3.1 Referrals

AMENDMENTS

This chapter has been amended to take account of the changes in Working Together to Safeguard Children 2010 and to reflect the revised threshold for referral to Children’s Social Work Services (agreed in November 2010).

Section 1, Local Authority Responsibilities was added in February 2012.

RELEVANT LINKS

Click here to access the Children and Families, Inter-Agency Referral Form.

1. Local Authority Responsibilities

1.1

The duties and responsibilities of Children's Social Work Services are outlined in relevant legislation, the most significant being the Children Act 1989, and guided by numerous other statutory guidance such as Working Together and the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010. The principal responsibility is for the local authority to undertake an Initial Assessment of a child's needs to determine if they are a Child in Need. If a child is assessed to be a Child in Need, Children's Social Work Services have a duty to provide services to the child and they will conclude their Initial Assessment to define whether the child is a child in need of support, local authority care or protection. Some children will be defined as a "Child In Need" by virtue of their status or situation and will not require an Initial Assessment to make this determination. Local Authority Children's Services have a statutory duty to provide services to these children. Children with a status for statutory intervention are outlined below;

Children with a disability;
Children who are care leavers;
Children and young people requiring court sanctioned assessment or intervention (e.g. Section 7 Reports, children subjects of Supervision Order);
Children who are cared for in Private Fostering care arrangements
Unaccompanied children

1.2

The statutory duties for each are set out in specific legislation or guidance. When making a referral to Children's Social Work Services for any child who is known to meet one of these categories the referrer should make this clear in the referral.

2. Early Intervention and Support Services

2.1	Universal and targeted services to children and families are a key part of service provision which aim to support parents enabling them to identify and meet the needs of their own children. Where a professional identifies a child or young person with additional needs they must consider if these needs can be met through the provision of universal and targeted support services.
2.2	This intervention can be single or joint agency. Where there is a joint agency plan of services, a Lead Person must be identified to co-ordinate the plan of intervention.
2.3	Professionals should use the Common Assessment Tool to support them in identifying the needs and then follow Solihull LINCS framework to deliver and monitor the services provided and measure improved outcomes for the child.
2.4	The impact and success on outcomes for the child is dependant on the engagement and co-operation of parents and their parenting capacity to meet the needs of their children.
2.5	Where universal and targeted support services have been unable to address the additional needs of a child, there is a risk that those needs will become greater and/or more complex. Where the level of parenting ability or degree of voluntary engagement of the parents / carer presents as a cause for concern, the child is at risk of becoming a Child in Need under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989 and therefore targeted support services and Children’s Social Work specialist services need to work together.
2.6	The needs of children and their families are complex and interchangeable; identifying those children in need whose needs can be met through support offered by universal and targeted support services and those who are in need of Children’s Social Work Services to prevent them becoming children in need of care and or protection can be difficult.
2.7	Therefore professionals working with children are invited to contact Children’s Social Work Services to discuss a case in order to jointly decide on the most appropriate course of intervention for each child and their family and explore whether a referral to Children’s Social Work Services is required or not.
2.8	The Children’s Social Work Duty Assessment & Referral Team (DART) will provide advice and information to ensure that the support services being provided are appropriate and ensure that intervention is appropriately evidence based and reviewed in order to monitor outcomes and prevent unnecessary delay and duplication at any later stages of statutory support and/or compulsory intervention.
1.9	This contact will be recorded as an “Initial Contact - Professional Discussion” and not a referral. Where the discussion leads to an agreement that a referral to Children’s Social Work Services is required then the process as set out in Section 2, Referring to Children’s Social Work Services should be followed.
2.10	Although this professional discussion seeks to encourage and support joint decision making it is ultimately the decision of the individual professional who has made contact with DART as to whether a formal referral to Children’s Social Work Services should be made or not.
2.11	Parents/carers should always be given the opportunity and support to meet the needs of their children in the first instance unless the child is thought to have suffered or be at risk of suffering Significant Harm. However, where universal/targeted support services have been unable to make a difference and improve outcomes within a timescale that promotes the child’s welfare then a referral to Children’s Social Work Services should be made.
2.12	Three key areas where a referral to Children’s Social Work Services Duty Assessment and Referral Team (DART) should be made have been identified: Where targeted support services have been offered but there is refusal or reluctance by the parent / carer to engage or engage consistently with the support being offered and therefore the identified cause of concern/need is not being addressed, i.e. no improved outcome for the child Where targeted support services have been in place but the parent or carer appear unable to make the required changes in order to improve outcomes for the child Where a child has been identified as having suffered or likely to suffer Significant Harm

