Norfolk Children's Homes Procedures Manual

Emergency Placement Planning Meetings

Regulations and Standards

The Care Planning Standard
Regulation 14

The Quality and Purpose of Care Standard
Regulation 6

1. Criteria of Emergency Placement Planning Meetings

An Emergency Placement planning meeting must be convened if a child is placed without the agreement of Placing Authority and the Homes Manager having completed and considered the following:

A Referral Form;
A Placement Risk Assessment.

2. Timing of Emergency Placement Planning Meetings

Emergency Placement planning meetings should be conducted within 3 working days of the placement; to consider whether the placement is suitable.

3. Arranging and Conducting Emergency Placement Planning Meetings

Emergency Placement planning meetings will normally be arranged by the manager of the home, who should act as the chairperson. This responsibility may be delegated to a member of staff.

The review must be conducted in the form of a meeting (previously meetings could be conducted over the telephone but this is no longer acceptable).

See Section 5.1, Chairperson Responsibilities during the Meeting

4. Who Should Attend or Contribute to Emergency Placement Planning Meetings

The people listed below should contribute to the Emergency Placement planning meeting.

See Section 5.1, Chairperson Responsibilities during the Meeting

The people who should contribute and/or attend are:

The child's social worker;
The Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) for the Child;
The child;
The child's parents;
If placed in a foster home, the foster carer(s) and a family placement worker/social worker;
The child's Link Worker, if known, or a member of staff.

5. Preparation and Chairing of Emergency Placement Planning Meetings

Before the meeting, the chairperson should attempt to collate relevant documentation, such as Risk Assessment/Referral records, social workers Placement Plans Essential Information Records/Chronologies, a Care Plan, Pathway Plan, and other relevant background information about the child.

5.1 Chairperson Responsibilities during the Meeting

The overall purpose of the Emergency Placement planning meeting is to consider whether the placement is suitable for the child; having regard for the child and the other children in the placement.

The views of the child, parents and others should be accounted for; but the decision should be made by the social worker and Home Manager or chairperson.

The matters which should be considered are:

The likely appropriateness of the placement in meeting the child's needs, as set out in the Care Plan or Pathway Plan in the context of the Statement of Purpose for the home;
Whether the placement of the child may adversely affect any other children in the placement;

If there is a view that the placement is suitable or that additional support is required to make it suitable, the Residential Care Plan should be updated to reflect this decision.

It is essential that the Home Manager obtain relevant consents to emergency medical care/treatment before the meeting is concluded.

If there are concerns that the placement is not suitable, even with additional support, consideration should be given to the following:

The child remaining in the placement until a more suitable placement can be found; in which case, the Residential Care Plan should be updated to reflect this decision;
The immediate ending of the placement, in which case no Placement Plan is necessary.

If the Placement Plan can not be completed sufficient to sustain the child until the first Looked After Review, the chairperson must arrange for a Placement Planning Meeting to occur within 7 days so that the plan can be completed.

If this is necessary, the chairperson must agree what further information is required in time for the Placement Plan Review.

Last Updated: January 10, 2024

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