1.6.2 Role of the Emergency Duty Team |
Contents
- Introduction
- Emergency Duty Team Specific Recording
- Guidance to Social Workers for Contacting the Emergency Duty Team
- Arranging Emergency Placements
- Delegated Authority of EDT
- EDT Notifications
1. Introduction
The Social Services Emergency Duty Team (EDT) provides out of hours response for people in Coventry. It is purely an emergency service that responds to unforeseen or unplanned situations.
The EDT will normally work within the scope of the manual. However, due to the nature of the service, there may be occasions when they will need to make a considered departure from guidance for operational reasons.
The EDT consists of highly experienced social workers and a manager who also participates in the rota. There is also a further list of social workers that can assist at periods when there is high demand.
The EDT provides the Directorate's response to all social care emergencies outside the normal working hours of mainstream services.
The EDT is thus involved in providing services both to adults and to children and their families.
The responsibility of the EDT is to respond to social care emergencies where the urgency of the situation requires action at a time when mainstream services are not available.
To contact the EDT, the referrer will ring the Emergency Service Unit. The Emergency Service Unit will contact the Emergency Duty Officer (EDO) on duty and the EDO will then ring the referrer back.
The EDO will prioritise referrals according to the level of risk faced by an individual.
Where the EDT is unable to provide a service the EDO will explain why and suggest an alternative method of resolving the situation.
2. Emergency Duty Team Specific Recording:
The EDT has access to ICS.
EDT staff are required to adhere to the principles and standards of the Directorate's Recording Policy.
This section outlines the standards, which apply to the recording of work undertaken by the EDT.
2.1 General
All telephone contacts with the EDT must be recorded using the EDT8 log-sheet. EDT Officers are required to make these available at the EDT office by 10 am on the next working day.
In order to ensure that relevant information is available the EDT officer is required to keep a record of the action taken in response to each referral by recording the information on ICS using the EDT report and to alert the relevant daytime team by the start of the next working day via the functional email box.
Items of information will be emailed to the functional email box using the normal email system (see paragraph 6, Notifications below)
2.2 Recording Out of Hours Emergency Services to Children and Families
Where a referral is received regarding a child who might be in urgent need, the EDT will take action to determine the nature and extent of that need and whether action is urgently required. This process must be recorded on the EDTl report on ICS along with details of any emergency action taken.
Where the EDT has to arrange the emergency accommodation of a child, the relevant LACS admission forms will be completed by the EDO with the information available at the time of placement.
A copy of this will be left at the placement. The top copy will be faxed to the EDT Office to be entered onto ICS the next working day. The original will be sent to the relevant team through the internal postal system.
2.3 EDT1
This form can be accessed via ICS and is used to record the involvement of the EDT following the receipt of a referral. It is expected that EDO use this form to record factual information, professional assessments plus details of any intervention.
The EDT1 must be available to the relevant mainstream office by the start of the next working day.
2.4 EDT8
All telephone contacts with the EDT are recorded on a log. This will include details of the time the originating call was received by the EDO, information about the caller and the person/people about whom the call has been made. Where the EDO does not take action or the caller is referred elsewhere this should be recorded on the EDT8.
This form should be available in the EDT Office by 10.00 the next working day.
3. Guidance to Social Workers for Contacting the Emergency Duty Team:
EDT3
Mainstream services are expected to provide information to the EDT to assist them in responding appropriately. The information provided on the EDT3 should be sufficient to allow the EDO to make an informed assessment. Any relevant paperwork should also be provided with the EDT 3 (for example if the EDT is asked to apply for an Emergency Protection Order a completed application form should be provided).
The EDT needs to know:
- Essential personal information
- What the background is
- The anticipated/potential situation
- What action to take.
Please note the EDT does NOT do planned work (e.g. spot checks, supportive visits) and any request to do so will not be acted on.
The EDT3 should provide sufficient information to take the requested course of action but please do not provide unedited verbatim recording, child protection conference minutes / care plans unless they are absolutely necessary.
Unlike any other contact there is a system to distribute EDT3's among EDOs and keep them live for 3 months. It is therefore important that the procedure below is followed:
Check EDT3 is current version - November 2001
Complete all sections of EDT3 (including date)
E-mail EDT3 as an attachment to edt@coventry.gov.uk
OR use the address in the Global Address Book
Include the name of the service user in the subject line of the e-mail after EDT3: (e.g. EDT3:smith)
If a referral is sent through by email after 17:30, the EDO on duty should be contacted (02476832222) to let them know it has been sent. (Otherwise it may be missed)
Remember to add important background information:
- If requesting an Emergency Protection Order, add the EPO application & latest Child Protection Conference
- If requesting Police Protection powers include log number & name of inspector
IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO SEND AN EMAIL CONTACT THE SOCIAL WORKER ON DUTY AT THE END OF THE WORKING DAY VIA THE EMERGENCY SERVICE UNIT (TEL: 02476832222) AND COMPLETE AN EMAIL THE FOLLOWING DAY
4. Arranging Emergency Placements
4.1 Northern Care
Funding approval for Northern Care must be sought from the Head of Specialist Services.
