5.3.9 Unallocated Children in Need

Contents

1. Introduction 
2. Criteria   

1. Introduction

Following the Climbie report, local authorities are required to report any cases of ‘unallocated children in need’ to senior managers and elected members on a regular basis. This guidance should be read in conjunction with Case Responsibility/Allocation and Transfer of Cases Procedure.

In Children and Families, cases are either allocated to a named worker, closed or allocated to duty.  The point of this reporting requirement is to identify those children who are allocated to duty who should be allocated to a named worker instead.  Any such cases should be reported to the responsible Head of Service. 

It is important that by monitoring ‘unallocated cases’ we do not inadvertently create a waiting list. ‘Unallocated cases’ should be regarded as problems requiring action.

2. Criteria

A case will be regarded as an ‘unallocated Child in Need’ for the purposes of this monitoring if all three of the following conditions are met:

1. The child is a ‘child in need’. That means that an assessment has been completed which has reached this conclusion. It will not include cases where this is still being assessed.
2. The assessment has concluded that the services required include an allocated social worker. (Some children in need will only require other services e.g. a family centre place. Such cases don’t count for this purpose)
3. It is not possible to allocate the case at present (other than holding it on duty longer than would ideally be the case).

Cases that are allocated to duty should be regarded as ‘unallocated’ for the purposes of this report if it has been decided that they should be allocated to a non-duty social worker. The question team managers must ask themselves is ‘would this be a duty case if I had a social worker to allocate it to?’ If the answer is no, then the case should be considered as an unallocated child in need.