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January 2012

Contents

1. Display and Browser Options
2. Structure of the Manual
3. Amendments and Planned Updates
4. How to find a Chapter
5. Terminology
6. Keywords
7. Compliance
8. Contact us
9. Copyright
10. Printing and Retaining Copies

1. Display and Browser Options

People with a visual impairment may have difficulty accessing this Manual.

To change the size of the text/layout - please use these accessibility buttons

which are on menu bar on the left side of every screen. Click a larger button to increase your text size, the very largest being high visibility mode.

2. Structure of the Manual

This manual contains the policies, procedures and guidance for Bromley Children and Young People Service Safeguarding and Social Care Division. Children's and Families Values and Principles: In this manual, all Bromley's Policies, Values and Principles are located in one Chapter, which users are required to familiarise themselves with before proceeding to the main body of the Manual. These Policies, Values and Principles are located in a Chapter called 'Values' - available from the left hand side of the screen. Procedures and Guidance: In an attempt to keep procedures succinct, procedures and more detailed guidance are separated - with links provided as appropriate. 'Procedures' summarise how Managers and Staff must act in given circumstances. 'Guidance' provides direction or advice to a decision or course of action.

3. Amendments and Planned Updates (updated)

3.1 Amendments - January 2012

New Chapters and Features
Chapter Name	Details
Short Breaks	This chapter takes account of: Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010; The updated Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations Volume 2: Care Planning, Placement and Case Review; and Short Breaks: Statutory Guidance on How to Safeguard and Promote the Welfare of Disabled Children Using Short Breaks. All of the above came into effect from 1 April 2011
YOT Procedures	A new link to web enabled procedures.
Social Care Values and Principles – The Child’s Journey In Bromley	Child's Journey in Bromley
Family and Friends Care Policy	This chapter is in draft
Residence Orders and Residence Order Allowances	This chapter sets out the process which the Division consents to foster carers applying for a residence order and the criteria for paying a residence order allowance.
Updated Chapters
Chapter Name	Change
16 & 17 Year Olds Facing Homelessness	The protocol between Children's Social Care and Housing - Homeless 16/17 Year Olds was replaced. This chapter should be re read.
Joint Protocol Between Adult Care Services and Children's Safeguarding and Social Care	This chapter was slightly updated in regard to contact telephone numbers.
Procedure for Court Ordered Commissioning	This chapter was amended in regard to the following; Change from Funding Panel Administrator to Funding Panel Co-ordinator; Where the costs of the service are shared jointly with other parties, the legal team will include these details in the Letter of Instruction; Where funding has been approved by the Funding Panel there will be no requirement for an Iproc Order to be raised and the costs will be coded to the Public Law Outline budget.
Decision to Look After	A slight amendment was made to the Care Plan in regard to Health issues and the inclusion of why the parents views have or have not been acted on.
Post Placement Arrangements including Same Day and Emergency Placements	Section 6, Notifications of this chapter was significantly amended.
Placements with Connected Person	A slight amendment was made to Section 6, in regard to the child's social worker should inform the Quality Assurance Unit as soon as a child is placed with a connected person so that a date and time can be set for the initial LAC review and all the relevant people can be invited.
Placements in Secure Accommodation	This chapter was slightly updated  in regard to the Children's Commissioning Team (CCT) must notify Quality Assurance (QA) when a secure placement is made so that a secure accommodation review can be set up.
Looked After Reviews	This chapter was slightly updated to include examples of significant changes/events where social worker must inform IRO
Reviewing Procedure - Children Looked After and Subject of Child Protection Plan - (guidance Note)	This chapter was updated to include a new section 3, Procedures for joint CP and LAC Reviews.
Secure Accommodation (Criteria) reviews	This chapter was slightly updated in regard to the Quality Assurance Team will set up the secure accommodation review in parallel with the Looked After Children Review in consultation with the relevant secure unit.
Emergency Duty Team	This chapter was slightly updated  see section 5 and 7.  The telephone number has also been changed for EDT Manager in Section 12
Common Assessment Framework	Appendix 1 Children's Social Care Referral Form
Placements in Foster Care	This chapter was updated   to take account of the changes in the Care Planning and Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010 in regard to notifications. See Section 2.5
Placements with Parents	This chapter was amended in regard to Notifications.
Adoption Panel	This chapter has been rewritten and should be read in its entirety
Fostering Panel	This chapter has been rewritten and should be re read in its entirety

3.2 Planned Updates

The next planned update to this manual is due in July 2012

We welcome suggestions or recommendations for the next update, which should be forwarded to Simon Plummer. For urgent amendments between scheduled updates, please contact Simon.