3. Referring to Children’s Social Work Services

3.1	This section assumes that you have identified child welfare concerns and discussed them with your line manager or Designated Professional and that you are concerned enough about a child to want to make a referral to Children's Social Work Services because you think they will be best placed to help. For further assistance, please refer to the attached flowchart which is taken from the guidance document "What to do if you're worried that a child is being abused" - this guidance was last issued by the Department for Education and Skills in December 2006; the full text can be found at the Every Child Matters website. The flowchart describes the actions to be taken if you have concerns about a child's welfare. If there are concerns about the child's immediate safety as a result of the referral, the actions to be taken are described in Section 12, Emergency Protective Action. If any Initial Assessment is required, the actions to be taken are described in the Initial Assessments Procedure.
3.2	Referrals must be made in one of the following ways: In writing, using the Children and Families Inter-Agency Referral Form addressed to the relevant Children’s Social Work Services office. If the matter is urgent a telephone referral should be made prior to submitting the written referral In urgent situations a referral can be made in person at the duty office In an emergency outside office hours, by contacting the Emergency Duty Team or the Police Click here to access Children and Families, Inter-Agency Referral Form . The CAF form is not a referral form, or a prerequisite to a referral, although it may be used to support a referral or a specialist assessment
3.3	All professional referrers must confirm verbal and telephone referrals in writing within 48 hours, using the Children and Families Inter-Agency Referral Form.
3.4	In respect of Police referrals, a 392 report will be accepted with additional written information as required to support the quality of the referral (see Section 3.3) and ultimately inform decision making.
3.5	Referrals should be made to the duty office for Solihull Children’s Social Work Services: Blue Bell Centre, West Mall. Chelmsley Wood Town Centre B37 5TN 0121 7884333.
3.6	A referral must be made regarding a new concern even if it is known that Children’s Social Work Services are already involved with the child/family. In such cases it may not be necessary to complete the interagency referral form but the referral must be confirmed in writing to the allocated social worker.
3.7	If the child is known to have an allocated social worker, referrals should be made directly to the allocated worker or, in her/his absence, the manager or a duty officer in the team. If you are not aware of the name or contact number for the allocated social worker you should contact the DART duty office and they will assist in confirming this detail.
3.8	If the relevant Children’s Social Work Services office is closed, the concern must be reported to the Emergency Duty Team or to the Police Protection Unit - Child Abuse Investigation Team or if not available, to the Duty Inspector at the nearest Police Station.
3.9	If the Police receive a referral concerning the welfare or safety of a child they will consult with the relevant Children’s Social Work team prior to taking any action unless to do so would leave a child at immediate risk of significant harm or seriously hinder a criminal investigation.
3.10	Individual arrangements within an agency may be that a designated person makes the referral. However, if the designated person is not available, the referral must still be made without delay to Children’s Social Work Services.
3.11	A formal referral or any urgent medical treatment must not be delayed by the unavailability of designated staff.

4. Quality and Content of Referrals

4.1	Referrals to Solihull Duty Assessment and Referral Team (DART) service are received by a trained Referral and Advice Officer (RAO) who have direct liaison with an experienced Assistant Team Manager (ATM) on all referrals. It is the role of the RAO to support the referrer to provide as much information as possible which will inform the ATM’s decisions making.
4.2	Children’s Social Work Services will need to decide with you whether: This is a Child in Need case, requiring an Initial Assessment, Strategy Discussion or a Core Assessment, or Another agency should deal with the matter, or You need to continue to monitor the situation and/or undertake a Common Assessment or offer support through the LINCS framework.
4.3	Therefore the following issues will be asked of the referrer in the process of receiving the referral: What support services you have already offered to the child or family to address the needs you have identified. Why you think the time is right to refer the matter with Children’s Social Work Services. What information you can give about: The child’s development needs Parenting capacity Social and environmental factors How you will remain involved with the family and if appropriate how you can help to introduce a social worker to the family, e.g. by a joint visit. Whether the parents know that you are making the referral and whether they were in agreement to you making the referral. Whether you have any information about difficulties being experienced by the family/household due to domestic abuse, mental illness; substance misuse, and/or learning difficulties. Confirm any significant/important recent or historical events/incidents in the child or family’s life. Clarify what information that the referrer is reporting directly and what information has been obtained from a third party. Discuss any known or suggested information relating to the child or family being in contact with a Person Posing a Risk to Children. Confirm what you think Children’s Social Work Services might do as a response to your referral.
4.4	It will also be important for the Referral and Advice Officer to establish how to re-contact the referrer if further clarification is required and clarify the extent to which the referrer’s anonymity can be maintained
4.5	In addition to the questions set above the Referral and Advice Officer will need to obtain the following information for data purposes: The referrer’s name and designation/relationship to the child The full name, date of birth and gender of child/children The full family address and any known previous addresses The identity of those with Parental Responsibility The names, date of birth and information about all household members, including any other children in the family and significant people who live outside the child’s household The ethnicity, first language and religion of children and parents/carers Any need for an interpreter, signer or other communication aid Any special needs of the children
4.6	In the case of suspected Significant Harm, the following should also be provided in order to support appropriate and timely decision making for children identified as having suffered or being at risk of suffering Significant Harm: (Also see Section 47 Enquiries and Core Assessment Procedure). The cause for concern including details of any allegations, their sources, timing and location The child’s account and the parents’ response to the concerns if known The identity and current whereabouts of any suspected/alleged perpetrator and or degree of contact with the child The child’s current location and emotional and physical condition Whether the child is currently safe or is in need of immediate protection because of any approaching deadlines (e.g. child about to be collected by alleged abuser) The parents’ current location The referrer’s relationship and knowledge of the child and parents/carers Known current or previous involvement of other agencies/professionals
4.7	As a referrer you should prepare this information as part of your referral where possible but where parts of this information is not readily available, this should not cause a delay in the referral being made.

