The services in the links below are available to children and young people in care who may be placed in Cornwall by other local authorities. This includes children placed for adoption or with prospective special guardians.
It also includes the process to notify us when a child in care is placed in Cornwall or when their placement changes or ends.
Please share the information with all relevant professionals within your Local Authority so they are aware of the requirement to notify us and what services are available.
Cornwall is located to the South West of England and borders Devon and Plymouth. The Isles of Scilly is a separate authority but does receive support from Cornwall Council for some of its health and social care functions.
Council of the Isles of Scilly:
Children’s social care: 01720 424490
Out of hours: 01720 422699
If you are planning on placing a child or young person within the boundaries of Cornwall you should consult with us. This is in line with the 2015 amendments to the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010.
Please contact us with the up to date care plan for the child within five working days of the start of the placement.
If you are unsure if a placement is based within the boundary of Cornwall please use the tool on the gov.uk website.
A copy of the care plan should be made available within five working days of the commencement of the placement.
For child protection enquiries contact our Multi Agency Referral Unit on:
- 0300 1231 116
- Out of hours telephone 01208 251300
For allegations made against those who work with children the referral should be made using the online LADO referral form. Advice and guidance can be sought in the first instance from the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) on 01872 326536.
For allegations relating to the abuse of vulnerable adults (18 and over) a Persons in a Position of Trust (PiPoT) referral should be made. Advice and guidance can be sought from the Adult Safeguarding Team on 01872 326433.
If you have a concern that the child or young person you are placing in Cornwall has been:
- trafficked
- or is a victim of exploitation
please contact:
- the MARU
- or Out of Hours Service
- and Devon and Cornwall Police at 101@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk
-
Telephone: 01872 254523 / 01872 245590
If you are placing a child with complex health needs who is an open case to health services in your area including CAMHS, please make arrangements with the relevant services that are working with the child in your area to transfer the case to relevant Health services in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
Please also contact the Cornwall children in care health team who will be able to support you with this. Contact with them will also allow the CIC health Team to liaise with the care provider receiving the child to check that staff have adequate training and support to meet the child’s needs and are linked to the relevant services available in Cornwall.
All children in care living in Cornwall must be registered with a:
- local GP
- dentist
- and optician
They will have access to universal services, including Health Visiting and School Nursing (if attending a local school).
Children in care will require Statutory Health Assessments. These are co-ordinated by the Specialist Children in Care Nursing Team for Cornwall. In most cases this will be a Specialist Children in Care Nurse.
- Initial Health Assessments are carried out by the Community Paediatric Medical Team
- Review Health Assessments are carried out by the most appropriate Health Professional
Specialist CIC Health Team Nurses and Medical Adviser for Adoption and Fostering | Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust
- Email: rch-tr.Cornwallchildrenincarehealthteam@nhs.net
- Telephone: 01872 254523 / 01872 254590
The Designated Nurse | Kernow Clinical Commissioning Group (KCCG)
- Liz Allan, Designated LAC Nurse
- Email: liz.allan6@nhs.net
- Telephone: 07919 995189
All requests for Health Assessments should be emailed to rch-tr.cornwallchildrenincarehealthteam@nhs.net. Please do not send any requests for Health Assessments direct to individual practitioners.
If there is a need to refer the child to another service for further assessment or support, the placing authority will be informed.
Cornwall provides a range of health and other services to support children with additional needs. Find out more on the SEND Local Offer website.
CAMHS Access Team | Cornwall Partnership Trust
- Tel: 01209 881600, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm
- Email: cft.camhsreferrals@nhs.net
- Website: www.cornwallft.nhs.uk/camhs
Awena, Cornwall's Virtual School delivers the statutory duty to promote and monitor the educational achievement for children in care 2-18 years (to 25 years for advice and guidance), as well as any child that has previously been in care (PLAC).
