6.3 Designated Managers |
Designated Managers are managers who have delegated authority to approve certain decisions or who must be notified in certain circumstances
Contents
1. Authorisations
Note
This section outlines the circumstances where managers have delegated authority to approve certain decisions.
These arrangements do not replace the line management communication or authorisation structure; in all cases, it is assumed that managers and line managers will be consulted or notified as appropriate.
Designated Managers are those managers who should additionally be consulted or notified.
- Accommodation of a Child
- Adoption Support
- Agency Decision Maker (Adoption)
- Care Plans
- Care Proceedings
- Change of Name of a Looked After Child (on a Care Order)
- Child on Care Order Joining the Armed Forces
- Contact - Suspension/Termination of
- Contact with Parents/Siblings
- Exemption to Exceed Usual Limit
- Foster Carer Allegations
- Foster Carer Approval
- Fostering Panel Chair
- HIV and AIDS
- Initiating Care Proceedings
- ICS (Ch & F Assessment System) - Splitting Cases
- ICS - Access for Non-Social Care Staff
- Marriage of a Looked After Child
- Passports
- Pathway Plans/Leaving Care
- Permanence Plans
- Placement with Parents
- Placements in Secure Accommodation
- Placements Outside the Authority
- Placements Outside England and Wales
- Placements with Relatives and Friends
- Private and Voluntary Placements
- Private Fostering
- Residence Orders
- Review of Foster Carers
- School or Educational Trips/Holidays Abroad
| Accommodation of a Child |
The manager who must approve the decision to accommodate a child (s.20). Designated Manager(s) Head of Service |
| Adoption Support |
See Adoption Support Services Procedure The manager(s) who must authorise the following: Financial Support for Adoptive Parents and Adoption Support Plans. Designated Manager(s) Director for Family Services Team Manager - Adoption (Plans and Counselling) |
| Agency Decision Maker (Adoption) |
See Placement for Adoption Procedure and Assessment and Approval of Inter-Country Adoptive Parents Procedure The manager who makes decision on behalf of the Adoption Agency based on recommendations made by the Adoption and Permanency Panel. Designated Manager(s) Director for Family Services |
| Care Plans |
The manager who must endorse and sign Care Plans in relation to Accommodated Children. Designated Manager(s) Team Manager |
| Care Proceedings |
See Decision to Look After a Child (Care and Permanence Planning) Procedure and Route Map for Looked After Children The manager who may authorise a Care Plan in relation to Care Proceedings. Designated Manager(s) Team Manager |
| Change of Name of a Looked After Child (on a Care Order) |
See Change of Name of a Looked After Child Procedure The manager who may authorise the taking of Court Proceedings when parental agreement is not forthcoming. Designated Manager(s) Director for Family Services |
| Child on Care Order Joining the Armed Forces |
Designated Manager(s) Director for Family Services |
| Contact - Suspension/Termination of |
The manager who may authorise termination of contact between a Looked After Child and Parents. Designated Manager(s) Team Manager |
| Contact with Parents/Siblings |
See Contact with Parents and Siblings Procedure The manager who may approve Risk Assessments in relation to contact of Looked After Children with Parents. Designated Manager(s) Team Manager |
| Exemption to Exceed Usual Limit |
See Limit on the Number of Children in Foster Homes Procedure and Placements in Foster Care Procedure The manager who may approve the recommendations of the Fostering Panel to exceed the usual limit. Designated Manager(s) Head of Service (Care Resources) and the Fostering Panel Vice Chair Approval for Interim ExemptionThe manager who may approve an interim exemption. Designated Manager(s) Head of Service (Care Resources) and Panel Vice Chair |
| Foster Carer Allegations |
The manager who may authorise the recommendations of a Strategy Discussion that no further action is taken against a Foster Carer. Designated Manager(s) Head of Service (Care Resources) |
| Foster Carer Approval |
See Assessment and Approval of Foster Carers Procedure The manager (Agency Decision Maker) who may approve the recommendations of the Fostering Panel. Designated Manager(s) Director for Family Services |
| Fostering Panel Chair |
