Children who move from one authority’s area to another

4. Child who is the subject of a Child Protection Plan

Working Together 2010 sets the legal framework for these arrangements.

Action to be taken by Children’s Social Care

4.1 The transferring authority must provide the receiving authority with the Child Protection Plan and all reports from the previous conference 14 days prior to the move. This request will be accepted once it is confirmed that the child is living permanently in Suffolk. Temporary residence will not trigger a transfer-in child protection conference. If this is not possible because the move has already happened or is imminent, the information should be provided on the day the move becomes known about. An operational manager in the receiving authority should promptly acknowledge acceptance verbally, or raise any questions or concerns about the proposed transfer, and in any event promptly confirm their position in writing.

4.2 The receiving authority should hold a transfer-in Child Protection Conference within 15 working days of their receipt of notification from the transferring authority once it is confirmed that the child is living permanently in Suffolk. The date of and other arrangements for this conference should be notified to the transferring authority as soon as possible, and confirmed in writing – and efforts should be made to facilitate their attendance. The receiving authority should provide the transferring authority should with details of each agency’s named staff in order that reports can be requested.

4.3 The following information should be shared in all circumstances.

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   • Any current assessment including risk assessments and core assessment including a full chronology
   

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   • The current Child Protection Plan.
   

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   •Subject to the court’s permission any legal orders including interim orders.
   

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   •Subject to the court’s permission any court reports including section 7 or 37 reports.
   

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   •Subject to the court’s permission any expert reports in private law proceedings.
   

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   •An evaluation of the implications of the move including the effect on risk increase/decrease as a result of the move.
   

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   •Any identified special needs including health and education
   

4.4 In all cases the person responsible for maintaining records regarding children who are subject of protection plans in the transferring authority must be notified on the day of the move, and they should then immediately inform the receiving area. This should be followed up in writing within 7 working days.

4.5 It is the transferring authority’s responsibility to ensure the child protection plan continues to be implemented until formal transfer has been agreed at a transfer-in conference. This includes core group activity and key worker responsibility. Actions may be taken by the receiving authority on behalf of the transferring authority, and this should be agreed at team manager level and recorded by both authorities.

4.6 There should be no significant change in the child protection plan until the receiving local authority has held a transfer in conference.