5. Action taken in response to Referrals Received

The Referral & Advice Officer receiving the referral will:

Check whether the child or children have an existing Child in Need Plan of Support, Protection or Care and whether there has been any previous involvement with Children’s Social Work Services in relation to the child or children concerned and any other members of the household
Identify and consult with other agencies or persons as appropriate who may hold relevant information
Liaise with the Police if any offence has been or is suspected to have been committed

5.2

Send written acknowledgment of the receipt of a written referral and the first response decision within one working day. (This can be via email if the appropriate secure network is available).

5.3

If the referrer has not received an acknowledgement within three working days, they should again make contact with Children’s Social Work Services

6. Decision Making

6.1	The decision on what action will be taken in response to a referral will be made by the Assistant Team Manager on duty within 24 hours. The Local Authority has a statutory responsibility to assess whether or not a child is a Child in Need. In order to make this determination, the Assistant Team Manager receiving the referral will need to review: The nature of the concern How and why it has arisen What the presenting child’s and family’s needs appear to be What relevant historical information is held by Children’s Social Work Services Whether the concern indicates a likelihood of Significant Harm and if so; Whether there is any need for any urgent action to protect the child, any other child in the same household or any child in contact with an alleged perpetrator Whether there are any other children, either in the household or in contact with any alleged perpetrator of abuse, identified as in need or at risk of harm Whether there are any concerns regarding an abuse of a position of trust
6.2	The outcome of the referral will be one of the following: Initial Assessment to determine whether or not the child/ren is a child in need of Support, Protection and or Care. (The Initial Assessment may be very brief if the criteria for initiating a Strategy Discussion are met) and/or That a child and family have been identified as in need of support services and these need to be offered in order to support a parent / carer to meet the needs of the children preventing the child from becoming a child in need of statutory services. In such cases a referral to another agency and/or the provision of advice and information should be made under the LINCS Framework. A child has been identified as in need of Statutory Services i.e. Private Fosteringassessment, 16+ provision, Disability support services. In such cases an assessment and or referral to the appropriate team for assessment and or intervention will be made. That a person in a position of trust may have abused that position of trust and as a result a child may be a Child in Need. In such cases a referral under the Allegations against Persons who work with Children Procedure will be made to further investigate the abuse of the position of trust and a decision made as to whether an Initial Assessment is required. That no further action is required in response to the referral. In such cases the referral information will be recorded and retained for information and used to inform decision on any future relevant referrals.
6.3	The decision will be fed back to the referrer either by the Referral and Advice Officer or a member of the duty team allocated to work with the child and family, this may be the Social Worker or Family Support Worker.
6.4	Feedback on the outcome of a referral will be provided to the referrer, including where no further action is to be taken.
6.5	In the case of a referral by a member of the public, feedback should be provided in a way which will respect the confidentiality of the child.
6.6	At the end of any discussion or dialogue about the decision, the referrer (whether a professional, a member of the public, a family member or the child) and Children’s Social Work Services should be clear about any proposed action, timescales and who will be taking it, or whether no further action will be taken. The outcome should be recorded by Children’s Social Work Services and by the referrer (if a professional in another service).
6.7	Where a referrer is unclear or in disagreement with the decision made, they should ask to speak to the responsible qualified social worker or the duty Assistant Team Manager in the first instance to try and reach an agreed understanding regarding the decision.
6.8	In the event that a referring professional does not agree with the proposed response to the referral, the referrer should discuss their concerns directly with the duty Assistant Team Manager or Team Manager in the first instance to seek resolution, otherwise see Resolving Professional Disagreements Procedure.

