Out of Hours Placements

1. Introduction

Emergency placements should only be made if:

• The child is at risk of immediate and significant harm; or
• Has been abandoned; or
• The parent(s) / carer(s) are refusing to care for the child and negotiations with them have proved unsuccessful and the child would be at risk if no alternative placement with family and / or friends was found.

Every effort should be made to avoid placing a child or young person in foster care or residential care especially in an emergency/out of hours situation.

To this end, Emergency Duty Team (EDT) workers should:

• Assess whether it would be safe for the matter to be dealt with on next working day;
• Consider the removal of the risk element/person(s) causing the risk from the household;
• Encourage the parents/carers and young person to propose an alternative temporary carer (friends/family).

The EDT worker should complete a thorough assessment to determine whether a placement is required. This must include detail of the alternative placements which have been considered and why they are not appropriate. The Duty Service Manager should be contacted to make a decision about whether the child should be accommodated. The EDT worker should record the above on the CASS.

2. Foster Placements

2.1 Selecting an emergency foster placements

EDT will receive daily a list of Calderdale's foster carers who have agreed to be on the EDT list as an emergency foster carer. The Fostering Service will also provide a list of IFA's who can be contacted out of hours for a placement. EDT worker must ensure that they contact in house foster carers first as identified on the list.

When a placement is being arranged the EDT worker should provide the foster carer with as much information as possible to enable the carer and the EDT worker to decide whether the placement is compatible with the needs of other children placed with them, including the assessment of any risk.

2.2 Making an emergency foster placement

In order to be able to provide safe and effective care the foster carer should, whenever possible, be provided with the following information and documents:

• Placement Information Record (PIR);
• Medical consent form signed by the parent(s) / carer(s) with Parental Responsibility; and
• Any other relevant information.

2.3 Notifying the Fostering Service

EDT must alert the Fostering Team of the placement by 09:00 am via an E-mail with the following details:

• Name(s) of child(ren);
• With whom they have been placed.

2.4 Notifying the Relevant Children and Young People Services Team

The relevant Children and Young People Services must be provided with the following information by 9.00 am the next working day.

The EDT worker should complete on CASS the Placement Information Record (PIR) which includes medical consent and should be shared with the carers at the point of child being placed in their care. This form will trigger a Child Looked After process on CASS.

• Contact form to be sent to the Multi-Agency Screening Team (MAST) (if a new case); and
• All completed daily records must be inputted onto CASS (if an open case).

The above information should also be followed up by an E-mail by the EDT worker to the relevant Children and Young People Services Team and Duty Service Manager on call.

3. Residential Placements

3.1 Arranging a Placement

Emergency residential placements should only be made in exceptional circumstances, and if there is no appropriate emergency placement with family or friends or with foster carers.

The EDT worker should contact Calderdale's residential homes to establish if there is a potential vacancy, and, if so, consultation should take place with the Duty Service Manager about the appropriateness of this placement.

3.2 Making a residential placement

In order to provide safe and effective care the children's home should, whenever possible, be provided with the following information and documents:

• Placement Information Record (PIR);
• Medical consent form signed by the parent(s) / carer(s);
• Any other relevant information.

3.3 Notifying the Fostering Service

EDT must alert the Fostering Team of the placement by 09:00 am via an E-mail with the following details:

• Name(s) of child(ren);
• With whom they have been placed.

3.4 Notifying the Relevant Children and Young People Services Team

The relevant Children and Young People Services Team must be provided with the following information by 9.00 am the next working day:

• The EDT worker will complete on CASS the Placement Information Record (PIR) which includes medical consent and should be shared with the residential home staff at the point of child being placed in their care. This form will trigger a Child Looked After process on CASS;
• Contact form to the Multi-Agency Screening Team (MAST) (if a new case);
• All completed daily records must be inputted on CASS (if an open case).