Quick Guide |
February 2012
This 'Quick Guide' must be read before accessing the body of the manual.
Contents
- Display and Browser Options
- Status of this Manual
- Structure of the Manual
- Amendments and Forthcoming Updates
- How to Find a Chapter
- Terminology
- Keywords
- Compliance
- Contact us
- Copyright
- Printing and Retaining Copies
1. Display and Browser Options
People with a visual impairment may have difficulty accessing this Manual.
To change the size of the text/layout - please use these accessibility buttons
which are on menu bar on the left side of every screen. Click a larger button to increase your text size, the very largest being high visibility mode.
2. Status of this Manual
This is the fifth version of Ealing Children's Social Care Services' procedures manual. In this version, some chapters are entirely 'new', some have been updated and a number are in the process of being reviewed and will be published in the next update.
A small number of documents link to Council wide procedures or documents held on either Ealing's Intranet or the Council's Website. For those chapters still on the Ealing Intranet, only those who have access to the Intranet will be able to view these. Users without access to the Intranet will see an error message saying that the page cannot be displayed and should use the browser back arrow to return to the previous page.Pauline Bennett (bennettp@ealing.gov.uk) is your coordinator for this manual. If you wish to request any changes or additions to the manual or have any comments or queries, please contact Pauline Bennett.
3. Structure of the Manual
This manual contains the policies, procedures and guidance for Ealing Children's Social Care Services.
In this manual, all of Ealing's Policies, Values and Principles are located in one Chapter, which users are required to familiarise themselves with before proceeding to the main body of the Manual. These Policies, Values and Principles are located in a Chapter called 'Values' - available from the left hand side of the screen.
Procedures and Guidance: In an attempt to keep procedures succinct, procedures and more detailed guidance are separated - with links provided as appropriate.
- 'Procedures' summarise how Managers and Staff must act in given circumstances;
- 'Guidance' provides direction or advice to a decision or course of action.
3.1 London Child Protection Procedures
To access the London Child Protection Procedures, click on 'London Child Protection Procedures' on the left hand side of the screen.
4. Amendments and Forthcoming Updates
4.1 Amendments
This manual was updated in April 2010, September 2010, December 2010, June 2011 and February 2012.
If a Chapter is new or updated/amended, it is shown in the Contents List.
If a Chapter is new, users should familiarise themselves with the whole Chapter.
The table below gives a full list of the new and revised chapters:
| New Chapters and Features Ealing February 2012 | |
| New Chapters and Features | |
| Chapter Name | Detail |
| 1.4.5 Domestic Violence Matrix (DVRIM) | This is a new chapter which provides a link to the London Child Protection Procedures section which displays the matrix. |
| 1.8.4 Mental Capacity Act Guidance | This is a new chapter which provides guidance in respect of children and young people and the Mental Capacity Act. |
| 3.1 Disabled Children and the Chronically Sick and Disabled Person's Act 1970- Duties, Policies and Procedures | This is a new chapter that has been included in the manual and should be read in full. |
| 3.3 Direct Payments | This chapter has been added as a Pdf Link and is a Guide to direct payments relevant to Children with Disabilities. |
| 3.4 Allocation and Eligibility Criteria | This is a new chapter that has been added to the manual and should be read in full. |
| 3.6 Short Break Statement | This is a new chapter and should be read in full. |
| 4.2.2 Commissioning Strategy for Looked after children and Care Leavers | The Commissioning Strategy 2010 to 2013 has been added to the manual as a Pdf linked new chapter. The numbering in section 4.2 has therefore altered. |
| 4.2.4a The Temporary Approval of Family, Friends or other Persons who are connected with the Child | This is a new chapter that has been added to the manual and should be read in conjunction with chapters 4.1.3 and 4.1.3 a |
| 4.11.1 Fostering Panel | This chapter has been added to the manual and should be read in full. |
| 4.11.2 Fostering Service Statement of Purpose 2011/12 | The Statement of purpose has been linked to the manual to allow access to the current Fostering Services information. |
| 4.11.5 Supervisory Visits to Foster Carers | This is a new chapter replacing the previous one. The chapter is in two Sections setting out General information and Guidance. |
| 4.11.9 Payments to Foster Carers Approved for Specific Children Only | This is a new chapter to be added to the manual as a pdf link about the allowances payable to foster carers, who have been approved to care for a specific named child or children only. |
| 5.1.2 Adoption Panel | This is a new chapter which replaces the previous one and should therefore be read in full. |
| 5.1.5 Adoption Support | This chapter has been updated and should be read in full. |
| 5.1.10 Inter Country Adoption | This is a new chapter which replaces the previous chapter and should be read in full. This chapter applies to the assessment and approval of applicants resident in the UK who wish to adopt a child who is resident abroad for example. |
| 5.1.13 Access to Birth Records and Adoption Case Records | This chapter has been updated and should be read in full. |
