1.2.4 Referrals Procedure

SCOPE OF THIS CHAPTER

This procedures applies to all teams in Peterborough City Council’s Children’s Social Care who receive referrals about a child who may be a Child in Need, including those who may be suffering or likely to suffer Significant Harm.

It should be read in conjunction with Peterborough's Vulnerability Matrix for Children in Need.

In relation to children who may be suffering or likely to suffer Significant Harm, this procedure should be read in conjunction with Chapter 3, Action to be taken following a referral to Children’s Social Care of the Peterborough Inter Agency Safeguarding Procedures.

RELEVANT LEGISLATION AND GUIDANCE

Sections 17 and 47, Children Act 1989

Children Act 2004

Working Together to Safeguard Children, 2010

Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and Their Families, 2000

AMENDMENTS

This chapter was updated in June 2010 to take account of the changes in Working Together to Safeguard Children 2010. The changes, which are in Section 1: Response to a Referral, are shown in italics.

The procedure is under review having regard to the development of the delivery of services through the localities programme.

Response to a Referral
Consent to a Referral
Where a Common Assessment Form has been Completed
Timescale for Dealing with a Referral
Outcome of a Referral
Feedback to Referrer
Where a Crime may have been Committed

1. Response to a Referral

1.1	A referral or contact may be received by phone, letter, fax, e-mail, or personal visit.
1.2	If the referrer includes a Common Assessment Form with the referral, see Section 3, Where a Common Assessment Form has been completed.
1.3	The administrator must check on RAISE whether the case is known to Children’s Social Care. If it is open to a worker in Children’s Social Care, the administrator must forward the information as ‘further information on an open case’ to the worker concerned. If the case has only been closed for a period of 3 months or less, the referral is sent to the team manager of the team who held it previously, for a decision about how to respond and allocation if appropriate. If the case is not known or has been closed for a period of over three months, the administrator will pass the referral to a Referral and Assessment Team worker
1.4	Referrers should have an opportunity to discuss their concerns with a qualified social worker. The worker dealing with the referral will complete a Referral and Initial Information Form for each child referred on RAISE ensuring that as much information as possible is included. A chronology should also be started for each child referred - see Process for Creating a Chronology Procedure.
1.5	The worker dealing with the referral must clarify: The nature of the concerns How and why they have arisen? What appears to be the needs of the family? and Whether there are any concerns about mal-treatment? If so, what is their foundation? Whether it may be necessary to consider taking urgent action to ensure the child is safe from harm
1.6	Referrers should be asked specifically if they hold any information about difficulties being experienced by the family/household due to domestic abuse, mental illness, substance misuse, and/or learning difficulties.

2. Consent to a Referral

2.1	The worker dealing with the referral will establish whether the child and his or her family are aware that the referral is being made.
2.2	If the referral does not raise concerns about Significant Harm to the child, professional referrers should have the agreement of the child (if of sufficient age and understanding) and at least one person with Parental Responsibility before making the referral. In these circumstances, where consent has not been obtained, the worker dealing with the referral should ask professional referrers to obtain the family’s agreement before the referral is made.
2.3	If however by not making the referral the child is likely to be placed at risk of Significant Harm, the referral should be taken.
2.4	In relation to referrals which raise concerns about Significant Harm to the child, professional referrers should have informed the child (if of sufficient age and understanding) or the parents / carers that they will be making the referral unless the act of informing them would place the child at increased risk of Significant Harm or might prejudice a police investigation. See Chapter 2, Recognising and Responding to Concerns about the welfare of a Child of the Peterborough Inter Agency Safeguarding Procedures.
2.5	In these cases, referrals should be accepted and information sought from other agencies as appropriate without consent; however, the issue and timing of information sharing with parents and children should be discussed and agreed during the initial Strategy Discussion/Meeting.
2.6	Where parental consent has been given, it is helpful if professional referrers have also asked the parents for permission for Children’s Social Care to contact other agencies involved with the child(ren). Therefore, referrers should be asked if they have done this and whether such consent has been given should be recorded on the Referral and Initial Assessment Record.

3. Where a Common Assessment Form has been Completed

3.1	Increasingly practitioners working with children will be completing a Common Assessment under the Common Assessment Framework to help them identify the child’s needs.
3.2	When practitioners, having completed a Common Assessment, consider that the child is likely to require intervention by Children’s Social Care they will send a copy of the Common Assessment Form at the time of making a referral.
3.3	When a Common Assessment Form is received, the worker dealing with the referral should complete the Referral and Initial Information Record using the information on the Common Assessment Form.
3.4	Both the Common Assessment Form and the Referral and Initial Information Form should be passed to the Team Manager for him/ her to decide how Children’s Social Care should respond.

4. Timescale for Dealing with a Referral

4.1	The decision as to how Children’s Social Care will respond to a referral must be made within one working day of the referral being received.

5. Outcome of a Referral

5.1	The worker dealing with the referral will recommend what response should be made to the referral and send the completed Referral and Initial Information Record to the team manager for a decision to be made.
5.2	Where a Common Assessment Form accompanied the referral, a copy of this should also be passed to the team manager.
5.3	The team manager will either approve the recommendation or return the record for further work to be undertaken before making the decision.
5.4	This decision will be based on: The information in the Referral and Initial Information Form (and the Common Assessment Form where received); Any additional information from other agencies where there are concerns about Significant Harm; Where practicable and appropriate, discussion with the referrer; Peterborough's Vulnerability Matrix for Children in Need; Any previous available information about the child and/or family.
5.5	The options are: Advice and information only to be given Referral to another service / agency No Further Action Initial Assessment to be undertaken
5.6	If the decision is to undertake an Initial Assessment, the team manager will allocate the case to a social worker for this purpose.

6. Feedback to Referrer

6.1	The worker dealing with the referral will inform the referrer of the decision about the referral and what action will be taken within 48 hours of its receipt.
6.2	If the referral has been received in writing the response should be in writing.

7. Where a Crime may have been Committed

7.1	Where any referral, or new information on an open case, indicates that a crime may have been committed, the case should always be discussed with the Police at the earliest opportunity.

End