Case Transfer Protocol
This protocol provides guidance on the transfer of cases between Teams within the Children’s Care and Support Service and between the MASH, as part of Community Solutions, and the Children’s Care and Support Service.
This protocol provides a guide for effective and timely transfer of case work but is a guide only; families are complex and unique, and as such there may be occasions in which the arrangements for transfer contained in this protocol do not best meet an individual family’s needs. On these exceptional occasions a flexible approach must be paramount, and a decision may be made to deviate from the transfer protocol; this decision rests with the Heads of Service.
Case files should only be transferred in good order and in accordance with the expectations set out in this protocol. Basic information on case files must be accurate and case notes must be up-to-date at the point of transfer.
The Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) brings together a team of multi disciplinary professionals from partner agencies co located to work with all safeguarding concerns, where there are concerns about the safety or well being of a child. The MASH will reinforce the need for a single point of entry building on the work to allow agencies to work together at the earliest point of identified needs for children with complex vulnerabilities.
In effect referred concerns will be jointly risk assessed by the core MASH members who will review all the information available about the child/young person and make an informed decision about which service is best placed to respond. If more than one agency is involved the MASH process will make a decision as to who will be the lead agent and this will be recorded and shared as appropriate.
This protocol will only set out the transfer arrangements from the MASH for the cases of children and young people whose needs require statutory intervention and assessment as guided by the LBBD Threshold Document.
Work is currently underway to review and pilot arrangements for transferring children and young peoples’ cases from the Assessment Service which can step down to Tier 2 through use of the MASH daily panel. This is a mechanism for cases to be considered by Tier 2 services from the MASH but is now being extended to include cases from the Assessment Service.
The transfer and movement of cases is a safeguarding matter - it is important that full information accompanies the transfer or movement so that the receiving worker and Manager have a good understanding of the child's circumstances and associated risks. The relevant Practice/Team Manager transferring the child’s case will check and ensure that all files have core data (e.g. ethnicity), and an up to date Chronology on all current social work. Each child’s case will have the transfer check list completed as part of the transfer – see below - and signed off by the referring Practice or Team Manager with clear transfer management oversight.
Whenever a case is transferred or moved across to another team, the child and family's needs will be considered, with the emphasis on a smooth handover, and with the aim of reducing the numbers of workers with whom the family will need to engage. As a matter of good social work practice, handover points will be identified which match the needs or requirements of the child and their family and not rigidly adhere to the team structures within the service. Verbal face-to-face handovers are preferable when cases are moving between the assessment and longer terms teams and wherever possible joint visits to be conducted to meet the child and the parent/s. A lack of capacity in the service receiving the case will not be a reason to delay transfer.
It is acknowledged that where there are historical gaps which pre-date the allocation to the current worker this will not be a reason to hold up the transfer or movement of the case.
All cases will be discussed, in anticipation of the transfer or move, at the Transfer Meeting of Practice Managers and Team Managers which is held every two weeks and is chaired by a Head of Service. All the cases discussed will have an agreed date for allocation in the receiving team and this should be within a maximum of two weeks from the meeting or sooner if possible. If there are issues regarding capacity in the receiving team, the transferring and receiving Practice/Team Managers will seek a joint solution to the issue. If the matter is unresolved, it will then be raised with the respective Group Managers who will make a decision within 24 hours.
Young people, carers and parents need to be informed of the change of worker and any concerns and anxieties addressed.
There will be an introduction of the new worker by the existing worker and following that introduction, an agreement made about the date for the transfer of case responsibility and agreement on who will be responsible for notifying all involved professionals. On some occasions it will be important and necessary for a period of joint working between the outgoing team and the team receiving the case so as to allow for a smooth transfer of practice.
The Practice/Team Manager in the receiving team will be responsible for ensuring that LCS – the case management system - reflects the allocation on the agreed date.
Any exceptions to the transfer process must be agreed between the relevant Heads of Service for the teams involved.
| Type of Case | Transfer Point | Transfer Process and Documentation |
|---|---|---|
| S.17/ S.47 Requiring an Assessment/Investigation | Triage/MASH | The logged contact will be converted within 24 hours into a referral following the Triage/MASH risk assessment. Within the parameters of the information sharing protocol relevant details will be recorded and the needs notified to the Assessment Duty Manager within 1 working day. S.47 Strategy discussions/ meetings will be organised within 48 working hours and will include the findings or representation from agencies working with the child and their families. The Duty/MASH Manager will record the outcome and the needs of the children will transfer into the Assessment service. |
| S7/S37 Directions | TRIAGE - Whilst Court Directions may be sent by the Court to Legal Services or Care Management, the TRIAGE Team for allocation must log the contact. | Direction then passed to Care Management Head of Service for allocation; if the subject child/ren has/have been allocated to a Social Worker within the last three months, private law assessment to be allocated to the previous worker. If there has been no allocated worker in the past three months, to be allocated in Care Management at next case transfer meeting. |
All transfers from the Assessment Service to the Care Management Service are done at the fortnightly transfer meeting attended by the Head of Service – Care Management.
