Placement Plans

Every Looked After Child is required to have a Placement Plan, completed by the child's social worker. The Placement Plan sets out the day to day arrangements and responsibilities for the care of a child.

A new Placement Plan, including the day-to-day arrangements for the child or young person, must be completed as necessary for each new placement and must be updated before every Looked After Review.

At each Looked After Review of the child's Care Plan, the Children’s Independent and Safeguarding Reviewing Officer should see the Placement Information Record Plan to check that it has been completed and updated, as appropriate, and whether there is any need for updating and changes.

A copy of the Placement Plan should be given to the carer, the child and those with Parental Responsibility immediately and the education welfare officer, the LAC health team and the Fostering Service/ care provider organisation within three working days.

A Placement Plan must be drawn up by the social worker before the child is placed, or, if not reasonably practicable, within five working days of the start of the placement, and forms part of the overarching Care Plan.

1. How on a day-to-day basis the child will be cared for and the child’s welfare will be safeguarded and promoted by the appropriate person;
2. Any arrangements for contact between the child and parents/anyone with Parental Responsibility/any other Connected Person, including, if appropriate, reasons why contact is not reasonably practicable or not consistent with the child’s welfare, details of any Child Arrangements Order or Contact Order (under Section 8 or 34 of the Children Act 1989), and the arrangements for notifying any changes in contact arrangements;
3. Arrangements for the child’s health (physical, emotional and mental) and dental care, including the name and address of registered medical and dental practitioners, and arrangements for giving / withholding consent to medical / dental examination / treatment;
4. Arrangements for the child’s education and training, including the name and address of the child’s school / other educational institution / provider and designated teacher, and whether the child has an Education, Health or Care Plan;
5. Where the authority has, or is notified of, Child Protection concerns relating to the child, or the child has gone missing from the placement or from any previous placement, the day to day arrangements put in place by the appropriate person (placement provider) to keep the child safe
6. The arrangements for and frequency of visits by the child’s social worker, and for advice, support and assistance between visits;
7. If an Independent Visitor is appointed, the arrangements for them to visit the child;
8. The circumstances in which the placement may be terminated;
9. The name and contact details of the Children’s Independent and Safeguarding Reviewing Officer, the Independent Visitor if one is appointed, the social worker who will be visiting the child, and the Personal Adviser for an Eligible Young Person;
10. All matters delegated to the foster carer, such as outings, out of school activities, friendships, visits, and sleepovers without requiring a DBS check, and leisure activities and other issues such as haircuts.

1. Details of the support and services to be provided to the parents during the placement;
2. The obligation on the parents to notify the Local Authority of any relevant change in circumstances including any intention to change address, any changes in the household in which the child lives and any serious incident involving the child;
3. The obligation on the parents to ensure that any information relating to the child or the child’s family or any other person given in confidence to the parents in connection with the placement is kept confidential, and that such information is not disclosed to any person without the consent of the Authority;
4. The circumstances in which it is necessary to obtain the prior approval of the Authority for the child to live in a household other than that of the parents;
5. The circumstances in which the placement of the child with the parents pending completion of the assessment of suitability will be terminated, if the decision following completion of the assessment is not to confirm the placement.

1. The type of accommodation to be provided, the address and, where the child is placed in ‘other arrangements’, the name of the person who will be responsible for the child at that accommodation;
2. The child’s personal history, religious persuasion, cultural and linguistic background and racial origin;
3. Where the child is Accommodated:
   • The respective responsibilities of the Local Authority and parents / anyone with Parental Responsibility;
   • Any delegation of responsibility by parents / anyone with Parental Responsibility to the Local Authority and /or the foster carer(s) in relation to the following matters (and identifying any of these matters on which the local authority/parents/persons with Parental Responsibility consider that the child may make a decision):
     • Medical and dental treatment;
     • Education;
     • Leisure and home life;
     • Faith and religious observance;
     • Use of social media;
     • Any other matters upon which the local authority/parents/others with parental responsibility consider appropriate.
4. The expected duration of the arrangements and the steps to bring the arrangements to an end, including arrangements for the child to return to live with parents / anyone with Parental Responsibility; where the child is aged 16 or over and agrees to being provided with accommodation under Section 20 Children Act 1989, that fact;
5. The circumstances in which it is necessary to obtain in advance the Authority’s approval for the child to take part in school trips or overnight stays;
6. The Authority’s arrangements for the financial support of the child during the placement;
7. Where the child is placed with foster carers, the obligation on the carers to comply with the terms of the foster care agreement.

The child/young person's Social Worker should complete the Placement Plan, in consultation with the parents, carers and the child/young person.

All questions must be completed (unless information is unavailable) and the agreements signed by the Carer, Social Worker, child/young person, parent/person(s) with Parental Responsibility and other Children’s Social Care professionals as appropriate.

A new Placement Information Record, including the day-to-day arrangements for the child or young person, must be completed as necessary for each new placement and must be updated before every review.

At each statutory review of the child's/young person's Care Plan the Children’s Independent and Safeguarding Reviewing Officer should see the Placement Information Record to check that it has been completed and updated, as appropriate, and whether there is any need for updating and changes.

A copy of the Placement Plan should be given to the carer, the child and those with Parental Responsibility immediately and the education welfare officer, the LAC health team and the Fostering Service/ care provider organisation within three working days.