RELATED GUIDANCE
1. Assessment
Where the local authority plan to return a child to the care of their family, an assessment should be carried out while the child is looked after as part of the care planning process (under regulation 39 of the Care Planning Regulations 2010).
This assessment should consider what services and support the child and their family might need once the child ceases to be looked after. Family group decision-making, such as family group conferences, can be used to establish how the family network will support the child to return home. The outcome of this assessment should be included in the child’s care plan.
The decision to cease to look after a child will, in most cases, require approval under regulation 39 of the Care Planning Regulations 2010. Practitioners must carry out an assessment of need for eligible children to consider their eligibility for independence and transition into adulthood.
2. Planning and Review
There should be a clear plan for all children who return home that reflects the current and previous assessments, focuses on outcomes, and includes details of services and support required. Following the child’s return home:
- practitioners should make the timeline and decision-making process for providing ongoing services and support clear to the child and family;
- when reviewing outcomes, children should, wherever possible, be seen alone. Practitioners have a duty to ascertain their wishes and feelings regarding the provision of services being delivered.
The impact of services and support should be monitored and recorded, and where a child is remanded to local authority or youth detention accommodation, consideration must be given to what ongoing support and accommodation the child may need after their period of remand. This should be included in their care plan.
2.1 Unplanned return home
Where a child who is accommodated under section 20 of the Children Act 1989 returns home in an unplanned way, (for example, the decision is not made as part of the care planning process, but the parent removes the child, or the child decides to leave), the local authority should work with partner agencies to consider whether there are any immediate concerns about the safety and wellbeing of the child. This could include harm from outside the home. The local authority should take appropriate action, including considering making enquiries under section 47 of the Children Act 1989, if there is concern that the child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm (see Section 47 Enquiries chapter).