7. Pre-Birth Referrals and Children’s Social Work Services Response

7.1	Where agencies or individuals anticipate that an unborn baby may be a child in need of support, care or protection following his or her birth or where the baby, once born, may be a child in need for whom the Local Authority will have statutory responsibilities, a referral to Children’s Social Work Services must be made as soon as the concerns are recognised.
7.2	Where the family is already an open case to Children’s Social Work Services a written referral of concern should still be made.
7.3	Where the concerns centre around a category of parenting behaviour, for example, substance misuse, the referrer must make clear how this is likely to impact on the baby and what risks are predicted
7.4	The name of the father should be established whenever possible to inform the referral but the name of the mother must be used as the primary name given to the unborn.
7.5	Concerns for the welfare of an unborn child should be referred as soon as possible in order to: Provide sufficient time to make adequate plans for the baby’s protection Provide sufficient time for a full and informed assessment Avoid initial approaches to parents in the last stages of pregnancy, at what is already an emotionally charged time Enable parents to have more time to contribute their own ideas and solutions to concerns and increase the likelihood of a positive outcome to assessments Enable the early provision of support services so as to facilitate optimum home circumstances prior to the birth
7.6	Concerns should be shared with prospective parent/s and consent obtained to refer to Children’s Social Work Services unless this action in itself may place the welfare of the unborn child at risk, e.g. if there are concerns that the parent/s may move to avoid contact with social workers or other professionals.
7.7	Children’s Social Work Response to Pre Birth Referrals A pre-birth Initial Assessment will be undertaken on all pre-birth referrals where: A sibling in the household has a Child Protection Plan A sibling has previously been removed from the household by Court Order or Accommodated as a result of concerns regarding Significant Harm A Child Death Review has raised significant concerns about a previous child of the family The mother of the unborn is monitored through MARAC as high risk victim of Domestic Abuse or where there is a repeated pattern of domestic abuse known for either parent/partner/birth father to the unborn The degree of parental substance misuse is likely to cause withdrawal in the baby at birth, significantly impact on the baby’s development and or impact on the parenting capacity The degree of parental mental illness/impairment is likely to significantly impact on their parenting capacity including a parent previously suspected of causing Fabricated or Induced Illness or a prospective parent who has been the subject of fabricating or inducing illness as a child themselves The mother of the unborn is the subject of a plan and open case to Children Social Work Services.

8. Where There is or May be a Crime Committed

8.1	If the referral relates to a situation in which a crime has or may have been committed against a child, including sexual or physical assault or physical injury caused by neglect, the worker receiving the referral must discuss the referral with the Police at the earliest opportunity.
8.2	The Police, in consultation with Children’s Social Work Services and any other agencies involved with the child, must consider whether there should be a criminal investigation and/or a Children’s Social Work Services led investigation.
8.3	Whilst the responsibility to instigate criminal proceedings rests with the Police, they should consider the view expressed by other agencies. In the case of less serious cases, it may be agreed that the best interests of the child would be served by a Children’s Social Work Services led intervention rather than a criminal investigation.
8.4	In circumstances where it is suspected that the child may have been conceived as the result of an incestuous relationship or inter familial abuse, consideration should be given to the use of DNA testing and the role of agencies and geneticists.

9. Emergency Medical Action

9.1

If the child is suffering from a serious injury, medical attention must be sought immediately by calling an ambulance or taking the child to the Accident and Emergency Department of the local hospital. The duty consultant paediatrician must be informed of the nature of the concerns and a referral made in accordance with this procedure as soon as practically possible.

