3.11.5 Notification of Significant Events and On-Call/Out of Hours Policy

SCOPE OF THIS CHAPTER

This Chapter relates to Notification of Significant Events and On Call/Out of Hours Policy

Notification of Significant Events
On Call/Out of Hours Policy

1. Notification of Significant Events

The registered manager of a children’s home/foster carer’s supervising social worker must be informed if any of the following events occur:

where a child in the placement dies – see Death/Serious Injury to Child Procedure
where an individual in the home is referred to the Secretary of State under the Protection of Children Act 1999
where a child in the placement has a serious illness or suffers a serious accident
where there is an outbreak in the home of any infectious disease which in the opinion of a registered medical practitioner attending the home is sufficiently serious to be notified
where there is an allegation that a child in the placement has committed a serious crime
where there is involvement or suspected involvement of a child in the placement in prostitution
where there is a serious incident relating to a child in the placement which necessitates calling the police to the foster home/children’s home – see Contacting the Police Procedure
where a child in the placement absconds – See LCP Supplementary Procedure 7, Safeguarding Children Missing from Care and Home
where a serious complaint about a member of staff or foster carer is received
where a Section 47 Enquiry is initiated in relation a child in the placement

The registered manager of a children’s home/foster carer’s supervising social worker will immediately inform his or her Team Manager who will involve the Service Manager and ensure that notification is sent to the OFSTED.

Where the event occurs out of hours, the on-call service/out of hours support as described in Section 2 must be used.

The registered manager/supervising social worker must also ensure that the child’s social worker is informed, who will be responsible for informing the child’s parents.

All notifications must be confirmed in writing.

2. On Call/Out of Hours Policy

In order to provide support outside of office hours, a system of offering telephone support is in place.

2.1 Residential Care

An on call service will be provided to the Residential Children's Homes by either a Unit Manager or the Team Manager, Residential Care. In the event that urgent advice is needed, other units can be contacted or the Emergency Duty Team.

2.2 Foster Carers

The Fostering Team provide out of hours support to all foster carers between 5.30 p.m. and 11.00 p.m. Mondays to Fridays and between 11.00 a.m. and 11.00 p.m. at weekends and on bank holidays.

Support required by foster carers outside these hours is available from the Emergency Duty Team.

2.3 Both

There is no expectation that the on call service will attend individual homes or cover for staff shortages
The on call service will offer advice and assistance to the manager on duty/foster carer.
Calls will be answered as soon as possible and always within two hours.
The person requesting the on-call service/out of hours support should ensure the Care Plan is to hand if advice is required about an individual child.
The person requesting the on-call service/ out of hours support is responsible for ensuring that the On Call Manager/supervising social worker is kept briefed of significant events as indicated in Section 1, Notification of Significant Events.

End