What is a Child Looked After (Care and Support Plan) Review?

 A Child Looked After (CLA) review meeting is held to talk about your child or if you are a carer the child you are looking after, and their progress. The review brings together those people who are involved in your child’s life or the child you are looking after and is an opportunity to:-

• Review your child’s Care and Support Plan.The document which sets out how your child will be cared for while they are looked after.
• Discuss your child’s progress in placement.
• Make plans for the future.
• To enable you to give your views about the plans for your child or the child you care for and to take part in the decisions for their future

How often do review meetings happen?

The first review must be held within four weeks of the date on which your child begins to be a child looked after. If your child remains looked after, there must be a second review no more than three months after that. Then reviews have to be held at least every six months or more often if necessary.

Who will be at the review meetings?

Key people in your child’s life will come to the review either as a single meeting or it can be held as a series of meetings. Those people who may attend the review is:

• Your child if they are old enough and understand what is going on.
• You and anyone else with parental responsibility (unless there is a specific reason why you can’t attend).
• Your child’s foster carer or residential worker.
• Your child’s social worker.
• Other people who are important in your child’s life e.g., health visitor, teacher may also attend, however we try to limit the number of people at the meeting so that everyone, especially your child feels able to listen and contribute.

In exceptional cases, parents and supporters of the child will not be allowed to attend the meeting. The IRO and your child’s social worker will make this decision together and explain the reasons why.

What happens at my child’s review meeting?

In the review meetings, we talk about what everyone can do to make sure your child is safe, well and happy and that your child’s Care and Support Plan is working, and your child is supported in all areas of their lives.

The meeting will look at any changes in your child’s life and talk about each part of the Care and Support Plan and will decide whether it needs to change and check that any actions agreed at previous meetings have been achieved.

We will make sure the meeting is as child friendly and relaxed as possible, so your child feels comfortable and safe enough to contribute.

After the looked after review meeting you will receive a written report to confirm what was decided in the meeting and what will happen next and by when.

Your child’s social worker will update the Care and Support Plan to include recommendations from the meeting. At the end of the meeting, a date for the next review will be agreed.

What happens if you can’t attend your child’s review?

If you are unable to attend the review, please let the social worker know how you would like your wishes and feelings to be shared in the meeting. You can also have a discussion with the IRO. There may be exceptions where meetings can be held as a series of meetings to enable you to be part of the child looked after review process. Your contribution is very valuable. If you can’t be there your child’s social worker will tell you what happened at the meeting.

If you have any questions about the review meetings for your child, please make contact with your child’s Social Worker or Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO).