Looked after children

We must keep information about all children who are looked after. In Buckinghamshire we use the nationally approved system of record keeping called Looked after children: good parenting, good outcomes. You will be involved in completing many of these records and we will give you a copy of them. The sort of records we must keep include:

These records contain information about your child, such as date of birth, vaccinations, illnesses and school they attend. We will ask for your help in completing these records.

These include a full description of what you tell us about:

• your child's needs
• their routines
• their likes and dislikes
• confirmation from the carers we have chosen to look after your child that they can provide continuous care for them for the time agreed
• your consent to relevant medical treatment

Care Plans contain descriptions of your child's needs and how these needs will be met while they are living away from home. You will be asked to sign the Care Plan to show it has been discussed with you, and whether or not you agree.

We review Care Plans regularly to make sure that they are kept up to date. When it is time for your child's plan to be reviewed, we will give you, and the other people involved in the care of your child, a review consultation leaflet.

We will ask you to fill in the parts of the leaflet that ask for comments, views and ideas about your child's care arrangements. We will then arrange a review meeting, chaired by an independent reviewing officer, and invite you and the other people to be there. This is so that everyone concerned can discuss each Care Plan and make any necessary changes.

There may very occasionally be some reason why it is felt appropriate for you to not be invited to the review. If this happens you will be told the reasons. If you are not invited to a review or are otherwise unable to attend, you will be given the opportunity to make a contribution, in writing or verbally, through your child's social worker.

These booklets contain questions that ensure those responsible for your child's care consider all the important things in your child's life. These include:

• health
• education
• emotional and behavioural development
• social presentation
• self-care skills
• family and social relationships
• identity

When completed, the booklet forms a record to show what has been done and what still needs to be done and by whom. This information is fed into the review.

Where the Care Plan is for an older child not to return home to live, a Pathway Plan is produced with them before they are 16. This plan lays out the nature and level of support they will need as they move toward independent living. It will be reviewed regularly.