| 3.1 |
Case Responsibility should be transferred from the Initial Response Team to the Child Care Team at the Initial Child Protection Conference, the first Looked After Child Review or the first keywordsChild with Complex Needs Planning meeting, if it is assessed that intervention will exceed 90days. The Initial Response Supervising Social Workers will notify of this impending transfer at regular weekly Case Transfer Meetings. |
| 3.2 |
The Initial Response Supervising Social Workers will ensure that all required documents on Protocol are in place and complete. This will include all the NARRATES Genogram and ecomap, LAC documentation, Care Plan and Child Protection Risk Action Plan and a list of outstanding tasks for completion. The Initial Response Team will complete NARRATES as comprehensively as possible for the Initial Child Protection Conferences. In the event that NARRATES has not been completed by the Initial Response Team, the allocated Team Social Worker may be required to undertake a further assessment and analysis. The transfer cannot take place until this documentation is in place. The primary exception to this will be Child Protection or Looked After Children transfers in where the assessment has been completed by a UK Children’s Social Care Team. See also Transferring in and off Island when a Child is the subject to a Child Protection Risk Action Plan Procedure. |
| 3.3 |
If there is other information missing from the file, this will not delay transfer but the transferring team will take responsibility for producing the missing documentation within one month of transfer. The Initial Response Supervising Social Workers will itemise the documentation to be completed and the actions to be taken to complete the file for transfer. |
| 3.4 |
The Initial Response Supervising Social Workers and other Team Managers will agree a Transfer Case Discussion dates. The transferring Social Worker will attend the Transfer Case Discussion with the file ready for transfer. |
| 3.5 |
When the Initial Response Supervising Social Workers are aware that a transfer to another Team will be required e.g. when a child becomes Looked After, when a decision is made to hold an Initial Child Protection Conference, the Initial Response Supervising Social Workers must contact the relevant Team Manager to make them aware of the situation. |
| 3.6 |
The receiving Team Manager can then view the record and identify a worker in the Team who will be taking over case responsibility. They must advise the Initial Response Supervising Social Workers as soon as this decision is made. These actions are not a substitute for the actions proposed in 3.7 below. This worker must then be invited to the Conference or Review Meeting. They can view the Protocol records and begin the introductory process with the current allocated worker in line with good practice. Note: Case responsibility for both social work and management remain with the Initial Response Team at this stage. |
| 3.7 |
The Transfer Case Discussion will be attended by Transferring Social Worker and his/her Manager and the receiving Social Worker and his/her Manager. If it is not possible to identify a receiving Social Worker, the two Managers will negotiate the best way to flexibly manage the transfer, seeking to achieve this at the earliest possible opportunity whilst seeking to minimise the numbers of workers involved with the child. There is a template for transfer meetings. |
| 3.8 |
Inter team transfers for operational reasons or due to a change in personnel must be managed by the relevant Team Manager to ensure that wherever possible the new worker is introduced to the child/young person and their family/carers by someone they know (e.g. the previous allocated worker) and given opportunity to familiarise themselves with the issues and tasks required. |
| 3.9 |
Team Managers will prioritise caseloads and manage unallocated cases. If there is a period of time between workers being allocated (e.g. when a worker leaves prior to the new worker commencing) the case responsibility and tasks must either be allocated to the Team Manager to hold, assigned to someone else in the team or transferred to another Team where such an agreement is reached. If another team agree to transfer to assist, the ‘Case Transfer’ process on Protocol will be required. |
| 3.10 |
In the event of difficulty in agreeing how or when the transfer must take place, the matter will be referred to the Senior Team Manager (IRT). |
| 3.11 |
The case will be allocated on Protocol to the new worker by the receiving Team Manager at the time specified below. |
