Care and Pathway Planning

Young people should receive well-planned care/support from the Service and have a positive experience of admission and transition processes.

The registered person must ensure:

• Young people should only be offered accommodation and a support package if their needs are within the range of needs provided by the Service and meets the standards set out in the statement of purpose.
• That arrangements are in place to:
  • Ensure effective admission;
  • Manage and review the placement of the young person;
  • Plan for, and support each young person to prepare for independence and comply with the requirements laid down by the local authority.
• That each young person's relevant plans are followed;
• That the young person's accommodating authority is contacted, and a review of that young person’s relevant plans is requested, when:
  
  • The registered person considers that the young person is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care and support provided is inadequate to meet their needs;
  • The young person is, or has been, persistently absent from the Service without permission; or
  • The young person requests a review of their relevant plans; and
• That staff help each young person to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the young person.

Leaders and managers will:

• Make decisions about young people coming to live at the Service, including considering the needs of others already living at the property;
• Have a clear understanding of the progress that young people are making in respect of the plan for them and take effective action where necessary;
• Understand the plans for the young people and drive the achievement of important milestones, goals and permanence for their futures. Effective planning manages and minimises risks inside and outside the Service;
• Monitor the progress that the young person makes and be able to demonstrate the positive impact that living in the Service has had on individual progress and life chances;
• Ensure that plans for the young person comprehensively identify their needs, taking into account the local authority care plan for each young person;
• Work proactively and positively with other agencies and professionals;
• Seek to build effective working relationships with parents and social workers from accommodating authorities and with the local authority where the Service is based;
• Ensure that when young people are new to the Service, any risks are understood;
• Challenge and take action when they are concerned that accommodating authorities are making decisions that are not in the young person’s best interests or when the statutory requirements for Looked After Care Experienced and Cared For young people are not met;
• If the young person is not settling into the Service, ensure that plans are reviewed promptly with the accommodating authority and the family (if appropriate). They will consider the best steps to take next, including, for example, whether any additional support might be necessary to support the young person.

Every Care Experienced and Cared For young person must have a Care Plan which is completed and updated by their allocated social worker.

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

The overall purpose of the Care Plan is to safeguard and promote the interests of the young person, prevent drift and provide focus for work with the young person and their family.

The registered person must challenge any accommodating authority who asks them to accept a young person in the absence of a current and relevant plan. It is essential to the provision of safe and appropriate support, and to avoid potential future disruption and instability, that the Service understands what will be required of them before they accept responsibility for a placement.

The Care Plan contains information on the arrangements for the current and longer term care of the young person (including, by the time of the second Looked After Review, any long term plans etc.) It also summarises the young person’s current needs and identifies the services/support required to meet those needs. The Care Plan must include the name and contact details of the Independent Reviewing Officer. It should also include information on the arrangements for on-going contact between the young person and their family.

The Care Plan will be reviewed at the Looked After Review. Any changes or updates agreed must be made within 10 working days of the review.

Every Care Experienced and Cared For young person will have a Placement Plan which sets out in detail how the current placement will contribute to meeting their needs as set out in the Care Plan. Before making a placement in the Service, it is essential that the accommodating authority fully understands the services provided and the nature of the support package provided. For example the outreach hours, who to contact if there is a problem, who will also live in the property and the terms of the agreement. This understanding of the Service’s approach should inform the young person’s Placement Plan, which should be drawn up in conjunction with the Service.

The Placement Plan is concerned with both how the placement will meet the aims of the Care Plan and contributes to achieving the Permanence Plan, as well as covering how the young person’s needs will be met on a daily basis or weekly basis.

Placement Plans must be agreed with the young person and are likely to be most effective when drawn up at the Placement Planning Meeting which involves everyone concerned in the care/support of the young person.

The Placement Plan should cover the following issues:

• How the young person will be supported on a day to day basis, including how their welfare will be safeguarded and promoted by the appropriate person;
• Arrangements for contact between the young person and parents/anyone with parental responsibility/any other connected person, including, if appropriate, reasons why contact is not reasonably practicable or not consistent with the young person’s welfare or in their best interest under the Mental Capacity Act;
• Arrangements for promoting the young person’s health (physical, emotional and mental), dental and optical care, including the name and address of registered medical and dental practitioners and opticians; arrangements for giving/withholding consent to medical/dental examination/treatment;
• Arrangements for the young person’s education and training, including the name and addresses of these and the local authority maintaining any Education, Health and Care Plan;
• Any consent or capacity issues and who can make decisions for the young person if they cannot;
• The arrangements for and frequency of visits by the young person’s social worker; and for advice, support and assistance between visits (including from an Independent Visitor or Advocate);
• If an Independent Visitor is appointed, the arrangements for them to visit the young person including the frequency of visits;
• The circumstances in which the placement may be terminated; such as being in breach of the agreement, placement not meeting young person’s needs etc.
• The name and contact details of the Independent Reviewing Officer, the Independent Visitor if one is appointed, the social worker who will be visiting the child, and the Personal Adviser for an Eligible Young Person;
• The type of accommodation to be provided and the address;
• Where the authority has, or is notified of, safeguarding or child protection concerns relating to the young person who has gone missing from the placement or from any previous placement, the day to day arrangements to be put in place by the Service to keep the young person safe;
• Any behaviours which have been of concern to previous carers placements and which may have contributed to previous breakdown of a placement and details of how the Service will seek to manage and respond to these;
• Details in relation to the young person’s personal history, religious persuasion, gender identity, cultural and linguistic background and ethnicity;
• The local authority's arrangements for the financial support of the young person during the placement.

