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Contents

1. Introduction 
2. Referrals 
3. Assessments 
4. Short-Term Work 
5. Chronologies 
6. Opening and Closing Cases 
7. Feedback to the Referring Professional 
8. User Satisfaction Form

1. Introduction

The aim of the guidelines is to create ground rules about the recording of out of borough cases.  We hope that the ground rules, in relation to referrals, assessments and chronologies, will increase consistency of recording these types of cases throughout the team.

These guidelines will be amended when changes are made to ICS in regard to referrals and assessments.

2. Referrals

Social workers activate a referral on a child who lives out of borough, when there is a need to see the family and carry out some significant activity around their needs.  Referrals come in different forms.  Most hospital-based referrals come verbally through ward staff, but in relation to the Cheyne Child Development Service, most are in written form.

In some cases, social workers are asked to make inquiries about whether a family is known to Family Services, and do no direct or indirect work with the family.  In some cases it is relevant to store information about these inquiries in a folder in the shared Directory.  This will mean that colleagues and managers can access the information.

3. Assessments

When do you use the assessment system on out of borough families?

• To refer to other boroughs’ social work departments
• When significant social work continues over a number of years with chronically ill children and their families.  Core Assessments should be carried out, and reviewed every six months
• In relation to the work of the Cheyne Child Development Service social worker, the assessment system should be used as the work continues over a period of time 

Sharing assessments

• All assessments to be shared with parents/children (unless agreed with the team manager)
• Assessments, as referrals to other boroughs, to be put on medical/hospital files
• The exception is re: CAMHs joint assessments. As CAMHs professionals also record joint assessments in relation to overdoses and self harm in adolescents, it is an unnecessary duplication for our assessment to be attached to the medical file

4. Short-Term Work

We are aware that this option will not be available for much longer.

At present, the team will continue to use short-term work as an option on ICS for one-off and short-term work.  If for some reason the work continues over a three-month period, then a core assessment should be completed.

5. Chronologies

The borough expects chronologies to be completed on all RBKC cases which have an assessment.

In relation to out of borough work, it is our thinking that if we have done a Core Assessment on a case, then a chronology should be completed. This could be a chronology of the history of the child within the hospital, and any other information gathered, or it could be the home local authorities chronology. Unless we are advised differently by senior management, we do not consider that chronologies should be carried out on other boroughs families as routine.

6. Opening and Closing Cases

Social workers based in hospitals may see children when they come into hospital once or twice a year, or come to out-patient appointments.  In relation to the Cheyne Child Development Service, the social worker may complete a benefits application and arrange for other services, then not hear from the family for some time.  The question is: do we keep these cases open and use the assessment system to record contact and work done, or do you close and open it as a child/family makes contact?

For the purposes of workload management, it is more beneficial to close and then reopen a case as needed.  On the other hand, we have to consider two other factors.  Firstly, the number of re-referrals is considered as a performance indicator, and secondly, the opening and closing of cases demands more recording.

The decision to keep open or close should be made by the social worker and manager in supervision. 

7. Feedback to the Referring Professional

• Referrals to other boroughs should be placed on medical file
• Record verbal feedback to multidisciplinary meetings and to individual professionals on ICS
• If appropriate, email professionals, or copy letters to professionals

8. User Satisfaction Form

• Include the user satisfaction form when you send out a copy of the assessment or review  to service users.  It is not appropriate to use these forms for one-off and short-term work, unless in special circumstances.

End