1.4.5 Guidance in relation to Hospital Discharge Planning Meetings |
The purpose of this procedure is to agree the joint arrangements between Children's Social Care Services and Hospital staff in relation to children where concerns about the child have arisen and must be addressed prior to discharge from hospital to ensure continuity of care.
Most children receiving services from the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire Trusts are likely to have their needs met through universal provision and do not need the involvement of Children's Social Care Services.
Children referred to Children's Social Care Services are likely to be defined as children in need or Children in Need and may be children in need of safeguarding. The responsibility for planning the discharge of the child will lie with either Health Services or Children's Social Care Services depending on the category of need. In the light of this the following arrangements are considered to be appropriate.
Contents
1. Health Lead
For children In Need who are not receiving a service from Children's Social Care Services but who are deemed by the hospital to require family support services the following arrangements should follow.
- Consultation with the relevant Referral and Assessment Service to consider if Children's Social Care Services could be involved in the support for the child and their family.
- Where a referral is accepted a representative from the Referral and Assessment Service will attend the discharge-planning meeting before the child is discharged from hospital care.
In cases where the child is already in receipt of services from Children's Social Care Services a joint planning meeting will be held before the child is discharged from hospital.
The Hospital will take the lead in organising and inviting all relevant agencies including education where appropriate, and parent/carers. The Hospital will chair the meeting and provide a record of the meeting identifying the care plan for supporting the child in the community. The record of the meeting will be circulated to all the relevant professionals and parents/carers of the child.
2. Children's Social Care Services Lead
Where hospital staff consider there are child protection concerns the hospital staff will contact the Referral and Assessment Service to discuss the concerns with a social worker and agree the way forward.
Child protection concerns will be investigated in accordance with the Local Safeguarding Children Board interagency procedures and a face-to-face strategy meeting must be held to plan the investigation, including any proposals for the discharge of the child from hospital.
Children's Social Care Services will take the responsibility for notifying the Police and inviting them to the Strategy Meeting. Consideration will also be given to whether it would be in the child's best interests to include the parents/carers in the strategy meeting. Hospital staff will take the responsibility for the inviting of relevant health staff likely to be involved in the care of the child in the community.
Children's Social Care Services as the lead agency will take responsibility in chairing and provide a record of the meeting. This will always include discussion about whether the threshold for a Section 47 Enquiry has been met and if so will plan the investigation.
If the threshold for a Section 47 Enquiry is not met then a package of family support should be made. In both circumstances there should be a clear consideration of any plans to discharge the child from hospital and these should be recorded fully. The record of the strategy meetings will be noted on the agreed format on ICS and circulated to all relevant professionals.
End