Understanding Placement Plans and Looked After Reviews

You will need as much information as possible about a young person before they come into your home. Wherever possible planning meetings and documents are held and provided prior to a placement starting. There also should be an opportunity for the young person to have introductory visits prior to placement starting. However, where this is not possible, there should be a planning meeting and a Placement Plan within 5 days and Care Plan within 10 days of the placement. No information should be withheld from you without a manager’s approval and this will only be in rare cases.

As a supported lodgings host you will work effectively together with the young person’s social worker so that the placement is appropriate, planned and meet the needs of the young person. You are part of the team around the young person, who will also be there to support you. You should be actively involved in planning for the young person. Your views are valued by the Service provider and other professionals working with the young person and will positively influence the young person’s  progress.

A Care Plan must be completed before the young person’s placement or within 10 working days of them coming into placement. Highly effective planning manages and minimises risks to young people and so it is very important that the Care Plan is robust and with the young person being at the centre of planning. -

It should provide information relating to the young person, and what support needs to be offered to the young person to enable them to move on from you into independent living.  

The young person’s overarching Care Plan should include:

• Placement Plan (setting out why the placement was chosen and how the placement will contribute to meet the young person’s support needs and future needs); 
• Pathway Plan (for young people leaving care);
• Health Plan;
• Personal Education Plan;
• Education, Health and Care Plan.

In Derby, the placement plan is sometimes called a Living Together Agreement. This is a document that must be completed either on the day or within 5 days of a placement being made with you, although ideally they should be completed as part of the preparation for the placement and prior to the day the young person moves in. This plan is drawn up by the young person’s social worker, with you and your Supervising Worker and family members.

This plan details the expectations and routines of the young person, as well as how their support needs will be met in the placement. In addition, the Placement Plan should identify any risks and put in place strategies for managing these.

The Placement Plan covers the following areas:

• Objectives and purpose of the placement;
• Arrangements for the young person’s education, training and/or employment, including the name and address of the young person’s   educational setting/provider and designated teacher; the local authority maintaining any Education, Health and Care Plan;
• The young person’s personal/cultural history;
• The young person’s likes/dislikes;
• Arrangements for the young person’s health (physical, emotional and mental) and dental care, including the name and address of registered medical and dental practitioners; arrangements for giving/withholding consent to medical/dental examination/treatment;
• The expectations of the placement, including how the young person will be supported and expectations around behaviour;
• Agreements for contact between the young person, their family and others;
• Frequency of social work visits to the young person and yourself, and any review meetings;
• If an Independent Visitor is appointed, the arrangements for them to visit the young person and their contact details;
• Delegated Authority if appropriate;
• Consent and capacity issues including any safeguarding issues that the host needs to be aware of.

It is the responsibility of the Service to ensure that if a young person is not settling into a placement that they take steps to ensure that the plan is reviewed with the young person’s social worker, their parents if appropriate and you as their supported lodgings host. Therefore it is important that you report any worries or concerns early on to your Supervising Worker.

A Looked After Review (LAC or Statutory Review as it is sometimes known) is a meeting that covers the arrangements for making sure the plans put in place for a young person in care happen.

Looked After Reviews are held at specific intervals. They are normally chaired by an Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO). They will discuss with all those involved with the young person’s life (including the young person) how they are progressing and how their needs will continue to be met. The Independent Reviewing Officer has a monitoring role for the young person overall so is a good source of support if needed.

Looked After Reviews happen at the following intervals:

• Within 20 working days of the young person becoming Looked After;
• Then within 3 months (91 days) of an initial Looked After Review;
• Then subsequent looked after reviews should be conducted not more than 6 months (183 days) after any previous review.

Looked After Reviews should be brought forward by the Independent Reviewing Officer where the circumstances of an event has a significant impact upon the young person’s Care Plan, as suggested in the following sorts of circumstances:

• A proposed change of Care Plan for example arising at short notice in the course of proceedings following directions from the court;
• Where agreed decisions from the review are not carried out within the specified timescale;
• Major change to the contact arrangements;
• Changes of allocated social worker;
• Any safeguarding concerns involving the young person, which may lead to enquiries being made under Section 47 of the 1989 Act (‘Child Protection Enquiries’) and outcomes of Child Protection Conferences, or other meetings that are not attended by the IRO;
• Complaints from or on behalf of the young person, parent or supported lodgings host;
• Unexpected changes in the young person’s placement provision which may significantly impact on placement stability or safeguarding arrangements;
• Significant changes in birth family circumstances for example births, marriages or deaths which may have a particular impact on the young person;
• If the young person is charged with any offence leading to referral to Youth Offending Services, pending criminal proceedings and any convictions or sentences as a result of such proceedings;
• If the young person has run away or is missing from an approved placement;
• Significant health, medical events, diagnoses, illnesses, hospitalisations, or serious accidents; and panel decisions in relation to permanency.

DfE Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations - Volume 2: Care Planning, Placement and Case Review.

This is not an exhaustive list and other events considered to be significant may prompt an earlier review. The decision whether to have an early review is the IRO’s.

The parents and young person should also be consulted about the need for an additional review.

You should therefore:

• Discuss with your Supervising Worker any changes that occur for yourself or for your family;
• Ensure the social worker for the young person is fully informed and aware of any of the issues that have been highlighted;
• Discuss with your Supervising Worker any other matter that you feel could reflect significantly or impact upon the young person or their Care Plan.

The IRO can then review and consider whether an earlier review should be convened.

You should attend the reviews of the young person you have in placement.

Also at the meeting may be the young person, the young person’s teacher, family if appropriate and this is something the young person has agreed to, the young person’s social worker and any other professionals working with the young person.

If you are worried about these meetings discuss it with your Supervising Worker.