Once funding has been agreed, the EDO must contact Northern Care on 0800 040 7870. This number will give the EDO the workers on call to contact.
The Northern Care worker will identify a placement - ideally this should be in the Coventry area or as close to as possible.
Once a placement is identified then notifications from EDT to the child's social worker and the Integrated Placements Service will be forwarded.
The Integrated Placements Service will then action the necessary paperwork the following working day as set out in the Placements in Residential Care Procedure.
The manager of the Family Placement Unit will complete the bandings for the placement by the next working day.
4.2 In House Residential
The EDT worker must contact the Head of Specialist Services to authorise the placement.
Once authorisation is granted the EDT worker will contact the residential unit directly and arrange the child's admission.
Once a placement is identified then notifications from EDT will be forwarded to the child's social worker and Family Placement Unit.
See also Flowchart below
5. Delegated Authority of EDT
5.1 Background
Emergency Duty Officers (EDO's) are expected to manage the workload in their own shift. There are occasions where a decision is required, which involves the input of other managers within the Directorate. The need to contact another manager is for two reasons:
Consultation:
- To obtain background information on a service user to inform a decision about response
- To obtain background information on a particular service to inform a decision about response
- To obtain background information on a policy to inform decision about response.
These consultations take place within the structure of that particular service. Although, recommendations of managers are given serious weight the responsibility remains within the structure of the EDT Service.
Agreement:
These decisions are outside the scope of the EDO's delegated authority. Agreement needs to be sought before a particular action can be pursued.
If a decision cannot be made because of the non-availability of the manager, the agreement of the next level manager must be sought.
If no manager of sufficient seniority is available, then the EDO should take such decision as necessary to minimise the risk to:
- the service user's health or safety
- the health and safety of others
Attempts to contact managers should be recorded.
5.2 Extent of EDT Delegated Authority
| GENERAL | ||
| Consultation | Agreement | |
| Use of volunteer to provide service when EDO engaged / health & Safety / Gender or ethnic sensitivity | Delegated to EDO | |
| Payments to alleviate emergency situations outside of Sec.17 payments and after liaison with relevant bodies (e.g. housing, benefits agency) | Delegated to EDO | |
| Circumstances which prevent the normal delivery of services (e.g. pressure of work, emergency planning, major breakdown of resources) | Director | |
| CHILDREN | ||
| Consultation | Agreement | |
| Sec. 17 payments | Delegated to EDO | |
| Section 47 Enquiries | Team Mgr relevant neighbourhood team | Delegated to EDO |
Admission of child / YP to accommodated status |
Team Mgr relevant neighbourhood team | Delegated to EDO |
| Discharge of child / YP from accommodated status | Team Mgr relevant neighbourhood team | Delegated to EDO |
| Considered departure from Child Protection procedures | Team Mgr relevant neighbourhood team | Delegated to EDO |
| Application for Emergency Protection Order | Team Mgr relevant neighbourhood team |
Delegated to EDO after legal advice |
| Overnight stays child on Care Order in exceptional circumstances | Team Mgr relevant neighbourhood team | ISM |
| Placement of child on Care Order with relatives / friends in exceptional circumstances | Team Mgr relevant neighbourhood team | ISM |
| Placement of Looked After Child with departmental foster carers | Team Mgr relevant neighbourhood team | Delegated to EDO |
| Placement of Looked After Child in Departmental residential setting | Team Mgr relevant neighbourhood team | Head of Specialist Services |
| Placement of Looked After Child with independent foster carers or in independent residential setting | Head of Specialist Services | Head of Specialist Services |
| Visual assessment of newly presented UASC to assess suitability for foster home/bed and breakfast | Delegated to EDO | |
This list is not exhaustive and any omissions should be brought to the attention of the EDT Team Manager as soon as possible.
6. EDT Notifications
In addition to sending referrals to the responsible team the following notifications are required:
| Contact Regarding .... | Emails to go to ..... |
| Pace Act Interviews | PACE-EDT@coventry-yos.org.uk |
| Notifications of Drs referrals | Relevant team Helen Walker |
| Mobile meals | SSH Home Meals Relevant OP Team Jennifer Langan |
| Children at Brook House | Relevant team FPU |
| UASC | Dee Murray Ralph Crosby Nira Parmar |
| Police Protection (when child taken into Police protection please notify) |
Ramona Barreto Solicitor on duty that week |
| SUDI cases | Head of Neighbourhood Services Head of Safeguarding |
| Children missing from foster homes | FPU |
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