List of Agency Decision Makers, Designated Managers and Nominated Officers
Scope of this chapter
Key decisions Children's Social Care takes in discharging its' statutory social care duties are listed in the table below.
Managers designated with a specified area of responsibility are not permitted to delegate that responsibility further unless arrangements for their absence are expressly stated in this document.
The posts designated to hold specific areas of responsibility represent the lowest level at which that decision can be made. All managers above the specified manager are also permitted to make that decision.
Delegation of Agency Decision Maker (ADM) functions is not permitted and therefore multiple appointments to this role are made to ensure there is sufficient ADM capacity.
NOTE: Consent to life-ending withdrawal of medical support for a child will require an application to the High Court even if all relevant parties are in agreement. Legal advice must be sought as a matter of urgency.
Related guidance
The Agency Decision Maker who make decisions as to whether.
- A child should be placed for adoption;
- A child should be placed with a particular adopter;
- Protected information should be disclosed about adults when determining an application;
- To report to the court on matters relating to the adoption of children.
Post title: Assistant Director Children’s Social Care - in absence or unavailability of AD CSC then Assistant Director Early Help and Prevention or Strategic Director Children’s Services
Approval of Adopters (on the basis of a recommendation of the Adoption Panel).
Post title: Head of Service, Adopt London West
In the absence or unavailability of Head of Service, Adopt London West the Assistant Director Children’s Social Care to make decisions as to the suitability of adopters to adopt by the Adopt London West and provide the ultimate ratification of their suitability to adopt
The Agency Decision Maker who makes decisions on fostering matters (on the basis of recommendations of the Fostering Panel).
Post title: Assistant Director Children’s Social Care
The manager who can authorise appointments to the Central List of Adoption Panel members.
Post title: Head of Service, Adopt London West
The manager who can authorise the level of adoption support to be provided to children, adopters and their family or birth family members.
The manager who can authorise the payment of an Adoption Support allowance.
Post title: Head of Service, Adopt London West or Head of Fostering and Connect
The manager who can authorise appointments to the Central List of Fostering & Permanency Panel members. (In conjunction with HOS).
Post title: Assistant Director
The manager who can authorise the social work team to obtain legal advice around any aspect of law relating to a child/family and/or instructing a barrister.
Post title: Head of Service
The manager who can authorise and will sign off the initial Care Plan to be taken before the Court within Care Proceedings.
Post title: Head of Service
The manager who can authorise the final Care Plan to be taken before the Court within Care Proceedings.
Post title: Head of Service
The manager who can authorise the initiating of Care Proceedings and other applications under the Children Act and Adoption Act, including discharges. These should be heard in accordance with Legal Gateway process or outside of panel in unplanned situation.
Post title: Head of Service
The manager who can agree to the use of Independent/Expert Assessments and Parent/Child Residential Assessments.
Post title: Assistant Director
The manager who can authorise the change of name of a Looked After Child:
- With the written agreement of all with PR; or
- By making an application to the Court.
Post title: Assistant Director
The manager who can authorise the suspension or termination of contact between a Looked After child and their parents (subject to the Court's approval after 7 days for children on Emergency Protection Orders, Interim Care Orders or Care Orders).
Post title: Head of Service
The senior manager who should be notified in the event of death or serious injury to a child.
Post title:
Director Children's Services
Assistant Director
Head of Service
Copy of notification also sent to ESCP Business Manager (Ealing Safeguarding Children Partnership)
The manager who can authorise a child becoming Looked After (S.20). These should be heard in accordance with Legal Gateway process or outside of panel where the decision to accommodate is unplanned.
Where 16-17 year old homeless, decision to be made by HOS at AROH Panel
Post title:
Assistant Director
Head of Service
The manager who can authorise an application for an Emergency Protection Order.
Post title: Assistant Director
The manager who can authorise the placement of a Looked after child outside England and Wales.
Post title: Director Children's Services
The manager who can authorise any exemptions from the usual fostering limit for foster carers living in the local authority area.
Post title: Assistant Director
The manager who can authorise commissioning to search for a placement for a Looked After children with external providers of residential care or foster care, from an independent agency.
Post title: Head of Service
The manager who can authorise placements of Looked After children with external providers of residential care or foster carers from an independent fostering agency.
Post title: Assistant Director
Assistant Director Children's Social Care.
Post title: Assistant Director (approved to make decision by Strategic Director Children's Services)
The manager who can authorise the placement of a Looked After child outside the area of the local authority.
Head of Service Connect and Fostering can authorise for Kinship or Ealing approved carers living elsewhere.
Post title:
Assistant Director
Head of Service
The manager who can agree a placement move of a Looked After Child (in consideration of accompanying assessment/plan).
Post title: Head of Service
The manager who can approve a Pathway Plan.
