3.1.4 Permanence Planning

AMENDMENTS

This chapter was updated in September 2011 to incorporate a change of terminology from ‘friends and family/relatives’ to ‘Connected Persons’. This term was introduced by the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010.

RELEVANT LEGISLATION

Sections 22 and 23, Children Act 1989

Adoption and Children Act 2002

RELEVANT CHAPTER

Scope of this procedure
Achieving Permanence
Permanence Planning Panels

Appendix 1: Permanence Planning Panel Agenda

1. Scope of this procedure

1.1	This procedure applies to all staff involved in planning for children in care; including those children who are receiving a series of pre arranged short term placements.
1.2	It does not apply to children who are Privately Fostered.

2. Achieving Permanence

2.1	Every child in care must have a Core Assessment which will usually have been completed before they enter care. Where the child comes into care in an emergency, the Core Assessment must be started by the child’s social worker immediately the child comes into care. The Core Assessment will inform the child’s Care Plan and Permanence Plan.
2.2	Every child in care must have a Permanence Plan which is formally agreed as part of the Care Plan at the child’s second statutory Child Care Review i.e. within four months of the child coming into care.
2.3	In order to achieve this, a Permanence Planning Panel will usually be convened. If required, it should be held at least 2 weeks before the child’s second Child Care Review. (See Section 3, Permanence Planning Panels).
2.4	The exception to this is where there is a clear and realistic expectation that the child will be returning to the care of his or her birth parent(s) within 6 months of coming into care, in which case there is no need for the child to be referred to the Permanence Planning Panel . This should be discussed, agreed and recorded by the child's social worker and Team Manager in supervision.
2.5	It is important to monitor timescales in all cases where there has been a clear plan for reunification and therefore a Permanence Planning Panel has not been held (see 2.4 above). Where there are delays in implementing the plan for the child’s return to the birth parent(s), such that the child has been in care for 5 months, a Permanence Planning Panel should be convened within 4 weeks to consider all options for permanence, (unless the difficulty is related to a specific resource which should be addressed by an urgent discussion with the relevant Service Manager.) An early statutory Child Care Review should be requested to follow the Permanence Planning Panel to ensure there is no delay in formally agreeing and implementing an effective Permanence Plan for the child.
2.6	In circumstances where it is unlikely that the child will be able to return to his/her birth parents, a Child’s Permanence Report should be prepared and submitted to the Permanence Planning Panel. This may be in draft form at this stage but should have been endorsed by the Team Manager as suitable to facilitate agreement of the Permanence Plan.
2.7	In circumstances where it is unclear whether a child will be able to return to his or her birth parents, professional judgement will need to be exercised about whether a Child’s Permanence Report in addition to a Core Assessment should be used to inform decision-making.
2.8	The development of the Permanence Plan will require conclusions to be reached as to whether the child’s need for permanence will best be met by: The child’s future reunification with birth parents/person with Parental Responsibility The child’s placement with extended family or Connected Persons The child’s placement with long term foster carers or adoptive carers The child’s placement in residential care.
2.9	The child’s social worker and his/her supervisor will develop the Permanence Plan after consultation with the child, the parents and other involved professionals.
2.10	In developing the Permanence Plan, social workers and Team Managers should have regard to safeguarding against potential future delay in the event of the preferred plan for permanence not being achieved, and consideration should be given to developing a Parallel Plan for the child.
2.11	The social worker and supervisor should draw up an outline Permanence Plan to be considered at the second statutory child care review. It must include: The objectives of the plan The timescales for achieving those objectives The key tasks, who will undertake them and by when The criteria that will be used to evaluate the success of the plan.
2.12	It is important that the actions that need to take place over the next six months (until the child’s third Child Care Review) are carefully considered and progress against the timescales is monitored.

