The young people referred to Partners in Care Ltd are usually displaying a number of anti social behaviours and difficulties. Many will have been in receipt of multi professional services and their families may be disrupted or non-existent. Their history of going from one service to another underlines the lack of stability in their lives. In order to minimise the chance of further instability Partners in Care Ltd endeavours to offer placements only to those young people who we feel can be successful in the environment we offer.

We can offer placements to young people:

• aged between 8 - 17 years of age;
• of either gender;
• who require emergency / respite care;
• who need medium / long term placements.

We will consider referrals for young people who:

• are victims of abuse (physical, sexual or emotional);
• are going through some form of crisis in their lives;
• are recovering from some form of illness;
• have problems with their sexuality;
• have offending behaviours.

We will not offer a placement to young people who: have a history of arson; are habitual offenders; are Schedule 1 offenders

We will offer a placement to a young person if, after reading the reports, we genuinely believe we can provide a safe, caring environment for that person and that we can address, with some success, his/her needs.

If we believed we couldn't appropriately meet the needs of the young person we would never offer a placement and give the placing authority clear reasons to why we felt unable to do so.

1. When a referral is made to Partners in Care Ltd we send the referring agency a Referral Information Form. If on receipt of this completed form it is considered appropriate to proceed then the following procedure is instigated.
2. The young person's social worker is contacted to arrange a pre-admission meeting and to ensure that all appropriate information regarding the young person is forwarded to Partners in Care Ltd. This information should include educational reports, psychological assessments, social history, court proceedings and the current situation regarding the young person.
3. If required, a manager and staff member will visit the young person at their current placement to discuss the possibility of a move to Partners in Care Ltd and to answer any questions the young person might wish to ask.
4. The social worker would be invited to visit the house, before admission, to ensure the placement and environment is suitable in meeting the young person's needs.
5. The young person should have the opportunity to visit the placement before admission to meet the staff group and ask any questions regarding his/her placement with us.
6. A pre-admission meeting will be held between the Placing Authority and Partners in Care Ltd to discuss an initial 'Care Plan' for the young person and to reach agreement on the desired outcome of the Placement.
7. Partners in Care Ltd will submit to the Placing Authority a copy of their 'Service Agreement' which sets out the terms and conditions of service provision.
8. On admission of the young person it is expected that the Social Worker will notify the relevant Social Service Departments as required.

In the event of an emergency admission, where there isn't time to follow standard admission procedures, Partners in Care Ltd will endeavour to work in partnership with the Placing Authority to ensure that the young person is removed from their point of crisis and re-housed with them in as quickly as possible.

For an emergency procedure placement to be successful it is important that Partners in Care Ltd is given full details regarding the young person's present situation and background so that a professional and proper decision can be made regarding the feasibility of a placement.

On receipt of a completed referral form managers at Partners in Care Ltd will meet to discuss if they believe the needs and care of the young person can be successfully met. An answer will be given to the authority within three working hours.

If Partners in Care Ltd agree to take the emergency placement then a 'Placement Agreement' confirming placement fees and initial placement length will be faxed to the placing authority.

On return, by fax, of this signed 'Placement Agreement' , Partners in Care Ltd will:

- ensure staffing is in place and accommodation is ready to receive the young person;

and will

- collect the young person from any destination in the UK and bring back to one of our homes in Lancashire, Cumbria or Lanarkshire.

On arrival at Partners in Care Ltd the young person will be allowed to settle and made to feel at home. He/she will be allocated a key worker who will be responsible for explaining the basic rules and routines of the house, expectations staff will have of the young person and what the young person can expect from the staff. A Young Person's booklet is given to each young person, which explains much of the information he/she will need to know during his/her stay.

During the first 48 hours emphasis is placed on allowing the young person to settle, find their bearings and in getting to know the staff who will be working with them.

This is a crucial time and every effort is made to create an atmosphere where the young person is made to feel safe, cared for and wanted.

An assessment of the young person will be started during the second week of placement and last for a period of three weeks. A copy of their assessment will be made available to the young person and the social worker. The findings of the assessment should be reflected in the young person's care plan.

Throughout the placement the statutory Child in Care Review System will be operated. The placing authority is responsible for arranging and conducting any reviews.

In most situations, the young person's discharge/departure from Partners in Care Ltd will be planned and agreed amongst all relevant parties, including the young person. This will be conducted with the utmost professionalism and sensitivity.