City of London Decision-Making Process Decision Decision Maker Planning Forum AD or DCS SM TM SSW Other/ Comment Children in Need To commence a section 47 investigation X X Strategy meeting / discussion with partner agency To convene a Complex CIN meeting X X Supervision To convene a Family Group Conference X X Commissioning to be consulted to identify provider To convene a planning meeting X X To convene a CPC X X Strategy discussion with partner agency To change the date of a planned CPC X X AD must be consulted To commission a residential family assessment X SM /TM must agree application To commission a community family assessment X SM/TM must agree application To commission any other CIN assessment costing less than £50,000 X SM must consult with the AD. To commission any CIN X SM/TM must application and
assessment costing more than £50,000 make recommendation to AD To agree assessments in an emergency X SM must agree application and make recommendation to AD To agree other packages of CIN support costing less than £50,000 X See financial delegation at bottom of table To agree other packages of CIN support costing more than £50,000 X SM/TM must application Court orders All decisions should be made following consultation with legal services. To apply for Protection orders (EPO or PP through police) X X AD must be informed within 24 Decision would usually be based on a strategy meeting or discussion To apply for Recovery Orders X As above Decision would usually be based on a strategy meeting or discussion To apply for a Child Assessment Order X Decision would usually follow discussion in a Multi Agency meeting, eg CPC, CIN meeting etc
To apply for a Care or Supervision Order X Decision would usually follow discussion in a Legal Planning Meeting Chaired by the SM To approve Care Plan for the (Court Order having been applied for) X X Planning Meeting (if not looked after) To seek variation of Supervision or Care X Statutory Child Care Review if looked after To seek discharge of Care Order or Supervision Order X Statutory Child Care Review if looked after To use Secure Accommodation without an Order (max 72 hrs) DCS Decision would usually be based on a strategy meeting or discussion To seek Secure Accommodation Order DCS Statutory Child Care Review recommends if Child already Looked After. Planning Meeting otherwise. To seek a Section 34 Order concerning Contact X Statutory Child Care Review Sign off Sect 7 or Sect 37 reports X X Report to be sent to legal 5 days before filing date
Sign off all other court reports X X Service Manager consults with Team Manager Children Looked After To agree the type of placement X X Subject to delegated limits To agree planned accommodation (Section 20) arrangements X AD informed within 24 hours A Planning Meeting must first be held to consider the question, Chaired by TM To that a child is placed outside the Local Authority area other than with a connected person X X SM in consultation with AD Subject to Care Planning Procedures To Approve Private Fostering Arrangement X X To agree to move a child during Key Stage 4 X Must consult with the VSH Subject to Care Planning Procedures To agree unplanned accommodation (Section 20) arrangements X X AD to be informed within 24 hours Interim agreement (maximum of days) To agree the suspension of a foster home X X AD to be informed immediately To agree the termination of a foster home X Foster home will not be CoL but AD to make decision whether child remain as best interest decision. ie LAC review to be convened urgently. AD discussion in child remaining and reasons and
Following Ofsted inspection they give below good rating - decision to move child /not – child may be in middle of exams; issues may not be child care rather other issues; how quickly remedy in place risk associated with this SM to be to IFA Fostering panel decision To make decisions on prohibitions on private fostering X To the use of non approved emergency placement with relative/friend (Section 38) X X X To agree the use of residential placement AD X To exclude a young person from a Children’s Home X Disruption meeting must be convened and chaired at SM level To agree the use of high cost provision What financial delegation below £50,000 – SM Above 50,000 - AD X X See financial delegation at bottom of To seek permanent substitute family X X Statutory Child Care Review
To change the date of a Looked After Review X AD must be informed immediately by SM To permit or young person looked after to leave UK for holiday of up to 1 months X Decision fed back in to Statutory Child Care Review To consent to young person looked after joining armed forces X Decision fed back in to Statutory Child Care Review To consent to an abortion (young person looked after) X Decision fed back in to Statutory Child Care Review To consent to contraception (young person looked after) X X Decision fed back in to Statutory Child Care Review To consent to medical or surgical treatment (young person looked after) X Decision fed back in to Statutory Child Care Review To consent to the marriage of a Looked After Child DCS Decision fed back in to Statutory Child Care Review To agree to religious custom or ritual requiring parental consent (e.g. baptism) - Child looked after X AD to be consulted by SM Decision fed back in to Statutory Child Care Review To consent to change of name X Decision fed back in to
(Child looked after) Statutory Child Care Review To sign passport application (Child looked after) X X Decision fed back in to Statutory Child Care Review To support/ not support foster carer application for residence Order /SGO - (Child looked after) X X AD must Chair Statutory Child Care Review To support child’s application for British citizenship (Child looked after) X X Decision fed back in to Statutory Child Care Review To seek publicity in respect of a search for missing children X Nominated spokesperson. Press office Financial Limits: AD- £500,000 SM - £50,000 TM - £10,000 SSW - £1000 Janet Bailey 14.8.14