4. How to find a chapter

Procedures and guidance are located in individual 'Chapters' which are available from a 'traditional' Contents List - on the left hand side of the screen.

4.1 Using the Contents List

Chapters are categorised or grouped together as follows:

PARTS: The manual contains procedures categorised under a number of Service Sectors, like 'Looked After Children',

SECTIONS: Within each Service Sector e.g. 'Looked After Services', you will find a Section (group of procedures) like 'Adoption and Permanence'.

CHAPTERS: Under each Section, you'll find individual Chapters/Procedures e.g. 'Adoption Case Records' 4.2 You can search for a Chapter

If you aren't sure which service or section to look in, try 'Search' which will help you identify specific Chapters and sub headings within Chapters

4.2 Search Feature

If you aren't sure where to find a Chapter/Procedure, you can use the 'Search' feature located on the left hand side of any screen.

This feature may help you locate the right Chapter, or sub section of a Chapter, that you require.

Tips when using Search: The Search function is designed to help you find Chapters (Procedures) or sub sections of Chapters in this manual. It will provide the best results if you know the title of the chapter or sub section, or you have a good idea what the title is. You may have to try different or alternative spellings/terms before you get the result you are looking for. For example: If a search for 'Section 47' doesn't return the right result, try 'Child Protection Enquiry' or just 'Protection'; If 'Initial Assessment' doesn't return the right result, try 'Initial Assessments' or just 'Initial'; If searching for 'Regulation 38' doesn't return the result you want, try 'Family and Friends' If you can't find the procedure you require or you are frustrated, ask your manager/supervisor or contact us (see 'Contact Us' on the left hand side of the screen) and we'll advice/direct you to the relevant procedure if we can. NB: We'll reply within 2 working days.

5. Terminology

We believe it is crucial to use consistent terminology, which we agree with individual customers, for example:

'Home' and 'Resource'	this is a generic term which means Children’s Home, Foster Home
'Child' or 'Young Person'	both these terms are used to mean any child under the age of 18
'Staff' or 'Carer'	means all Staff and Carers (including) whether employed or not
'Manager'	means Team Manager, it also means YOT Team Manager
'Line Manager'	means the first Line Manager of a team/service
'Parent'	means person with Parental Responsibility
'Regulatory Authority'	Regulatory Authority is the generic term used in this manual to describe the independent regulatory body responsible for inspecting and regulating services e.g. Ofsted.
'Social Worker'	This means the worker allocated to the child/family. If there is no allocated worker, the Duty Social Worker or Team Manager is responsible.

6. Keywords

The manual is accessed by practitioners from varying agencies, who may find terms that they are not familiar with. Therefore, a large glossary (Keywords) of terms such as Significant Harm (Try it: click on the highlighted text). We call them 'Keywords'. Once clicked, the definitions will appear in a new window or tab, depending on your browser. You can leave it open for reference, or close it using the "close" button at the bottom.

7. Compliance

7.1 Regulatory Compliance

Every effort has been taken to ensure regulatory compliance. If you discover any errors or mistakes, please alert your manager or contact us.

7.2 W3C Compliance

This manual meets the double A Standards of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), for example, it can be accessed by people with high levels of visual impairment. To find out more, click on 'Display Options' on the left hand side of the screen.

8. Contact us

If you have any comments or suggestions to make about this manual please contact us by using the button on the left hand side of the screen, from anywhere within the manual.

9. Copyright

The content of this website can be accessed, printed and downloaded in an unaltered form, on a temporary basis, for personal study or reference purposes. However any content printed or downloaded may not be sold, licensed, transferred, copied or reproduced in whole or in part in any manner or in or on any media to any person without the prior written consent of Tri-X-Childcare Ltd and The London Borough of Bromley.

10. Printing and Retaining Copies

The Manual should normally be viewed on line but can be printed, for reference only.

To print a chapter, click on the icon which is in the top right hand corner of the relevant procedure

Please note, the Manual will be updated regularly, so staff should avoid retaining printed versions - hard copies are only valid for 72 hours.

End