Terminology from Social Care

Key Worker

A social care worker employed within residential settings. They will often be the "link person" for the child between their placement and other agencies - including schools.

Children's Guardian

An officer appointed by the court to represent the views of the child during care proceedings and in private law proceedings.

Social Worker

A qualified social care professional who holds a registration with the HCPC. It is a legal requirement that Looked

After

Children's cases are allocated to a qualified, registered Social Worker, who is accountable for case management decisions.

Supervising Social Worker

A HCPC approved worker, working specifically with foster carers, in both private fostering agencies and within local authorities. Supervising social workers offer support for carers, ensuring training/development and good care.

Adoption social worker

A HCPC approved worker. Adoption social workers specifically working with Adopter's, recruiting, and supporting them during the process and as required after adoption order.

Independent

Reviewing

Officer

An HCPC approved professional with responsibility for conducting statutory reviews of
care plans. An IRO will need to be consulted on placement moves and all major decisions regarding a child's care plan.

Independent

Fostering

Agency

These agencies are based outside of the local authority and are privately run. They assess and support their foster carers directly and feed back to the local authority.

Personal Advisor

Individuals employed by the LA to work with care leavers to support them with their preparation for adulthood. The PA role is a statutory role.

Children

remand

status

Children remanded into custody who are not looked after, become looked after until they are sentenced. Whilst  remanded into custody they are entitled to all the support and statutory duties as other looked-after children. Children subject to care orders who offend and receive custodial sentences remain looked after. Where a young person has previously been

accommodated under section 20 of the 1989 Act and is detained in custody they do not remain looked after. However, they may resume looked after status on release.

Exit from care

Children and young people can exit care for a number of reasons; including returning home to their family, being placed with a family member, or put under a post care order, e.g., adoption, special guardianship

Section 20

A voluntary arrangement which can be terminated at any time by the parent(s) and parental responsibility remains with them.

Section 47

Section 47 of the Children Act 1989 places a duty on LAs to investigate and make inquiries into the circumstances of children considered to be at risk of 'significant harm' and, where these inquiries indicate the need, to decide what action, if any, it may need to take to safeguard and promote the child's welfare.

Case conference

A child will be made subject to a child protection plan at a child protection case conference if the child is at risk of significant harm.

Looked

After

Children

Care Plan

Care Plans set out what services will be provided to a looked after child and their family. The Care Plan will say what the council and other agencies will do to meet the child's needs around health, education, religion, culture, and hobbies and sets out the longer-term plan for the child's future.

Private fostering

Private fostering is when a child under the age of 16, (under 18 if disabled) is cared for by someone who is not their parent or a 'close relative'. This is a private arrangement made between a parent and a carer, for 28 days or more. T&W Council have to be told about a child's living arrangements.

Corporate Parent

The council, elected members, employees, and partner agencies are 'corporate parents' who have a responsibility for providing the best possible care and safeguarding for the children who are looked after by the local authority. A child in the care of the local authority looks to the whole council to be the best parent it can be to that child. Every member and employee of the council has the statutory responsibility to act for that child in the same way that a good parent would act for and for their child.

Parental responsibility

If the child is being accommodated by the local authority under voluntary measures, the parent(s) still retain full parental rights. If the child is subject to a compulsory supervision order or an order of the court, the parent(s) retain full parental rights, although these may be limited by the children's hearing or the court. If the local authority has a permanence order for a child, the parent(s) do not have the right to have the child living with them or to control where the child lives.

Parental responsibility should be clarified during the PEP meeting and the social worker should invite the relevant people to the meeting. Schools should ensure that they hold the correct contact information for the person(s) holding parental responsibility as advised by the social worker.

Legal parent

During Adoption Parental Responsibility for a child is transferred from their birth parent or other person with Parental Responsibility to their adopters, it is a legal procedure. An adopted child loses all the legal ties with their original parents it is a significant legal order and is not usually reversible. When an adoption order is made in respect of a child, the child becomes a full member of their new family, taking the family name, and assumes the same rights and privileges as if they had been born to the adoptive family including the right of inheritance.