ACCESS TO RESOURCE PANEL TORBAY TERMS OF REFERENCE JANUARY 2012 Introduction Draft The Access to Resource Panel has been set up to bring partner agencies together to discuss individual cases with the intention of mobilising services, unblocking problems, improving outcomes for children, young people and families, and providing value for money. The Panel will use a solution focused and problem solving approach and provide a gateway to resources and services, offering packages of care and support to vulnerable children, young people and families in need. The Panel will be divided into three parts: Part One will consider requests for additional resources and support for high level children and young people in need (level 2/3 Continuum of Need) living in the community. A request can be made when a young person and/or family are receiving multiple targeted and/or specialist services and those services have exhausted all of their strategies, expertise, skills, capacity and resources (time, money and effort) and have been unable to move the case on or sufficiently improve outcomes. This will include planned respite care episodes and those families who are receiving regular S17 payments above the 500 cumulative threshold. Panel agreement is required for all plans to accommodate any child or young person under section 20 of the Children Act 1989 (planned or unplanned ), including family and friends placements. Part Two will consider those children and young people who have come into care on an unplanned basis. 1
The panel will also consider those children and young people who have satisfied the significant harm threshold criteria and where care proceedings are being considered. Panel agreement is required for an order under section 25 of the Children Act 1989 (Secure Accommodation Orders ) For those children subject to a CP plan who have reached this threshold a review CP conference should be convened ASAP (previously a Legal Gateway meeting). The Practice Manager, LA Legal Representative, parents and their Legal Representative should all attend. The review conference will then have executive decision making powers to issue care proceedings if that is appropriate. In addition the panel will also be required to review all children who have been subject to CP plans for more than 18 months. In terms of this CP activity the panel is required to consider whether a referral to the Intensive Family Support Service would provide an alternative to care proceedings. The panel will also consider the provision of any additional resources that will be required as a result of issuing care proceedings, ie Independent sector placements, including parent and child, and also specialist assessments, e.g. psychological or psychiatric assessments. Part Three will consider the care packages for those children already looked after. These will include the monitoring of ISP placements and all in house placements where permanence is yet to be achieved for a child. The Panel will also consider all requests for additional support in respect of the health/mental health and education needs for a child/young person who is looked after as well as financial support for connected persons caring for a child/young person who might otherwise have been in a foster placement. 2
Aims of the meeting: To ensure that where possible every consideration is given to maintaining a child or young person safely within their home environment or extended family To improve outcomes for children, young people and families To consider allocation of additional resources To offer consultation To share good practice to improve case management To collate data to inform performance management monitoring To collate information in relation to need that can be effectively passed to and used by the commissioning team To ensure appropriate services are involved where necessary Delivery and management of the Panel The panels are organised and supported by Debbie Smith, Business Support Officer. The panel is chaired by the Executive Head for Safeguarding and Wellbeing, or a Service Manager. Children and young people aged 0 19 years (up to 25 years for young adults with disabilities) are considered at the panel When there are a number of managers covering a single service/organisation across the area, only one representative from that service/organisation is required to attend. It is therefore vital that they have delegated authority to be able to make decisions and commit resources on behalf of their service/organisation. Panel Membership The panel meeting is made up of core panel members who attend every meeting, and associate members who are invited either because of their involvement with a specific child or young person, or because they have expertise in an area that has been identified. 3
Panel members should: Ensure emphasis and focus is on positive outcomes for C&YP and the proposed care planning will meet the child or young person s needs. Provide up-to-date information about the availability of resources in their service area. Encourage Social Worker to think analytically about their work. Provide a creative culture that reflects a whole systems corporate approach to care planning. This culture needs to support and encourage Social Workers, rather than intimidate them. Identify someone else within their service who can attend on their behalf should they be unable to make the panel. Ensure that they are fully briefed on the purpose and remit of the panel, have access to all relevant documentation and have delegated authority to make decisions and commit resources Liaise effectively with other meetings they regularly attend to avoid duplication of interventions and gaps in service provision Share understanding of different agendas and take this understanding back into their own agencies HOW TO REFER TO THE ACCESS TO RESOURCES PANEL It is the responsibility of the Service Manager to decide which cases come to the Access to Resources Panel and to ensure that the timeliness is appropriate. Any proposal for accommodation or care proceedings must be able to evidence that diversionary work has taken place and adequate family support services have been used to support the family within the community. This should include consideration of Family Group Conferences, particularly in terms of exploring any family/friends options, and the Intensive Family Support Service. If a FGC, or a referral to IFSS has not taken place, the reasons why will need to be included in the application. The Social Worker, following agreement from PM & SM, should notify the Panel Administrator of the need for a case to come to Panel by 12 noon on Friday of each week and also advise if associate members, e.g. health/education are being invited. 4
Social Workers need to ensure that the Access to Resources Panel report is completed and supported by a chronology and initial/core assessment if appropriate, and a Care Plan if the child or young person is Looked After by the Local Authority. Late applications will only be heard by Panel in exceptional circumstances. Panel members must be given work time opportunity to look at papers in advance of the Tuesday morning meeting. The Access to Resources Panel will normally sit on Tuesdays from 8.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. Any emergency decisions should be agreed with the relevant Service Manager and then brought to the next appropriate panel. It is expected that the presentation for each case to take the form of a verbal presentation supported by the panel report. In addition, where approval for care proceedings is being sought the preproceedings care plan should be provided. GUIDANCE FOR PRESENTING CASES As the presenting officer, you will be expected to present an Access to Resources Panel Request for service form and bring your most recent assessment (including evaluation of risk) of the family and child(ren)/young person and the up-to-date chronology and genogram. The following areas should be covered in your presentation:- Brief History of the department s involvement with the family including any significant events, court orders, child protection registration, update of any progress within legal proceedings Presenting reason/issue regarding resource requested What has already been attempted to resolve the problem Reasons for and against resource requested (positive features of family relationship) Have all known relatives or friends been contacted and asked to care for the children. What has been their response? Is there anyone else not contacted? 5
What are the views, wishes and feelings of the young person/child What are the views of the parents/children s Guardian/Court (if any) Has legal advice been taken? Are there any other legal options which may be more appropriate to address the present situation? What are the legal implications of those options How the home situation could be changed to prevent the need for accommodation/resource requested what resources/action would accomplish this Physical and mental Health care needs Education issues including school placement issues Siblings Existing services to family FOLLOWING PANEL A Panel decision record will be completed by the Chair and Panel Administrator for all cases presented to the panel and sent out to all panel members and appropriate social worker and partner agency staff. Where appropriate, the record will include the next Panel review date for individual cases. 6