continuing Care National Framework  


 

3.2

Children from Abroad

  
3.2.1 Supporting Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children and Care Leavers Updated
3.2.2 Families with No Recourse to Public Funds  


 

3.3

Homelessness

  
3.3.1 Joint Protocol for the Assessment of Housing and Support Needs of Homeless 16 and 17 Year Olds  


 

3.4

Friends and Family Care

  
3.4.1 Kinship Care  
3.4.2 Private Fostering  


 

3.5

Young Carers

  
3.5.1 Young Carers  


 

3.6

Children Involved in the Youth Justice System

  
3.6.1 Looked After Children and Young People in Contact with Youth Justice Services  
3.6.2 Responsibilities of the Local Authority to Former Looked After Children and Young People in Custody  
3.6.3 Children Involved in the Youth Justice System: Additional National Guidance  
  See also: Remands to Local Authority Accommodation or to Youth Detention Accommodation  


 

3.7

Safeguarding and Child Protection

  
3.7.1 Children Missing from Home and Care Policy  
3.7.2 Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) - Advice for Multi Agency Practitioners
(Merton Safeguarding Children Partnership)		  


 

3.8

Mental Health

  
3.8.1 Aftercare Under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1989 Updated


4. Looked After Children

  See also: Merton LAC Pledge  

4.1

Decision to Look After

  
4.1.1 LAC Placement Sufficiency Strategy  
4.1.2 Decision to Look After  
4.1.3 Care Planning  
4.1.4 Permanence Planning Guidance  
4.1.5 Placement Planning Meetings  
4.1.6 Disruption Meetings  
4.1.7 Placement Moves and Endings  
4.1.8 Risk Assessment and Planning  
4.1.9 Providing Personalised Care  
  See also: NICE Guideline: Looked After Children and Young People  
  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 Placement Requests: Making LAC Placements with ART  
4.2.2 Placements with Parents  
4.2.3 Placement with Connected Persons Foster Carers  
4.2.4 Placements in Foster Care  
4.2.5 Placements in Residential Care  
4.2.6 Placements in Secure Accommodation on Welfare Grounds  
4.2.7 Out of Area Placements  
4.2.8 Placements Outside England and Wales  
4.2.9 Remands to Local Authority Accommodation or to Youth Detention Accommodation  
4.2.10 Delegation of Authority to Foster Carers  
4.2.11 Placements in Other Arrangements  
4.2.12 Health and Safety  


 

4.3

Monitoring and Reviews

  
4.3.1 Social Worker Visits to Looked After Children  
4.3.2 Advocacy and Independent Visitors  
4.3.3 Looked After Reviews  
4.3.4 Procedure Regarding Reviews for Children Looked After (CLA) and Schedule of Social Work Visits  
4.3.5 Appointment and Role of Independent Reviewing Officers  
4.3.6 Dispute Resolution for Independent Reviewing Officers  
4.3.7 Secure Accommodation (Criteria) Reviews  


 

4.4

Contact and Overnight Stays

  
4.4.1 Guidance on Contact for Children in Care  
4.4.2 Contact with Parents and Siblings  
4.4.3 Overnight Stays and Social Visits  


 

4.5

Education, School Trips and Holidays

  
4.5.1 Supporting the Education and Promoting the Achievement of Children with a Social Worker, Children in Care and Previously Looked After Children  
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 LAC 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 and Restraint  


 

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  
4.8.2 Staying Put Policy Updated
4.8.3 Reunification for Children Accommodated Under Section 20 (1989 Act)  
4.8.4 Young People Aged 16 and 17 Years Ceasing to be Looked After  


5. Fostering and Adoption

5.1

Fostering Services

  
5.1.1 Merton Standards of Care Procedures  
5.1.2 Persons Disqualified from Fostering  
5.1.3 Assessments and Approvals of Foster Carers Updated
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 Updated
5.1.8 Training and Development of Foster Carers  
  See also: Early Permanence: Fostering for Adoption, Concurrent Planning and Temporary Approval as Foster Carers of Approved Prospective Adopters  


 

5.2

Adoption and Permanence Services

  
5.2.1 Recruitment, Assessment and Approvals of Prospective Adopters Updated
5.2.2 Fostering and Permanence Panel  
5.2.3 Placement for Adoption Updated
5.2.4 Relinquished Children  
5.2.5 Adoption Support  
5.2.6 Monitoring and Supervision of Adoptive Placements  
5.2.7 Adoption Reviews  
5.2.8 Disruption of Adoptive Placements  
5.2.9 Allegations Against Prospective Adopters and in Relation to Children Placed for Adoption or Already Adopted  
5.2.10 Inter Country Adoption  
5.2.11 Non Agency Adoption  
5.2.12 Adoption Case Records  
5.2.13 Access to Birth Records and Adoption Case Records  
5.2.14 Intermediary Services  
5.2.15 Life Story Books Guidance  
5.2.16 Later Life Letters  
5.2.17 Early Permanence: Fostering for Adoption, Concurrent Planning and Temporary Approval as Foster Carers of Approved Prospective Adopters  
  See also: Adoption Strategy: Achieving Excellence Everywhere  


 

5.3

Special Guardianship and Other Permanence Arrangements

  
5.3.1 Special Guardianship Orders  
5.3.2 Court Reports in Adoption, Placement and Special Guardianship Order Applications: Guidance  


6. Contacts, List of Agency Decision Makers and Appendices

6.1 Scheme of Delegation  
6.2 Merton Safeguarding Children Partnership  
6.3 Working Together to Safeguard Children  
6.4 Ofsted Inspection Framework Updated
6.5 Amendments