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Contents

1. Referrals
2. Funding Authorisation
3. Service Organisation
4. Cancellations
5. Timesheets
6. Reporting
7. Funding Panel

1. Referrals

A referral will constitute a fully completed Commissioning referral form.  A referral consists of details of the child/young person, the details of the child's/family needs and history, the reasons for requesting the service and the details of the services required in order to make an appropriate match, as well as the desired outcomes. 

It is critical that at this stage Children's Commissioning Team (CCT)  receive a full risk assessment of the young person in order to appropriately match and to minimise risk to both the support worker and the child whilst delivering the service. 

The referral must be made as early as possible in order to secure the service at the time that it is required. In the case of non emergencies a minimum of seven days notice is required for the commencement of a new piece of work. In an emergency the Commissioning team would do its best to organise a service but this would not be guaranteed.  (NB:  An 'emergency' relates to any work that is required to prevent immediate accommodation of the child(ren).)

The referral should be emailed to the Outreach Officer and copied to the Support Services Co-ordinator following an initial phone call. Alternatively the referral may be faxed to the team on 0208 313 4106.

Responsibility for ensuring the referral is received by CCT lies with the referring social worker/team and the social worker should telephone the Commissioning team to ensure it has been received.

It is not possible for the Commissioning team to begin to look for a service until the completed referral form is received.

2. Funding Authorisation

Funding authorisation must be sought from the Head of Service, Quality Assurance in all cases.  Where this HOS is not available approval for emergency work can be sought from other Heads of Services.  The approval will be given for a one-off service.  The Social Worker must contact the Funding Panel Administrator to arrange for the case to be scheduled for the next panel meeting.

The Head of Service, QA must make contact with the Children's Commissioning Team by telephone or email to confirm agreement for the child/young person or Family to receive the service and the funding approval.

Organisation of the service provision will not commence until funding approval has been received by the Commissioning team

3. Service Organisation

CCT will in the first instance allocate work to the in house Family Support service.  Where an in house worker cannot be identified the work will be sourced through an agency.  It should be noted that CCT does not use specialised agencies and in the main workers have generic skills and experience in all aspects of family support that are not necessarily suitable for children with disabilities.

The Commissioning team will telephone the social worker with the details of the Support worker/ service provider.  When CCT are unable to obtain a response from the social work team, the details will be emailed to the social worker, the team manager (or Duty Manager for the day).

The social worker is responsible for liaison with the Family Centres in order to book rooms for contact. Where contact takes place at Family Centres it is helpful if these can be arranged in order to finish by 5pm when the Centres close.  When the Centre is open beyond 5pm both staff time and overtime have to be arranged in order to have the building locked after the contact.  Where contact is being cancelled the social worker is responsible for informing the Family Centre of the room cancellation.

For all supervised contact, the social worker is required to attend the first supervision with the family in order to conduct a risk assessment and to identify any contentious issues in order to provide advice and guidance to the support worker.  At this time it is the responsibility of the social worker to ensure that the worker is fully briefed on any contentious issues that may arise and the expected response from the worker and that Supervised Contact Agreement is signed by all parties.

On an ongoing basis the social worker is required to attend a minimum of one contact per month in order to assess if contact is a continuing positive experience for the children and family and to re-evaluate any potential risks.

Where transport by a family support worker is required the social worker must provide details of the height, age and weight of any child in order for the worker to ensure that they have the correct booster or child seat in their car.  Where incorrect information has led to the wrong seat being in the car transport by the worker will be cancelled and alternative arrangements will have to be made for the transport of the children.

Where family support and outreach work has been commissioned the social worker must meet with the family and the support worker in order to carry out introductions and to agree the work aims, objectives and work plan. 

It is important that the social worker meet with the support worker on a regular basis in order to give and receive feedback on the progress of the work and to offer any support or advice.

Where funds are being provided by the authority for activities or refreshments this will be funded by the team's section 17 budgets. These funds should either be made available to the worker in advance of the activity or where necessary the worker will provide receipts in order to be reimbursed.

4. Cancellations

If it becomes known that due to a change in circumstances that the placement is not required for that day the Children's Commissioning Team should be informed immediately in order to cancel the booked worker.  If this decision is made after 5pm on a Friday for cancellation of any contact at the weekend, it is the responsibility of the social worker to make contact with the carer and the family support worker and advise them of the cancellation.

It should be noted that where the support worker is provided by an agency 24 hours notice is required for the cancellation of the service otherwise Bromley is charged irrespective of the cancellation, for the minimum number of hours of the agency (usually four hours.)

5. Timesheets

Where agency staff are provided for a piece of work it is the responsibility of the social worker to check and sign timesheets for them.  Invoices are produced and paid for on the basis of the signed timesheet.  Therefore if the timesheet is incorrect, but is still signed then this commits the authority to paying whatever has been signed for. It is important therefore that these are signed only after checking.  Please print your name after the signature so that any queries can be tracked back to the originating signatory.

6. Reporting

Family support workers employed by the in house service will provide regular reports as a matter of course.  Where specific reporting is required or where agency staff are employed the social worker should advise CCT of their requirements as soon as possible.  However a minimum of seven days notice is required for any special reports.  Where statements or attendance at Court is required, a minimum of 21 days notice must be given.

7. Funding Panel

The Funding Panel Administrator will make arrangements for the child's case to be scheduled for a funding panel meeting at a suitable time for funding approval and ongoing for review and monitoring of the service to ascertain progress against planned outcomes.

End