7.1 Forms
Introduction
Prior to the
introduction of “Care First” – the electronic records system, this
chapter of the handbook contained the forms and standard letters
used to record the processes of referral, assessment, planning, and
review for all children in need. This included forms for use
in processes specific to child protection cases, and for reporting
assessments of looked after children.
The forms could be accessed and used by entering the
electronic version of the handbook on the Local Authority web
site.
However, the introduction of an electronic records system has
made it possible to access many of the forms directly from within
the system. Forms accessed from within the system (“Care
Doc”) have the advantage of being pre-populated with personal
information.
Whilst the Care Doc forms
are still shown in this Chapter, they are
marked “Specimen Only – Do Not Use”, and can no longer be
down loaded. Not all forms are available from within the
system: a number must still be accessed from the electronic version
of this Chapter.
Principles
Purpose
Standard forms and letters are provided to
ensure that the necessary information and analysis is carried out
and recorded in a consistent way for all children in need. They are
designed to support the assessment framework and integrated
approach set out in this handbook.
Standards
The standard forms and letters provided must
always be used when recording referrals, assessments, plans and
reviews for children in need.
Every effort will be made to ensure a full
and accurate record for each child. Recording must be factual -
opinions should be clearly identified as such.
The records will be fully shared with
children, young people and their families except where this is
inconsistent with safeguarding the child’s welfare. Information
will normally only be gathered and recorded with consent as
provided in the information sharing protocol. Space is provided on
the relevant forms for recording children/young people and their
families’ views. Records must reflect this involvement fully.
The process of referral, assessment,
planning and review is a multi-agency process. Although Social
Services staff have a lead role in completing many of the records
they must be based on and reflect multi-agency working, and the
responsibility for gathering and analysing the information recorded
is a joint one. There are some forms specifically provided for
other agency contributions. These forms are highlighted below with
a different background colour. The records must be shared amongst
the agencies with a key role in each case.
Cross-references
This chapter contains the following
additional sections:
-
Guidance on using the standard
forms
-
Use of questionnaires and scales as tools in
the assessment process
-
Information about standard letters and their
use
-
Information about leaflets and other
information to be made available for the information of children,
young people and their families.
The forms and standard letters are included
following section 7. 5.
The rest of this section consists of a list
of the forms with brief information about their purpose.
The forms
The forms replace the CHIN and CP forms
previously used by social services and partner agencies. They
integrate these two series of forms into one set of documentation.
They also link in with the LAC forms used for looked after
children.
The following table lists the forms and the
location from which they can be accessed, together with their
purpose and location. Guidance on their use is given in
section. 7.2.
Please note that all forms are in Microsoft
Word 97 template format.
