Legal Tracking and Support Panel

SCOPE OF THIS CHAPTER

This document outlines the procedure for taking cases to the Support Panel in Lincolnshire.

AMENDMENT

This chapter was added to the manual in August 2023.

1. Purpose of Legal Gateway/Planning Meeting

Support Panels have been established to ensure that the decisions for children at the verge of accommodation or legal proceedings are appropriate and consistent, that practice is restorative and children are supported at home within their family (including wider family and connected persons) wherever possible.

2. Criteria to Help Deciding Which Cases are Presented to Panel

2.1 The following should be presented to Panel:

  • Cases where the team considers that the case requires a Legal Gateway/Planning Meeting, Pre-proceedings, cases which have been in Pre-proceedings and parents have been successful in making positive changes and the plan is to withdraw from Pre-proceedings;
  • Cases where Care Proceedings require initiating;
  • Cases where one or other of the parents/caregivers has criminal convictions and /or been involved in any Care Proceedings relating to any connected child, including the removal of previous children, or 'Facts Found' against them initiated by any Local Authority.

3. Benefits

3.1 The benefits of the Support Panel are that social workers are assisted to ensure:

  • The right outcome is achieved for the child & family;
  • Decision making is consistent and evidenced;
  • That everything is being done to support the family;
  • Cases are 'front loaded', if needing to move to initiating Care Proceedings;
  • Scrutiny when agreeing legal proceedings;
  • Input from other services towards the support plan for the family.

4. Composition of Panel

4.1 The Panel will be made up of the following members:

  • Chairperson - Head of Service (Independent from the Line Management of the case);
  • Head of Service (from the service area);
  • Service manager or Locality Lead from Early Help, Family Group Conferencing, Fostering and Social Care;
  • Court Liaison Officer and Lead Solicitor, Child Protection Team;
  • Administrator.

5. Application

The request for the Support Panel is completed using the word document below, please note attachments will be required to support your application. Please see Support Panel Paperwork in Local Resources | All Children | Legal Proceedings.

The following documents must be sent to PanelAdmin@nelincs.gov.uk together with the Support Panel Application Form, by noon on the Friday, prior to the Support Panel the case is being discussed: Support Panel is held every Wednesday at 10 am and the agenda is sent on a Monday with timescales to attend.

  • Child and Family Assessment and/or Parenting Assessment (within 6 months of panel);
  • Early Help Report (if involved);
  • Progress Plan;
  • Chronology;
  • Genogram/Eco map.

The following documents can also be sent in addition to the above:

  • Direct work with the children;
  • FGC Plan;
  • Family Safety Plan;
  • Legal Advice (Including PPM);
  • Signs of Safety Mapping/Harm Matrix;
  • Other documents that may be relevant and inform decision making process should be included as appropriate, for example expert assessment report.

6. Process

The request for Panel should be recorded on liquid logic as a case management oversight by the Service Manger setting out a clear rational as to why the case is progressing to support panel, a plan of what will happen with timescales.

The completed report and supporting documents MUST BE:

  • Sent to and approved by a Service Manager;
  • Sent to PanelAdmin@nelincs.gov.uk by 12 noon, the Friday before the Support Panel.

The Service Manager and Team Manager will be expected to attend Support Panel.

Wherever possible the case will be presented to Support Panel by the Social Worker, Early Help Worker or Keeping Families Together Worker. If the Social Worker or Early Help Worker/ Keeping Families Together Worker cannot attend Panel, their Team Manager will present the information to Support Panel on their behalf.

Information to be presented by other Children's Services Representatives involved with the family, for example Fostering, Family Group Conference.

The outcome will be recorded on Liquid Logic as Management Decision/Discussion.

If it is recommended that a case return to panel, after initial attendance, this should be returned within the identified timescale (Minute taker to book onto next panel).

Cases in Pre-action will be reviewed at panel for a decision to step out of pre-action.

7. Support Panel Decisions

Panel decisions need to be discussed and reviewed in Supervision.

Evidence of completed actions needs to be recorded on the child's file.

All legal actions are to be evidenced and added into the documents section on Liquid Logic as confidential legal advice.

Where Support Panel's decision is to progress with a Family Group Conference, this referral will need to be made within 3 working days of the panel.

Where Support Panel’s decision is for a referral to Early Help or Keeping Families Together services, a referral will not be necessary, a Management Decision/Discussion case note will be added to identify agreed Early Help/Keeping Families Together involvement by locality lead or Team Manager in attendance at panel. This prevents any delay in the referral process.

Please see Early Help Legal Gateway Panel Process and Early Help Report for Panel Prompts and Guidance in Local Resources | All Children | Legal Proceedings.

8. Agreement Outside of Support Panel

If agreement for accommodation or legal proceedings is obtained outside of the Support Panel process, due to the urgency of the situation, this agreement should be obtained via the Locality Head of Service (Assistant Director for purposes of accommodation). The Head of Service MUST:

Record a clear management oversight advising of the rational for the decision on Liquid Logic under Management Decision/Discussion including:

  • Why the agreement was made outside of panel;
  • What the specific agreement is and the timescales;
  • Expectations of additional actions and timescales for completion of these;
  • Ensure the case is presented to Support Panel retrospectively.

9. Support Panel Disagreements

Where members of the Panel are unable to agree the recommendations of the Panel, the areas of disagreement should be noted at Panel and the chair of the Panel should discuss and agree an outcome with the Assistant Director. The panel Chair must record the decision on liquid logic under Management Decision/Discussion.

10. Review

Support Panel activity is reviewed annually; the analysis of the activity will be used to contribute to learning and improvement across Children's services.