| 5.1.14 Intermediary Services | This chapter has been updated and should be read in full. |
|
And 7.13 Working Together 2010 |
The two documents have been linked to the procedures manual in the Appendices Part for ease of use for reference. |
| Updated Chapters | |
| Chapter Name | Change |
| 1.3.2 Court Proceedings including Legal Planning Meetings and the Legal Proceedings Panel | A new link has been added to a pdf document called 'Preparing for Care and Supervision Proceedings' published in August 2009, Ministry of Justice in the scope box of the chapter. |
| 1.4.2 Safeguarding Children with Special Educational Needs Living Away from Home | This chapter has been updated and amended throughout and should be read in full. A new form has been included. |
| 1.8.8 Procurement of Goods and Services | This chapter has been extensively updated and amended and should be read in full. |
| 3.2 Transition Protocol -Children and Young People with Disabilities | Minor updates to links in the chapter. |
| 4.1.3 Friends and Family Care Policy | This chapter has now been integrated in to the manual. |
| 4.1.3 a Protocol for Duty in the Kinship Team | This chapter has been amended and updated and should be read in full. |
| 4.1.5 Special Guardianship Policy | This chapter has been amended in Section 5 and 14. |
| 4.13.3 Child Trust Funds | This chapter has been updated in line with the changes in regulations. |
4.2 Forthcoming Updates
This manual is due for a planned update to be published in July 2012. Any requests for amendments or additions should be sent to Pauline Bennett (bennettp@ealing.gov.uk) by the end of April 2012 for inclusion in the July 2012 update.
5. How to Find a Chapter
Procedures and guidance are located in individual 'Chapters' which are available from a 'traditional' Contents List - on the left hand side of the screen.
5.1 Using the Contents List
Chapters are categorised or grouped together as follows:
PARTS: The manual contains procedures categorised under a number of Service Sectors, like 'Looked After Children',
SECTIONS: Within each Service Sector e.g. 'Looked After Services Planning for Looked After Services', you will find a Section (group of procedures) like 'Monitoring Placements'.
CHAPTERS: Under each Section, you'll find individual Chapters/Procedures e.g. Initial Contacts and ' Social Worker Visits'.
5.2 You can search for a Chapter
If you aren't sure which service or section to look in, try 'Search' which will help you identify specific Chapters and sub headings within Chapters.
6. Terminology
We believe it is crucial to use consistent terminology, which we agree with individual customers, for example:
| 'Home' and 'Resource' | this is a generic term which means Children’s Home, Foster Home |
| 'Child' or 'Young Person' | both these terms are used to mean any child under the age of 18 |
| 'Staff' or 'Carer' | means all Staff and Carers (including) whether employed or not |
| 'Manager' | means Team Manager, it also means YOT Team Manager |
| 'Line Manager' | means the first Line Manager of a team/service |
| 'Parent' | means person with Parental Responsibility |
| 'Regulatory Authority' | Regulatory Authority is the generic term used in this manual to describe the independent regulatory body responsible for inspecting and regulating services e.g. Ofsted. |
| 'Social Worker' | This means the worker allocated to the child/family. If there is no allocated worker, the Duty Social Worker or Team Manager is responsible. |
7. Keywords
The manual is accessed by practitioners from varying agencies, who may find terms that they are not familiar with. Therefore, a large glossary (Keywords) of terms such as Significant Harm (Try it: click on the highlighted text). We call them 'Keywords'. Once clicked, the definitions will appear in a new window or tab, depending on your browser. You can leave it open for reference, or close it using the "close" button at the bottom.
Many Keywords are highlighted in the body of procedures, but you can search for the Keyword you need: Go to the Keywords Index, on the left hand side of the screen. Or, use 'Search'.
8. Compliance
8.1 Regulatory Compliance
Every effort has been taken to ensure regulatory compliance. If you discover any errors or mistakes, please alert your manager.
8.2 W3C Compliance
This manual meets the double A Standards of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), for example, it can be accessed by people with high levels of visual impairment. To find out more, click on 'Display Options' on the left hand side of the screen.
9. Contact us
If you have any comments or suggestions to make about this manual please contact us by using the button on the left hand side of the screen, from anywhere within the manual.
10. Copyright
The content of this website can be accessed, printed and downloaded in an unaltered form, on a temporary basis, for personal study or reference purposes. However any content printed or downloaded may not be sold, licensed, transferred, copied or reproduced in whole or in part in any manner or in or on any media to any person without the prior written consent of Tri-X-Childcare Ltd and Ealing Children's Social Care Services.
11. Printing and Retaining Copies
The Manual should normally be viewed on line but can be printed, for reference only.
To print a chapter, click on the 
icon which is in the top right hand corner of the relevant procedure
Please note, the Manual will be updated regularly, so staff should avoid retaining printed versions - hard copies are only valid for 72 hours.
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