Post title: Deputy Team Manager
The manager who can authorise the marriage of a Looked After child where the local authority have a court Order and hold Parental Responsibility.
Post title: Assistant Director
The manager who can authorise routine medical treatment for a Looked After child where the local authority have a court Order and hold Parental Responsibility.
Routine means immunisations; dental treatment; blood tests; GP appointments and treatments; hospital treatment for minor conditions or common childhood injuries i.e. broken wrist; cuts requiring stitches using local anaesthetic.
A parents consent should always be sought in the first instance.
Post title: Team Manager
The manager who can authorise invasive medical treatment for a Looked After child where the local authority have a court Order and hold Parental Responsibility.
Invasive means surgery; a procedure requiring a general anaesthetic; internal examinations.
A parents’ consent should always be sought in the first instance. This can be delegated to Service Manager to sign on behalf of HOS if urgent.
Post title: Head of Service
The manager who can authorise high risk medical treatment for any child looked after by the Council in respect of whom, for these purposes, the Council holds parental duties and responsibilities.
High risk means medical termination of pregnancy in a child under 16, high risk surgery where long-term impairment of function is a likely possibility.
A parent’s consent should always be sought in the first instance.
Post title: Assistant Director
Where a Looked After Child from another local authority has been placed in the area, the manager to whom the notification should be sent.
Post title: Heads of Service for ECIRS, Children Looked After (Connect and Fostering) and Safeguarding, Review and QA
The manager who can authorise a passport application for a Looked After child where the local authority have a court Order and hold Parental Responsibility.
Post title: Head of Service
The manager who can authorise an application for a Placement Order after ADM decision.
Post title: Assistant Director
The manager who can approve assessments of private foster carers, impose requirements on private foster carers or decide to prohibit someone from acting as a private foster carer.
Post title: Head of Service
The manager who can authorise a Looked After Child participating in a holiday or school trip outside of the UK.
Any holiday in term time must be agreed by the Head of the Virtual School.
Note: Children looked after where the local authority hold a court Order and Parental Responsibility are permitted to leave the UK for a maximum of 28 days
Post title: Head of Service
The manager who can authorise:
A placement of a Looked After child in secure accommodation for up to 72 hours without a Secure Accommodation Order; and/or
An application for a Secure Accommodation Order; and/or
A child's continued secure placement on the recommendation of the Secure Accommodation Review Panel; and/or
Applications to renewal Secure Accommodation Orders on the recommendation of the Secure Accommodation Review Panel.
Post title: Assistant Director
The manager who can authorise Special Guardianship as the permanence plan for a Looked After child.
Post title: Head of Service
The manager who can authorise the level of special guardianship support to be provided, including financial support to special guardians.
When HOS, this is usually authorised by Head of Services Resources.
Post title: Assistant Director
The manager who can authorise the change of placement affecting a Looked After child in Key Stage 4.
Post title:
Assistant Director
Agreement from Head of the Virtual School should be sought.
The person who can authorise Fostering for Adoption.
Post title: Assistant Director
The manager who can authorise the placement of a Looked After child with a family or friend ('Connected Person') who is not already approved as a foster carer.
Post title: Assistant Director
The manager who can authorise the placement of a Looked After child with a parent, person with Parental Responsibility or person who held a Residence Order/Child Arrangements Order specifying with whom the child was to reside immediately before the Care Order.
Post title: Assistant Director
The manager who can authorise the placement of a Looked After child with an unregulated carer (authoriser of the risk assessment).
Post title: Assistant Director
The manager who can determine allowances under the Residence / Child Arrangement Order and Adoption / Special Guardianship Allowances Scheme and to approve revisions to the level of such allowances from time to time as required by the agency’s procedures.
Post title: Assistant Director
The manager who can agree terms for the acquisition of legal interests in properties on behalf of children for whom the Council has responsibility pursuant to the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 as amended.
Post title: Assistant Director
| Designated Managers with Specified Area of Responsibility | DCS | AD | HOS | TM | DTM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | S17 payments £100 and under | X | X | X | X | X |
| 2 | S17 payments £100 to £500 | X | X | X | X | |
| 3 | S17 payments £500 to £1000 | X | X | |||
| 4 | S17 payments £1000 to £10,000 | X | X | |||
| 5 | Payments for arrears to unregulated carers up to £5000 | X | X | |||
| 6 | Payments for arrears to unregulated carers over £5000 | X | X | |||
| 7 | Payment support for accommodation in emergency or short-term arrangements | X | X | |||
| 8 | Commissioning of specialist assessments | X | X | |||
| 9 | Commissioning of child or adult therapies from private providers | X | X | |||
| 10 | Pathways young people payments for up to £200 | X | X | X | X |
Last Updated: December 6, 2023
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