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Contents

1. Who Must Have a Care Plan
2. Who is Responsible for the Plan
3. Timescales for Completion
4. Approval of the Plan
5. Consultation
6. Purpose
7. Review
8. Contents
9. Circulation

1. Who Must Have a Care Plan

Every child in care must have a LAC Care Plan on ICS. 

2. Who is Responsible for the Plan

The Care Plan must be completed and updated by the child's social worker.

3. Timescales for Completion

A Care Plan must be prepared prior to a child’s first placement, or, if it is not practicable to do so, within 10 working days of the child’s first placement. 

See Decision to Look After and Care Planning Procedure.

If there are exceptional reasons that prevent the Care Plan from being drawn up prior to the child's placement, the key objectives of the child's admission to care and the proposed placement must still be identified and recorded.

The Care Plan can be updated by the social worker, with the team manager's approval, at any time.

The Care Plan is then subject to scrutiny at each Looked After Review and should be updated after each review unless there are no changes.

4. Approval of the Plan

A final Care Plan taken before the court in Care Proceedings must be endorsed and signed by the Designated Manager (Care Plans).

All other Care Plans must be endorsed and signed by the social worker's team manager.

5. Consultation

The social worker is responsible for drawing up and updating the Care Plan in consultation with:

1. The child;
2. The child's parents and those with Parental Responsibility;
3. Anyone who is not a parent but has been caring for or looking after the child;
4. Other members of the child's family network who are significant to the child;
5. The child's school or the education service;
6. The relevant health trust;
7. The Youth Offending Service, if the child is known to them;
8. Any other agency involved with the child's care;
9. The child’s Independent Reviewing Officer.

6. Purpose

The purpose of the plan is to safeguard and promote the interests of the child, prevent drift and focus work on achieving permanence for the child.

Before a Court grants a Care Order it must be satisfied that a suitable Care Plan has been drawn up.

7. Review

This guidance should be read in conjunction with Looked After Reviews Procedures.

The Care Plan must be regularly reviewed at Looked After Reviews. However, it is the responsibility of the social worker and his/her team manager to make decisions and amendments in relation to the Care Plan.

By the time of the second Looked After Review, the Care Plan must contain a plan for achieving permanence for the child within a timescale that is realistic, achievable and meets the child's needs. If it is considered that the chosen avenue to permanence is not viable, the Independent Reviewing Officer should ensure that a Permanency Planning Meeting, or equivalent, is convened as a matter of urgency to consider the most appropriate permanent alternative.

All subsequent Reviews should review the progress and validity of the permanence plan.

8. Contents

The information contained in the Care Plan must include:

• The child’s Placement Plan (setting out why the placement was chosen and how the placement will contribute to meeting the child’s needs);
• The child’s Permanence Plan (setting out the long term plans for the child’s upbringing including timescales);
• The Pathway Plan (where appropriate, for young people leaving care);
• The child’s Health Plan;
• The child’s Personal Education Plan;
• The contingency plan;
• The date of the child's first Looked After Review (within 20 working days);
• The name of the Independent Reviewing Officer.

The Care Plan should include the arrangements made to meet the child’s needs in relation to his or her:

• Emotional and behavioural development;
• The child’s identity in relation to religious persuasion, racial origin and cultural and linguistic background;
• Family and social relationships; arrangements for contact with sibling(s) accommodated by the authority or another local authority; details of any Section 8 Order, in relation to a Looked After Child; details of any order in relation to contact with a child in care; arrangements for contact with parents/anyone with Parental Responsibility / any other Connected Person; arrangements for the appointment of an Independent Visitor for a Looked After Child;
• Social presentation;
• Self-care skills.

There is a template for the Care Plan, which also covers the following areas.

1. Views of others.
   The extent to which the wishes and feelings of the parents and others with sufficient interest in the child (including representatives of other agencies, current carers and former carers) have been obtained and acted on
   1. The reasons for supporting them or explanations of why their wishes and views have not been given precedence.
2. Placement details and timetable.
   Proposed placement
   1. Time that is likely to elapse before the proposed placement is made;
   2. Likely duration of the placement;
   3. Arrangements for health care including consent to examination and treatment;
   4. Arrangements for education (including any pre-school day care/activity);
   5. Arrangements for reunification/rehabilitation;
   6. Other services to be provided to the child;
   7. Other services to be provided to the parents and other family members;
   8. Details of proposed support services in the placement for the carers;
   9. Specific details of the parents role in day to day arrangements.
3. Management and support by local authority.
   Who is to be responsible for implementing the plan
   1. Who is responsible for implementing specific tasks within the plan;
   2. Date of last and next Looked After Review;
   3. Contingency Plan if the placement breaks down or if preferred placement is not available;
   4. Arrangements for input by the child, parent and others in the ongoing decision-making process;
   5. Arrangements for notifying the responsible local authority of disagreements about the implementation of the Care Plan or for making representations/complaints.

9. Circulation

The Care Plan must be circulated to the following people:

• The child - care must be taken to ensure the child understands it.  If necessary, the child should be given additional material, suitable to his/her needs and abilities, which can better explain the Care Plan;
• The parent(s) - who may also require help to understand the plan;
• Providers/carers - if no Care Plan has been drawn up prior to the child's placement, the social worker must ensure that the providers/carers understand the key objectives of the plan, and how the placement will help achieve these objectives;
• The child’s Independent Reviewing Officer.

End