The Placement Plan may incorporate a detailed Behaviour Management Plan if necessary and appropriate.

Prior to the placement, local authorities should always provide all information concerning the young person which is necessary to allow the Service to provide appropriate support.

The Looked After Review should consider whether care is being provided in line with the agreed approach and whether this approach continues to be the most appropriate placement for the young person. The Placement Plan should be reviewed in the light of a Looked After Review or any change to the young person's Care Plan.

The purpose of the Pathway Plan is to produce a written document that records needs, identifies actions to be taken and resources that need to be put in place to support young people during their transition to adulthood and independence. Having a copy of the plan provides clarity and reassurance for the young person in relation to how their future needs will be met and who will provide support for them in relation to the different areas of their lives.

The Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 requires a Pathway Plan for all Eligible, Relevant & Former Relevant young people.

Before making a placement in the Service, it is essential that the accommodating authority fully understands the services offered, and how the Service intends to support the young person. This understanding of the Service’s approach should inform the young person’s Placement Plan, which should be drawn up in conjunction with the Service.

Placement Plans must be agreed with the young person and their carers, and are likely to be most effective when drawn up at the Placement Planning Meeting which involves everyone concerned in supporting the young person.

For young people placed in the Service, the Placement Plan should cover the following issues:

• How the young person will be supported on a day to day basis, including how their welfare will be safeguarded and promoted;
• Arrangements for contact between the young person and parents/anyone with parental responsibility/any other connected person, including, if appropriate, reasons why contact is not reasonably practicable or not consistent with the young person's welfare; details of any Contact Order (under Section 8 or 34 of the Children Act 1989); the arrangements for notifying any changes in contact arrangements;
• Arrangements for promoting the young person's health (physical, emotional and mental), dental and optical care, including the name and address of registered medical and dental practitioners and opticians; arrangements for giving/withholding consent to medical/dental examination/treatment;
• Arrangements for the young person's education and training, including the name and address of their school/other educational institution/provider and designated teacher; the local authority maintaining any Education, Health and Care Plan;
• The arrangements for and frequency of visits by the young person's social worker; and for advice, support and assistance between visits (including from an Independent Visitor or Advocate);
• If an Independent Visitor is appointed, the arrangements for them to visit the young person, including the frequency of visits;
• The circumstances in which the placement may be terminated;
• The name and contact details of the Independent Reviewing Officer, the Independent Visitor if one is appointed, the social worker who will be visiting the young person, and the Personal Adviser for an Eligible Young Person;
• The type of accommodation to be provided and the address;
• Where the authority has, or is notified of, safeguarding or child protection concerns relating to the young person, or the young person has gone missing from the placement or from any previous placement, the day to day arrangements to be put in place by the Service to keep the young person safe;
• Any behaviours which have been of concern to previous carers and which may have contributed to previous breakdown of a placement and details of how the Placement Provider will seek to manage and respond to these;
• Details in relation to the young person's personal history, religious persuasion, gender identity, cultural and linguistic background and ethnicity;
• The local authority's arrangements for the financial support of the young person during the placement.

Prior to the placement, local authorities should always provide all information concerning the young person which is necessary to allow the Service to provide appropriate support to the young person.

The Looked After Review should consider whether support is being provided in line with the agreed approach and whether this approach continues to be the most appropriate placement for the young person. The Placement Plan should be reviewed in the light of a Looked After Review or any change to the young person's Care Plan.

Young people should be actively involved in the planning process and although it is important that the Pathway Plan is informed by the views of the young person, it should also be informed by the views of other significant adults and professionals involved in the young person's life. The consultation of these significant adults and professionals should be discussed and agreed with the young person and could include:

• The young person's parents or others with parental responsibility;
• Any person who cares for a young person on a day to day basis;
• A representative of the young person's school, college or training provider if appropriate;
• The young person's GP or any other medical professional involved with the young person;
• An Independent Visitor (where appointed);
• Any other person whom the responsible authority or young person considers relevant;
• Personal Advisor.