Children and Families Moving Across Local Authority Boundaries

At any stage in the process of working with children and their families, the parents and/or the child/children may move from one household to another, with a change of address possibly to another local authority area.

The move may be planned and relevant information shared in advance with the professionals and workers involved with the family and child/children.

In some circumstances, however, the move may take place in haste and as an attempt to avoid the involvement of professionals and agencies. In such circumstances, the agencies involved must assess the impact of the change in circumstances on the child/children.

Where children move to a new address - either within the same local authority area or to a new area – and there are concerns about the welfare of the children such that it is considered that a Section 47 Enquiry is required, the local authority for the last known address must make every effort to locate the children and complete the s 47 enquiry.

Professionals in all agencies should be alert to the possibility that a child or family who has moved may not be in receipt of universal services. Professionals should engage with the family in order to link them into local universal services, e.g.:

• Seeking information about the child / family (full names, dates of birth, previous address, GP's name, if attending any school, name of the Health Visitor etc);
  
  For this purpose, professionals should:
  • Ensure that all forenames and surnames used by the family are provided, and clarification is obtained about the correct spelling;
  • Ensure that accurate dates and places of birth are obtained for all household members, wherever possible;
  • Obtain the previous full addresses, and earlier addresses within the last two years;
  • Clarify relationships between the child and other household members, if possible with documentary evidence;
  • Ask the child / family with which statutory or voluntary organisations they are in contact.
• Providing information about relevant services;
• Following up to ensure that the family has managed to make contact and register with a local GP, Health Visitor, school and other relevant services to which the child is entitled;
• Engaging appropriately with relevant agencies regarding any concerns that emerge.

The child's move may be temporary or permanent. If the parent is not prepared to give information or take advice, the receiving authority should assume the move is permanent and act accordingly.

Work with children and their families may be taking place in the context of a Section 47 Enquiry which may be in progress when the child/children and family moves to another local authority area.

Each agency has internal procedures which set out how information about children and families is provided to another local authority/health trust/education service/police force area when such movements take place.

A decision must be made by the responsible professionals (in partnership with parents and children whenever possible and particularly where the move is known and planned) as to how the information is best shared with the new area.

However, in all cases, information should be shared immediately as all information about a child should be held where the child is residing.

Where a child moves across local authority boundaries, and a Section 47 Enquiry is being considered or is in progress and/or a Child Protection Conference (see Child Protection Conferences Procedure) is proposed but has not yet taken place, it is the responsibility of the local authority where the concerns originated to make decisions as to how to proceed.

It is normally advisable that assessments or particular pieces of work are concluded before transfer of case responsibility takes place.

In these circumstances, therefore, the originating authority must continue with the Section 47 Enquiry and should convene a Strategy Discussion/Meeting - this will usually take place within 72 hours of notification of the child's move. However, the timescales may be different depending on the individual circumstances e.g. the geographical proximity of the two areas and/or the gravity of the situation. In all circumstances, however, the Strategy Discussion/Meeting will always involve representatives of both the originating and the receiving authority and their respective roles and responsibilities will be agreed. The Strategy Discussion/Meeting should consider how the timescales for the completion of the Section 47 Enquiry and holding of the Child Protection Conference (if appropriate) will be met. In any case, the social worker from the originating authority will attend and provide a report for the Child Protection Conference.

Where there are any professional disagreements about any of the planned actions, these should be referred in writing to relevant senior managers in the two authorities and escalated until agreement is reached - see Case / Conflict Resolution Procedure. In all circumstances, local managers will exercise professional judgement and act in the best interests of the child/children (facilitate visits etc.) whilst any disagreements are resolved.

Where a Section 47 Enquiry is in progress, as soon as the originating authority becomes aware of the child's move to a new area, the following action should be taken:

The child's social worker will:

• Notify Children's social care in the receiving authority of the change in the child's circumstances within one working day of discovering the move;
• It is expected that s47 enquiries will be completed in the originating area and responsibility for these will not be transferred to the new area;
• Send the child's relevant personal details to Children's social care in the receiving authority;
• Inform his or her line manager of the change;
• Inform any other agencies working with the family of the change in circumstances and ask them to inform their colleagues in the new area;
• Attend any handover meetings in the receiving authority.

The social worker's line manager will:

• Ensure that all information is updated and the correct address is displayed on the child's electronic record;
• Inform the relevant team manager in the receiving authority of the current details and forward any relevant documentation such as copies of the most recent Child in Need Plan and/or a summary of the assessment so far;
• Agree any need for urgent action and, if urgent action is required, agree which local authority will take such action - please refer to guidance re: Case / Conflict Resolution Procedure;
• Agree the convening of a Strategy Discussion/ Meeting within 72 hours;
• Discuss with the relevant team manager in the receiving authority at what stage responsibility for the child should be transferred - please refer to guidance re: Case / Conflict Resolution Procedure.

Particular care and attention must be paid where the family has a history of moving between areas and the timing of their moves appears to suggest that they are seeking to avoid the child protection process.

If children and families about whom there are concerns move and cannot be contacted, this in itself will heighten such concerns and lead professionals to consider that the children may have suffered, or are likely to suffer, Significant Harm.

In such circumstances the agencies involved must share information with one another so that every effort is made to locate the child/children. The responsibility for the family will remain with the local authority for the area of the child's last known address.

A temporary move could cover a range of situations from holiday stays to short stay placement moves to relatives or residential units; the circumstances should always be checked with the child's Lead Social Worker.

Where it is known that the child has moved out of the area for a temporary period, however long or short, the area where the child is temporarily residing must be provided with the relevant information and contact numbers as follows:

• The Lead Social Worker must contact the Designated Manager (Children subject to a Child Protection Plan) and the Children's social care team where the child is temporarily resident, providing them with the relevant personal details and the last Child Protection Plan;
• The 'home' Designated Manager (Children subject to a Child Protection Plan) must write to the Designated Manager (Children subject to a Child Protection Plan) in the area of the temporary residence and include any relevant information.

The child's name and details will remain on the list of Children subject to Child Protection Plans in the permanent home area until the criteria for discontinuing the Child Protection Plan are met. In the event there is disagreement about the proposed move to the receiving area and accepting case transfer through Receiving-in CP Conference, guidance re: Case / Conflict Resolution Procedure must be followed. Whilst this is being swiftly resolved, local managers will exercise professional judgement and act in the best interests of the child/children (facilitate visits etc.) whilst any disagreements are resolved.

Local agencies and professionals should bear in mind when working with children and families where there are outstanding concerns about the children's safety and welfare, including where the concerns are about an unborn child who may be likely to suffer Significant Harm, that a series of missed appointments may indicate that the family has moved out of the area or overseas. Children's social care and the police should be informed immediately when such concerns arise.

Where a child subject of a Child Protection Plan moves abroad whether planned or unplanned the Lead Social Worker and Conference Chair should consider whether to reconvene a Review Conference or Core Group to determine what action to take. Appropriate steps should be taken to inform the relevant local and overseas authorities in the country to which the child has moved of any concerns.

Consideration needs to be given to appropriate legal interventions, where it appears that a child, who has outstanding child protection concerns about their safety and welfare, may be removed from the UK by his/her family in order to avoid the involvement of agencies with safeguarding responsibilities. This also applies when a child, who is subject to a care order, has been removed from the UK. Children's social care, the Police Child Protection Team and the International Child Abduction and Contact Unit at the Ministry of Justice should be informed immediately.

In the case of children taken overseas it may be appropriate to contact the Consular Directorate at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office which offers assistance to British nationals in distress overseas (020 7008 1500). They may be able to follow up a case through their consular post(s) in the country concerned.