3. Permanence Planning Panels

3.1	Permanence Planning Panels will occur on a monthly basis. The make-up of the Panel will be: Service Manager (chair), Team Manager and senior practitioner.
3.2	The child’s social worker will attend.
3.3	Consideration should be given to whether, how and to what extent the child, parents, current carer and any significant others should attend the meeting. The assumption should be that children of sufficient age and understanding should attend the meeting, or part of it, to give their views, if they wish to do so, and that parents or anyone who holds Parental Responsibility should attend at least part of the meeting, unless their attendance would be detrimental to a careful consideration of the issues. The final decision about attendance will be taken by the Chair of the meeting. In all cases, the views of the child, parents and any significant others must be presented to the meeting. This might be in writing, drawing, audio or video recording or verbally presented by someone they know or an advocate on their behalf if they are not attending
3.4	An experienced member of the Fostering Team and/or the Adoption Team will attend to provide advice about practice, procedures and guidance in relation to adoption or long term fostering.
3.5	If it is absolutely clear that neither adoption nor long term fostering is suitable and will not meet the needs of the child, the relevant team member does not need to attend.
3.6	If the case is in Care Proceedings, the Children’s Guardian should be invited as an observer.
3.7	The social worker will ask admin. to arrange a venue and send out invitations.
3.8	The social worker will provide the Chair of the Permanence Planning Panel with an up to date Core Assessment and the Child’s Permanence Report in advance of the meeting. If the Child’s Permanence Report is only partially completed at this stage, the Team Manager should endorse it as suitable to facilitate decision- making in the Permanence Planning Panel.
3.9	The social worker will also provide the Chair of the Permanence Meeting with a copy of the most up to date of the Initial Social Work Statement or the Interim Care Plan (where there are Care Proceedings) and any Court Order. Where the child is already the subject of a Care Order, the court endorsed Care Plan plus any other order relevant to the child must be provided, e.g. Contact Order.
3.10	The agenda for a Permanence Planning Panel is attached as Appendix 1: Permanence Planning Panel Agenda
3.11	The recommendations of the Permanence Planning Panel must be provided in writing to everyone invited to the meeting and the child’s Independent Reviewing Officer within 2 working days and the minutes of the meeting within 5 working days. In all cases, the minutes should be sent to the parents and anyone holding Parental Responsibility. The minutes should also be sent to the child where appropriate.
3.12	Where there are ongoing Care Proceedings in relation to the child or a Legal Planning Meeting is to be convened, the minutes of the Permanence Planning Panel should be forwarded to the local authority solicitor managing the case.
3.13	If Adoption is either the primary plan or the parallel plan for the child, a referral to the Adoption Team must be made immediately. Where adoption is the primary plan, the Adoption Planning for Children Procedure must be followed
3.14	Where the child’s foster carers wish to be considered as adopters, a decision as to whether this is an appropriate adoptive placement will be required – see Adoption Planning for Children Procedure - and will take account of the child’s assessed needs, the qualities of the carers and how with appropriate support, the carer can meet the child’s needs through adoption. Children for whom this will be a consideration will fulfil one or more of the following circumstances:- They have been in the foster placement for some time and have formed a strong attachment to the carers; Their history indicates that they are particularly vulnerable to being moved to another placement; Their circumstances make it unlikely that adopters will be found by reason of: Age Special needs or disability They are part of a large sibling group for whom the plan is to be placed together; Complex racial and cultural needs and where the current carer can demonstrate that those needs can be met within the placement through mechanisms other than same race placement. Circular LAC 98(20)Achieving the right balance.
3.15	If long term/permanent fostering is the primary plan for the child, the fostering team member, who attended the Permanence Planning Panel, will provide advice and support on what actions need to be taken to obtain the necessary approvals - see Placement in Foster Care Procedure.