See Placement with Connected Persons Procedure Chair is independent but submits recommendations to Director for Family Services. Designated Manager(s) The Chair of the Fostering Panel |
| HIV and AIDS |
|
The manager who may authorise test for Looked After Children. Designated Manager(s) S/W Team Manager |
| Initiating Care Proceedings |
The manager who decides if Care Proceedings should be initiated. Designated Manager(s) Head of Service |
| ICS (Ch & F Assessment System) - Splitting Cases |
The manager who may authorise splitting cases, on receiving report from frontline supervisor. Designated Manager(s) Head of Service |
| ICS - Access for Non-Social Care Staff |
The manager who may authorise access by non-social care staff to ICS. Designated Manager(s) Head of Service |
| Marriage of a Looked After Child |
See Marriage of a Looked After Child Procedure The manager who may authorise marriage of a Looked After Child. Designated Manager(s) Director of Family Services |
| Passports |
See Passports, Holidays and School Trips Outside the UK Procedure The manager who may authorise passports for Looked After Children. Designated Manager(s) Head of Service |
| Pathway Plans/Leaving Care |
The manager who should approve Pathway Plans. Designated Manager(s) Team Manager |
| Permanence Plans |
See Placements in Foster Care Procedure The manager who can approve the recommendations of the Adoption or Fostering Panel in relation to Permanence Plans. Designated Manager(s) Director for Family Services |
| Placement with Parents |
See Placement with Parents Procedure
PlannedThe manager who may authorise such placements. Designated Manager(s) Head of Service Unplanned (Emergency) or Through Court ProcessThe manager who may authorise such placements for up to 6 weeks. Designated Manager(s) Team Manager |
| Placements in Secure Accommodation |
See Placements in Secure Accommodation Procedure Authorising placement of child in secure accommodation, including placements up to 72 hours without a Court Order and who should be consulted where a Secure Accommodation Criteria Review Panel has recommended that the criteria for placement in Secure Accommodation no longer apply. Designated Manager(s) Director for Family Services |
| Placements Outside the Authority |
| See
Placements in Residential Care.
Details to follow Designated Manager(s) |
| Placements Outside England and Wales |
See Placements outside England and Wales Procedure The manager who may authorise the placement, including emigration, of a child outside England and Wales. Designated Manager(s) Head of Service |
| Placements with Relatives and Friends |
See Placement with Connected Persons Procedure The manager who may authorise such placements for up to 6 weeks. Designated Manager(s) Team Manager |
| Private and Voluntary Placements |
See Placement Planning and Disruption Procedure. The manager who can authorise external private and voluntary placements of children (except Secure Accommodation). Designated Manager(s) Head of Service |
| Private Fostering |
See Private Fostering Procedure The manager who may authorise recommendations made by the Fostering Panel in relation to Private Foster Carers. Designated Manager(s) Director for Family Services |
| Residence Orders |
See Permanence Planning Procedure and Residence Order Allowances Procedure
For Looked After ChildrenApproval of allowance in relation to children placed with relatives or friends under a Residence Order. Designated Manager(s) Team Manager (Adoption) via panel recommendation If NOT for Looked After ChildrenFor approval of allowances in relation to children placed with relatives or friends under a Residence Order. Designated Manager(s) Locality and Care Resources Heads of Service |
| Review of Foster Carers |
CompletionsThe officer responsible for completing Part C of the annual review, distributes the annual review consultation forms and chairs the review. Designated Manager(s) Family Placement Quality Assurance Officer (FPQAO) ChairingThe officer who chairs the review. Designated Manager(s) Family Placement Quality Assurance Officer (FPQAO) AuthorisationsThe managers who authorise that reviews may or may not go to Panel. Designated Manager(s) Head of Service for Care Resources (Non Panel Reviews) or Director for Family Services (Panel Reviews) ApprovalThe manager who approves recommendations of the panel and notifies foster carers of the outcome of the review. Designated Manager(s) Director for Family Services |
