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Contents  

1. Purpose
2. Criteria for Referral     
3. Panel Operation     
4. Presentation to Panel     
5. EIP Composition     
6. Panel Decisions      
7. Panel Reviews                           
8. Panel Outcomes        

1. Purpose

1.1	The purpose of the Early Intervention Panel is:
	1.1.1	To ensure that imaginative, comprehensive and effective family support packages are offered to families where children are at risk of accommodation.
	1.1.2	To ensure the full exploration of alternatives to accommodation by the local authority.
	1.1.3	To ensure, following the accommodation of a child(ren) in an emergency that, where appropriate, an effective re-unification plans is in place at the earliest possible opportunity.
	1.1.4	To ensure that where accommodated children can not return to their families that a comprehensive care plan is in place at the earliest possible point including assessing the appropriateness of the current placement.

2. Criteria for Referral 

2.1	Cases referred to EIP should meet one of the following criteria.
	2.1.1	A request for accommodation of a child/ren from a parent or young person themselves.
	2.1.2	Emergency accommodation of a child/ren has occurred.
	2.1.3	Concern that a child/ren are at risk of accommodation or family breakdown unless an effective family support package is put in place immediately.
2.2	Cases to be presented at the Legal Planning Panel do not need to go to the EIP

3. Panel Operation

3.1	The Early Intervention Panel is chaired by an Operations Manager.
3.2	Social workers wishing to book in a case for discussion should contact the Access to Resources team giving details of the child(ren) to be discussed and under which criteria the case is being presented. ART will put the case on the agenda for the EIP and send out paperwork for the social worker to complete.
3.3	The Access to Resources team will ensure that all cases where children are accommodated in an emergency are booked in to the next available EIP and social workers informed of this.
3.4	The case needs to be presented to the Panel by the social worker and s/he will be given a time when their case will be heard by the Access to Resources team either at the time they book or by notification prior to the EIP date. It is essential that if you are unable to attend that you immediately inform the Access to Resources team. Those arriving late will have their case discussed when a suitable time slot becomes available. Up to five cases will be heard at each EIP although an additional slot will be available for any last minute emergency. Average discussion time is twenty minutes per case.

4. Presentation to Panel 

4.1	Social workers should be accompanied at the panel by their supervisors on all new cases unless this is agreed as not required in advance with the Chair (Senior social workers may attend on their own).
4.2	Social workers will be expected to ensure the following is available for panel members: Full details of family composition (inc extended family where this is relevant) An updated chronology A case plan signed by the social worker's supervisor For reviews of panel decisions an update on the chronology and a revised care plan only
4.3	If this paperwork is not available the panel will reserve the right to make only an interim decision and request the re-presentation of the case at the next available EIP.

5. EIP Composition 

The EIP is chaired by an Operations Manager in Children's Services. Core Members of the Panel include representatives from; Legal, Ealing Family Support Service: Education: Health; Residential: Access to Resources (ART): YOS; SAFE; CAMHS. Other services such as Housing and the Youth Service are invited to attend as appropriate.

6. Panel Decisions

6.1	A decision sheet will be completed for all cases presented to panel, which will outline the agreed care plan. The Panel decision will be uploaded on to the child's ICS record and the team manager  will be notified of the decisions.
6.2	For children who will remain accommodated the decision sheet will constitute the interim care plan until a comprehensive plan can be devised at the first statutory review.

7. Panel Reviews

7.1	Children subject to statutory provision (Looked After or subject of a Child Protection Plan) will not normally have their EIP care plan reviewed as this will be done automatically through either a statutory review for a looked after child(ren) or at a Child Protection Conference.
7.2	In some cases where further information is required or a situation for a child/young person is likely to change, a review panel date should be set by the ART team in consultation with the social worker.
7.3	In terms of presentation to the panel at review discussions the Access to Resources team will provide copies of previous paperwork submitted. The social worker is asked to provide an update to the chronology and a revised case plan.

8. Panel Outcomes

8.1	There are a number of routes a case might follow after consideration by the Early Intervention Panel.
	Click here to view 'Panel Outcomes Flowchart'.

End