Appendix 1: Permanence Planning Panel Agenda

PETERBOROUGH CHILDREN’S SERVICES
Permanence Planning Panel AGENDA / RECORD Every child in care must have an overarching permanence plan by the time of their second statutory child care review meeting i.e. within a maximum of 4 months from entering care. The Permanence Planning Panel will inform the statutory child care review meeting of the options for permanence, including, where appropriate, reunification to birth parents. The recommendations from this meeting must be distributed to those invited and the Independent Reviewing Officer within 2 working days and the completed record of the meeting within 5 working days Where the Permanence Planning Panel is being held to consider changes to a current overarching permanence plan, a statutory child care review should be held within two weeks.
Permanence Planning Panel for:
Date:	Venue:
1. Those present: Chair:
Note Taker:
Apologies:
2. Reports received:
These should always include an up to date Core Assessment. A Child’s Permanence Report (signed off by the Team Manager as adequate to be used in the Permanence Planning Panel if it is partially completed) should be provided where possible. Where the case is in Care Proceedings the Initial Social Work Statement (which includes the care plan) or the Interim Care Plan must be provided to the chair. Where the child is already the subject of a care order the court endorsed care plan plus any other order relevant to the child must be provided.
3. Contextual Matters
Background history Legal context: LPM/Application/order Outcome of the Core and any other assessments The child’s needs The child’s wishes, views and feelings The parent’s wishes and feelings The wishes and feelings of any siblings The wishes and feelings of significant others The views of the child’s guardian if relevant The views of the current carers The views of the child’s social worker and his/her supervisor.
4. Consideration of the options for Permanence
Reunification with parents Placement with extended family or kinship network Adoption Long term fostering Residential Placement until maturity and independence / semi independence in the community The meeting should consider what legal orders might best secure the placement for example Care Order, Adoption Order, Residence Order, Special Guardianship Order
5. Primary Plan
Which option for permanence best meets the child’s needs? Is this plan achievable? What needs to happen to achieve this plan?
6. Parallel / Contingency Plan
Is the primary plan realistically achievable within the child’s timescale? Does a parallel plan have to be put in place to ensure that there is no delay in achieving Permanence by a second route if the primary plan cannot be achieved? If so what should the parallel plan be? Is a contingency plan necessary? If so what should the contingency plan be?
7. Decision Making
At this point the Chair may wish to withdraw, with employees of the local authority, to consider what decisions he / she will be making which will be recommended by the local authority to the Statutory Child Care Review as the overarching permanence plan. This is a suitable point for the Chair to seek any necessary legal advice, which is privileged and should not be sought in the presence of non employees of the local authority.
8. Decision on Permanence Plan(s) to be recommended to the Statutory Child Care Review on behalf of the Local Authority
This is the chair’s decision taken in the light of the views presented and the assessments completed. If he / she needs more time to consider and for example to consult with his / her manager this is possible but the list of actions (see below) which follow from the decision must be completed as soon as possible and sent to those who have to undertake the actions urgently. The reasons for the decisions taken should be given but may be brief rather than detailed.
9. Actions
List the actions, the timescales and the person responsible for each action required to implement the primary plan List the actions, the timescales and the person responsible for each action required to implement any parallel or contingency plan
10. After the Meeting
Please ensure that the decision about the Permanence Plan(s) to be recommended to the Statutory Child Care Review on behalf of the local authority is sent in writing to everyone who attended the meeting and those invited to the meeting within 2 working days. A table that can be used as a proforma is attached as Annex 1 (below). This must also be sent to the child’s Independent Reviewing Officer Distribute the completed Permanence Planning Report / Agenda to all participants and those invited to the Meeting within 5 working days Please ensure a copy of the completed Permanence Planning Report / Agenda is also sent to the child’s Independent Reviewing Officer within 5 working days and to the LA Solicitor if in proceedings or a LPM is to be convened.

Annex 1

Local Authority Permanence Plan to be presented to the Statutory Child Care Review for ratification

Child’s Name:

Date of birth:

Date of Permanence Planning Panel:

Chair of Permanence Planning Panel:

	Primary Plan	Parallel Plan	Any other options	Proposed Legal Order to secure placement (LPM to be convened)
Reunification with Mother
Reunification with Father
Placement with extended family
Adoption Other than by family member
Long term fostering Other than by family member
Residential Placement until independence
Other please specify

Legal orders to secure the placement include a Care Order, Adoption Order, Residence Order, Special Guardianship Order.

End