10. Emergency Protection

10.1	The safety of children is paramount in all decisions relating to their welfare. Any action taken by staff should ensure that no child is left in immediate danger Where there is a risk to the life of a child or a likelihood of immediate Significant Harm, the social worker and/or Police officer must act to secure the safety of the child in the first instance and then agree further action in a strategy discussion.
10.2	The agency taking protective action must always consider whether action is also required to safeguard other children in the same household or in the household of an alleged perpetrator or elsewhere.
10.3	Section 3(5) of the Children Act 1989 empowers anyone who has care of a child to do all that is reasonable in the circumstances to safeguard her/his welfare.
10.4	Emergency action may be necessary as soon as the referral is received or at any point during involvement with children, parents or carers, where there is evidence that the risk to the child is sufficiently acute.
10.5	Where abuse is alleged, suspected or confirmed in children admitted to hospital, they must not be discharged until a referral has been made to Children’s Social Work Services in accordance with this procedure and a decision made as to the need for immediate protective action.
10.6	Responsibility for immediate action rests with Children’s Social Work Services for the area where the child is found, but should be in consultation with the Local Authority where the child is ordinarily resident, if different.
10.7	Immediate protection may be achieved by: An alleged abuser agreeing to leave the home The removal of the alleged abuser Voluntary agreement for the child or children to move to a safer place with or without a protective person Application for an Emergency Protection Order (EPO) Removal of the child or children under Police Protection Gaining entry to the household under Police powers
10.8	Children’s Social Work Services should only seek the assistance of the Police to use their powers of Police Protection in exceptional circumstances where there is insufficient time to seek an Emergency Protection Order.
10.9	Planned immediate protective action will normally take place following a Strategy Discussion between Police, Children’s Social Work Services and other agencies as appropriate (including the NSPCC where involved). Where a single agency has to act immediately to protect a child, a Strategy Discussion should take place as soon as possible after such action to plan next steps.
10.10	Social workers must refer to the Children’s Social Work Procedures for more detailed guidelines on applications for Emergency Protection Orders. Legal advice should normally be obtained before initiating legal action, even when an Emergency Protection Order is to be sought. The social worker must also seek the agreement of her/his Team Manager/Assistant Team Manager before initiating emergency legal action. NB Where a child is afforded immediate protection by an Emergency Protection Order or Police Protection, the Local Authority has a duty to initiate a Section 47 Enquiry.

11. Confidentiality

11.1	The safety and welfare of the child overrides all other considerations, including the following: Confidentiality The gathering of evidence Commitment or loyalty to relatives, friends or colleagues
11.2	In deciding whether there is a need to share information, professionals need to consider their legal obligations, including whether they have a legal duty of confidentiality towards the child. Where there is such a duty, the professional may lawfully share information if the child consents of if there is a public interest to do so, for example, the public interest in protecting the child from harm. This must be judged by the professional on the facts of each case. Where there is clear likelihood of significant harm to a child, or serious harm to adults, the public interest test will almost certainly be satisfied.
11.3	The overriding consideration must be the best interests of the child, for this reason, absolute confidentiality cannot and should not be promised to anyone. See Information Sharing and Confidentiality Protocol for further guidance.
11.4	For guidance in relation to making a referral relating to under-age sexual activity - see Multi-Agency Protocol for Identifying and Responding to Cases of Harm Arising from Under Age Sexual Activity.
11.5	Anonymous referrals must be given the same degree of importance and priority as other referrals. Anonymity of the referrer does not and should not be seen as an indictor that the content of the referral is any less of a concern.
11.6	Individual members of the public who make a referral may prefer not to give their name or alternatively they may disclose their identity, but not wish for it to be revealed to the parents/carers of the child concerned. Where possible this request should be respected and their identity kept confidential.
11.7	Professionals making a referral are expected to provide their professional details; this does not mean the information will automatically be shared with the child or family.
11.8	However no referrers should not be given any guarantees of confidentiality, as there are certain circumstances in which their identity may have to be given, e.g. the Court arena or may become evident e.g. where the content of the referral may identify the source of the referral.
11.9	In all cases a decision will need to be reached as to whether the source of the referral needs to be identified in order to; promote professional working together arrangements and or allow Children Social Work Services to progress an investigation into the concerns raised.
11.10	Where the identity of the referrer will be disclosed or is likely to become known to the child and family consideration must be given to any risk posed to the referrer. Where a risk is identified a children social work manager should complete a Service User Risk Management plan (SURM) in order to identify how best to minimise and manage the risk.