| Type of Case | Transfer Point | Transfer Process and Documentation;In addition to up-to-date profile notes, Management Decision Making Records, Supervision Notes, Key Information & Relationships/Contacts |
|---|---|---|
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Child Protection Cases |
Initial Child Protection Conference (ICPC) – Case to be notified at first case transfer meeting after ICPC requested, and Care Management Social Worker to be identified for allocation. Care Management Social Worker and their line manager to be notified of date of ICPC when this has been arranged by Child Protection Reviewing Service (CPRS). Care Management Social Worker and line manager if warranted to attend ICPC and case to transfer directly following Conference. |
File must contain the following:
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Children in Care (CIC) – subject to Care Proceedings |
Legal Planning Meeting (LPM) or first Court Hearing, depending on the particularities of the case, type of Order sought timescale for application and whether pre-proceedings work to be undertaken. This will be agreed by the Heads of Service for the Assessment and Care Management services. Case and details of application should be notified at transfer meeting at the earliest opportunity and Care Management Social Worker identified for allocation. Care Management Social Worker to attend LPM if this is agreed transfer point; LPM Chair to decide on which SW is best placed to complete LA initial evidence depending on circumstances of case, existing knowledge of case and workers’ capacity. Care Management Social Worker to attend first Hearing if this is agreed transfer point, and case to transfer immediately following first Hearing. |
File must contain the following:
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Children in Care (CIC) – Section 20 |
First CiC Review; case should be notified at transfer meeting at earliest opportunity and Care Management Social Worker to attend First CiC Review. |
File must contain the following:
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Children in Need (CIN) Cases – INTERNAL TO LBBD |
Case to be notified at case transfer meeting a minimum of two weeks prior to transfer. Care Management Social Worker for allocation to be identified at transfer meeting, if the case is deemed to require continued intervention in CSC; if not case to be stepped down by Assessment Team Social Worker via Assessment Team step down process. Transfer point to be agreed at Transfer meeting by the Heads of Service for the Assessment and Care Management services. |
File must contain the following:
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Children in Need (CIN) CASES – TRANSFER IN ANOTHER LA |
Fortnightly transfer meeting – managed by the Heads of Service. |
Contact must be logged in Triage/ MASH and request notified to the Group Manager for the Care Management Service Triage will write to transferring Local Authority notifying them that the LB of Barking and Dagenham will reach a decision within 3 weeks from notification of transfer but until that point the case remains the responsibility of the transferring Local Authority. To aid the decision Triage will request:
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| Type of Case | Transfer Point | Transfer Process and Documentation; In addition to up to date profile notes, Management Decision Making Records, Supervision Notes, Key Information & Relationships/Contacts |
|---|---|---|
| CIN / CP / CIC |
Care Management Social Worker/Team Manager to notify Disabled Children’s Team Manager. Disabled Children’s Team Manager to attend next transfer meeting. Disabled Children’s Team Social Worker to be identified – transfer point to be agreed depending on case status. |
File must contain the following for CIN Cases:
File must contain the following for CP Cases:
File must contain the following for CIC Cases; subject to Care Proceedings:
File must contain the following for CIC Cases (Section 20):
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| Type of Case | Transfer Point | Transfer Process and Documentation; In addition to up to date profile notes, Management Decision Making Records, Supervision Notes, Key Information & Relationships/Contacts |
|---|---|---|
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Children & YP placed in long-term foster care or residential care. |
Following Court making Full Care Order with long-term fostering or residential care plan CIC Team Manager to be advised of the care plan to identify named worker before the Final Hearing and the case should transfer formally within a week of the final hearing. Section 20 arrangement: where a child or young person is a CIC under a S20 arrangement, transfer can take place where all reunification/extended family placement options have been explored and exhausted and a care plan of long term care has been agreed at senior management level. |
File must contain the following:
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| Type of Case | Transfer Point | Transfer Process and Documentation; In addition to up to date profile notes, Management Decision Making Records, Supervision Notes, Key Information & Relationships/Contacts |
|---|---|---|
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CIC YP that meet the criteria for L2L |
The Learn2Live team should be notified that a transfer meeting needs to take place two months prior to the young person’s 16th birthday. This is then arranged with the Learn2Live team as near or as soon after the young person’s 16th birthday. Our good practice policy requires that a member of the Learn2Live team is invited to attend the young person’s last Child Care review prior to their cases being transferred to the Learn2Live team to inform the young people about the service Transfers must not take place within a window from the 1 March until the young person has completed their GCSEs in order to ensure stability and provide maximum support to assist the young person achieve good examination results – unless this has been planned and agreed as in the best interest of the young person. |
