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Contents

1. Introduction
2. Institutions Required to Comply with this Notification Procedure
3. Content and Timing of Notifications
4. Section 85 Referral Process
5. Action Following Referral

1. Introduction

The intention is to provide a safety net for vulnerable children living away from home where the child is not Accommodated under Section 20 and where the child is not subject to the usual processes of care planning and review by an Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO).

This is aimed particularly at ensuring the safety and support needs of Disabled Children and their families. These children are at increased risk of Significant Harm within every category of abuse due to their increased level of dependency on others.  The families of disabled children also experience enormous demands upon their parenting capacity in trying to meet a child's additional needs.

2. Institutions Required to Comply with this Notification Procedure

The institutions required to comply with this notification procedure includes:

• Residential 'Special Needs' schools either joint or single agency funded both 'in' and 'out' borough, including maintained and non-maintained boarding schools.
• Hospitals, including small 'local' hospitals and independent/private hospitals
• Psychiatric units including private and voluntary sector units including those that treat young people for dependency on drugs or alcohol.

Note

The Children and Young Persons Act 2008 amends Schedule 2 Part 1 of the 1989 Children Act and clarifies the sort of services appropriate for Accommodated children away from home (S.85) including financial help to promote contact, advice, counselling and help for children to holiday with their family as well as the provision for advocacy services.

Also see Disabled Children and the Children and Young Persons Act 2008 - Supporter Briefing

3. Content and Timing of Notifications

Notification to Children's Services will typically contain the following information:

• Child's name
• Child's date of birth
• Child's address immediately prior to admission (or that of mother immediately/prior to delivery)
• Date of admission to hospital
• Ward/Department
• Name and contact details of parents/carers

The notifying authority will also inform the parents/carers that the information has been disclosed to Children's Services.

Best practice dictates that notifications should be received at least three weeks before a child has been away from home for the statutory period (12 weeks) so that CYPS interventions remain within timescales.

4. Section 85 Referral Process

All section 85 notifications should be passed to the Service Manager of the Independent Reviewing Team.

Notifications are required when a child is likely to be resident within an institution for 12 weeks or more and also when a child is discharged aft a 3 month period.

5. Action Following Referral

Where CYPS have been notified under this section they shall:

• Take such steps as are reasonably practicable to enable them to determine whether the child's welfare is adequately safeguarded and promoted while they are Accommodated by the accommodating authority; and
• Consider the extent to which (if at all) they should exercise any of their functions under this Act with respect to the child.

Initial enquiries will be undertaken by an Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) and will include a meeting with the child and family to assess the need of any intervention.

Where such a need is identified it will be the responsibility of the IRO to organise a case transfer to the appropriate team within CYPS.

 

End