12. Listening to the Child

12.1	If the child makes an allegation or discloses information which raises concern about actual or potential Significant Harm, the initial response should be limited to listening carefully to what the child says so as to: Clarify the concerns Confirm who the child has already told, if anyone Make a full written record of what is being said by the child in their words
12.2	If a child is freely recalling events, the response should be to listen, rather than stop the child; questioning of the information being given must be limited to confirming factual accuracy required to provide a quality referral, e.g. who are the people involved, what has actually happened and when and where did any incident occur.
12.3	If the child has an injury but no explanation is volunteered, it is acceptable to enquire how the injury was sustained.
12.4	However, the child must not be pressed for information, led or cross-examined or given false assurances of absolute confidentiality. Such well-intentioned actions could prejudice Police investigations.
12..5	It is important that the child should not be asked to repeat the information to a colleague or write the information down. Making an accurate record of what the child has said, recording the child's own words, is the responsibility of the person to whom the child has disclosed.
12.6	A record of all conversations, (including the timings, the setting, those present, as well as what was said by all parties) and actions must be kept.
12.7	No enquiries or investigations may be initiated without the authority of Children’s Social Work Services or the Police.

13. Child’s Consent to the Referral

13.1	If the child can understand the significance and consequences of making a referral, his or her views regarding a referral to Children Social Work Services should be obtained and taken into consideration by the referring professional.
13.2	Whilst the child’s views should be sought, it remains the responsibility of the professional to take whatever action is required to ensure the safety of that child and any other children.
13.3	It is important to explain to the child in an age appropriate way how the information will be passed to Children’s Social Work Services and/or the Police as the agencies with lead responsibility for the welfare and protection of children.
13.4	Where the child does not wish his or her parent to know that they or someone else has made a referral about them, those receiving the referral must consider the wishes and best interests of the child. If the child can be considered as “Fraser Competent” then direct work can be undertaken with the child without parental knowledge or consent, however it is always important to encourage a child to be open and to engage parents unless to do so would increase a risk of harm to the child or young person.
13.5	Any decision not to advise a parents about a referral or contact with a Young Person must be recorded in detail in order to provided a record of defensible decision making.

14. Parental Consent to the Referral

14.1

The referrer should seek, in general, to discuss concerns with the family and, where possible seek the family’s agreement to making a referral unless this may place the child at increased likelihood of suffering Significant Harm by:

Delay in referral
The response it prompts from the parents
Alerting the alleged perpetrator

A decision by any professional not to seek parental permission before making a referral to Children’s Social Work Services must be recorded and the reasons given.

14.2

Where a parent has agreed to a referral, this must be recorded and confirmed on the Children and Families Inter-Agency Referral Form.

Where the parent is consulted and refuses to give permission for the referral, further advice should be sought from a manager or the Designated Professional, unless to do so would cause undue delay. The outcome of the consultation and any further advice should be fully recorded.

14.3

If, having taken full account of the parent’s wishes, it is still considered that there is a need for a referral:

The reason for proceeding without parental agreement must be recorded
Children’s Social Work Services should be told that the parent has withheld her/his permission
The parent should be contacted by the referring professional to inform her/him that after considering their wishes, a referral has been made. The timing of this contact should be agreed with Children’s Social Work Services

15. Cross Boundary Referrals Regarding Significant Harm

15.1	The Local Authority in whose area a child, who may be likely to suffer Significant Harm, is found is responsible for taking the action.
15.2	Therefore, if the referral relates to a child whose home is in Solihull, but who is temporarily visiting or resident in the area of another local authority or in a hospital in the area of another authority, the local authority for the area where the child actually is at the time of the referral has prime responsibility for acting upon the referral.
15.3	Similarly, it is the responsibility of Solihull Children’s Social Work Services to make initial enquiries and take any action necessary where a referral relates to a child temporarily in Solihull but normally resident elsewhere.
15.4	Where the child is ordinarily resident in another authority, that authority must be consulted before any action is taken, including involving them in the Strategy Discussion. Where it is consistent with the child’s immediate protection needs, it may be agreed that the child’s home authority will respond to the referral. Only when the home local authority explicitly agrees to accept responsibility is the host authority relieved of further responsibility to take any required action.
15.5	Where the host authority retains responsibility for responding to the referral, they must always involve the home authority and other agencies in the home authority in the process so as to ensure that the child is safeguarded, especially where there are plans to return the child to his or her home address.
15.6	All enquiries and actions should be confirmed in writing with the home authority.

16. Extension of Timescales

16.1

Any timescales referred to in this procedure are the minimum standards required by the Local Safeguarding Children Board.

16.2

Where the welfare of the child requires it, shorter timescales must be achieved.

16.3

Extensions to the timescales must be authorised by the relevant manager following consultation with relevant managers from the other agencies involved and can only be authorised where the following exceptional circumstances apply:

The need to engage interpreters and/or translators
Complex cases, for example those involving organised abuse or fabricated or induced illness

End