| School or Educational Trips/Holidays Abroad |
See Passports, Holidays and School Trips Outside the UK Procedure The manager who may authorise such trips for Looked After Children, including passports. Designated Manager(s) Head of Service |
2. Notifications
- Abduction or Attempted Abduction
- Attempted Suicide
- Death of Serious Illness/Injury
- Missing Children
- Non Allocated Cases
- Police Assistance
- Prostitution or Sexual Exploitation
- Protection of Children
- Section 47 Enquiry - Looked After Child
- Serious Illness, Accident or Outbreak of any Infectious or Notifiable Disease
- Serious/Malicious Damage caused to a Children's/Foster Home
| Abduction or Attempted Abduction |
The manager who should be notified in the event of abduction or attempted abduction of a child receiving services. Designated Manager(s) Director for Family Services |
| Attempted Suicide |
See Behaviour Management Guidance and Incidents - General Guidance The manager who should be notified in the event of an attempted suicide of a child receiving services. Designated Manager(s) Head of Services |
| Death of Serious Illness/Injury |
See Death of or Serious Illness/Injury in Relation to a Child in Need Procedure The manager who should be notified. Designated Manager(s) Director for Family Services If the child dies in suspicious circumstances. Designated Manager(s) The Child Protection Adviser and LSCB Chair If child is looked after the following must be notified:Other Agencies Secretary of State |
| Missing Children |
See Missing Children Procedure The manager who must be notified when a child has been missing for 48 hrs. or more; when the absence of a child is cause for concern; when a child has been missing for more than 6 months. Designated Manager(s) Director for Family Services |
| Non Allocated Cases |
See Case Responsibility/Allocation and Transfer of Cases Procedure The manager who may be notified where it is not possible to allocate a case. Designated Manager(s) Head of Service |
| Police Assistance |
See Contacting the Police Procedure The manager to be notified. Designated Manager(s) Team Manager (Fostering) and Social Work Team Also Notify: The Regulatory Authority |
| Prostitution or Sexual Exploitation |
Involvement or suspected involvement of a Looked After Child in prostitution or sexual exploitation. Designated Manager(s) Social Work Team Manager, Head of Service and Head of Service (Care Resources) for children in in-house provision. Also if child is placed in Children's or Foster Home: Other Agencies The Regulatory Authority and Protection of Children Team must be notified. |
| Protection of Children |
See Missing Children Procedure and Contact Details The manager who must be notified. Designated Manager(s) Director for Family Services If the Child is placed in a Children's or Foster home. Other Agencies The Regulatory Authority and Protection Team must be notified Referral to the Secretary of State under Sect 2 (1) (a) of the Protection of Children Act 1999 (a) of an individual working at the home. |
| Section 47 Enquiry - Looked After Child |
See Countering of Bullying Procedure Manager who must be notified. Designated Manager(s) Head of Service If the child is placed in a Children's or Foster home the following must be notified. Other Agencies The Regulatory Authority Where a Child Protection allegation is made in relation to a member of staff; the manager who must be notified. |
| Serious Illness, Accident or Outbreak of any Infectious or Notifiable Disease |
See Death of or Serious Illness/Injury in Relation to a Child in Need Procedure Serious illness/serious accident sustained by Looked After Child; Outbreak of any infectious or notifiable disease relating to Looked After Child, that, in the opinion of a medical practitioner is sufficiently serious to require notification. The manager who must be notified. Designated Manager(s) Director for Family Services If the child is Looked After, the following must be notified Other Agencies The Regulatory Authority If there is an outbreak of Infectious/Notifiable Disease Other Agencies The Health Authority |
| Serious/Malicious Damage caused to a Children's/Foster Home |
See Searching Children and their Belongings Procedure The manager who must be notified. Designated Manager(s) Director of Family Services If the child is placed in Children's or Foster Home. Other Agencies The Police |
End