File must contain the following:
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Newly arrived/identified Asylum Seeking Young People – 16+ (who have not met the 13 week rule) |
Best practice dictates that young people in this category should not be transferred from the Assessment Service to the Care Management Service prior to transfer to the L2L team. The needs of these children will be held by a dedicated officers within the Assessment service who will progress the age assessment and LAC needs of the young person in partnership with L2L. |
File must contain the following:
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| Type of Case | Transfer Point | Transfer Process and Documentation; In addition to up to date profile notes, Management Decision Making Records, Supervision Notes, Key Information & Relationships/Contacts |
|---|---|---|
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Child being placed for Adoption via Placement Order |
Children must be transferred to the Adoption Team within 2 weeks of the Placement Order being granted. However, notification of the order being granted should take place within 24 hours. |
Transfer Summary Placement Information Record (PIR) ICS Care Plan Chronology Court Paperwork, including Court Care Plan PEP (if applicable) Medical, Dental and Optical checks Preparation of the Annex A Part B Information regarding the child and the birth family Letter for Later Life Copies of the Care Order and Placement Order for all children/siblings to be placed Getting birth family to sign the appropriate forms for Letter Box Contact, if this has been agreed Giving any relevant information to the adoption worker, who is undertaking ongoing life story work, e.g. photos, family history etc. |
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Relinquished babies – early notification |
If early notification has been provided by the hospital regarding a mother’s intention to relinquish the baby, the Assessment Team (or CM or DCT) will undertake a pre-birth assessment, which will include a joint visit with an Adoption Social Worker to explain the process to the mother. |
Pre-birth Assessment |
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Relinquished babies – late notification |
Once the baby is born, the case will transfer directly to the Adoption Team who will undertake the required the legal requirements for a relinquished baby. In the event that the notification for relinquishment comes at the time of imminent or post labour, a joint visit will be undertaken between the Assessment (or CM or DCT) and Adoption Teams to ascertain the validity of the mother’s intention to relinquish and both teams will be involved in the discharge meeting. The Adoption Team will take responsibility for the case in the event that the baby is being relinquished and will follow the legal process required. |
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Transfer of children subject to Special Guardianship Orders. |
Transfer notification and paperwork to be sent to SGO Co-ordinator in the Adoption Team within 5 days of order being granted. The case will be allocated to ‘Adoption Team’ not an individual worker. |
Transfer Summary Chronology Court Paperwork, including Court Care Plan Copy of SGO Assessment and support package Copy of Court Order Signed contact agreement forms All historical LAC paperwork should be on the file if applicable |
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Private Fostering Arrangements |
As soon as any team (Assessment/Care Management/Disabled Children) become aware of a potential privately fostered child they must complete the ‘Notification of a Private Fostering Arrangement’ Form. This should be sent to the Private Fostering Social Worker or the Fostering Team Manager. This can be e mailed to the following address: In the event that a child protection issue is evident at the time the arrangement becomes known, the allocated team must deal with the matter before any transfer can take place to the Private Fostering Social Worker, based in the Fostering Team. The Fostering Team take full responsibility for managing and supporting both the private foster carer and the child/ren in placement. In the event that a child protection issue arises in a PF placement, the Private Fostering Social Worker will refer the matter to the Assessment Team via a MARF for them to action as necessary. In the event that there are ongoing child protection concerns, the Assessment/Care Management/Disabled Children’s Teams would need to retain case responsibility, even though it is a private fostering matter. However, in the event that there are no ongoing child protection concerns, the case will return to the Private Fostering Social Worker. |
Notification of a Private Fostering Arrangement Form |
| Type of Case | Transfer Point | Transfer Process and Documentation; In addition to up to date profile notes, Management Decision Making Records, Supervision Notes, Key Information & Relationships/Contacts |
|---|---|---|
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Disabled child in care |
Once a child reaches 16 there are two options: Will meet Adults’ criteria: Joint work with L2L team to ensure that the young person receives a leaving care service. However, the lead team will be DCT and then Adults’ Services, with support from L2L. Will not meet Adults’ criteria: The case will transfer completely to L2L to ensure that the young person receives a leaving care service that will plan for independent living in adulthood. |
File must contain the following:
Evidence must be provided with regards to meeting Adults' criteria or not via Transitions Assessment. |
Last Updated: November 7, 2023
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