Awena delivers its service through:
- advice
- guidance
- direct support
- and professional challenge to schools and other services regardless of where they are placed
All Cornwall’s
- schools
- academies
- and colleges
are part of our learning community and work in partnership with us to enable each child in care to access and meet the best possible outcomes.
All settings have a Designated Teacher for Children in Care and Previously looked after Children. This is to promote their educational achievement and to be an advocate for this vulnerable group.
The Virtual school post 16 lead liaises closely with the 16+ team to support transition to further education.
- Head of Virtual School | Emma Phillips
Email Emma.Phillips@cornwall.gov.uk - Lead for Cornish children placed out of county | Sarah Hamshaw
Email: Sarah.Hamshaw@cornwall.gov.uk - Lead for Safer in School
Email: sam.harrison@cornwall.gov.uk
Children in care should not be placed in another authority without educational provision in place.
All applications for:
- primary
- and secondary school places (including in-year applications)
should go through Cornwall’s School Admissions Team. Applications for children in care must be completed by the Social Worker.
For further information and advice please contact:
School Admissions
For children with an EHC plan please contact:
Statutory SEN Service
- Email: StatutorySEN@cornwall.gov.uk
- Telephone: 01872 324242
A child is defined as having Special Educational Needs (SEN) if he or she has a learning difficulty which, requires special educational provision to be made.
Each setting is required to publish the services and resources available for pupils with special educational needs or disabilities. This is the SEND Information Report published on their website.
Admissions for children who have an Education, Health and Care Plan are arranged through the Statutory SEN Service. They work with the Virtual School for Children in Care.
The child or young person's home authority Statutory SEN Service should be made aware of the placement move so that documents can be transferred to the SEN Service in Cornwall.
Every Local Authority is required to publish information about services that are available for children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities, and their families.
Cornwall has an integrated Early Help Hub which is the single point of access for:
- professionals
- families
- and young people
to access Early Help Services in Cornwall.
Early Years provision in Cornwall is provided through a mixed market of:
- maintained nursery schools and classes
- private, voluntary and independent sector providers
- childminders
Information, advice and guidance about Early Years providers can be found via the Family Information Service.
Eligibility for early education places for children in care is implemented according to the Early Education and Childcare Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities.
Our Family Information Service (FIS) provides guidance on the full range of Ofsted registered childcare and early years education in Cornwall.
- Email: fis@cornwall.gov.uk
- Telephone: 0800 587 8191
Family Hubs offer a range of support services to children, young people and their families aged -9 months to 25 years.
These are delivered through multi-agency partnerships including Cornwall Council early help services, children’s community based health services, voluntary and community sector, education and early years.
Gweres Tus Yowynk (Helping Young People) incorporating our Youth Justice Service
The principle aims of the Youth Justice Service (YJS) are:
- reduce the likelihood of re-offending
- the harm caused by offending to specific victims and communities
- bring change that will also improve the life chances of individual children and young people.
The principles underpinning the work of Cornwall and Isles of Scilly's Youth Justice Service starts with the belief that children are:
- children first
- capable of change
and that our role as professionals is to facilitate this by building meaningful relationships with the children and young people who use our service. This is in order to inspire, motivate and empower them to make positive changes and achieve positive outcomes.
We are committed to working with partner agencies to avoid children becoming looked after wherever possible and to:
- provide robust, timely intervention programmes that prevent young people coming into custody / youth detention
- unless in exceptional circumstances when the risk to the public / specific victims is too great.
We have agreed standards for information sharing and work closely in partnership with Independent Reviewing Officers.
Cornwall Justice Service
- Email: YJS@cornwall.gov.uk
- Telephone: 01872 326782
V4US Children in Care Council
Provide a range of activities and opportunities for children and young people in care across the county. It is run by Carefree.
V4US meet regularly to explore how they can:
- support the development of services
- organise activities for the wider community of children and young people in care
- Email: info@carefreecornwall.org.uk
- Telephone: 01209 204333
Barnardo’s
Provide the independent advocacy service for Cornwall Children in Care. They give advice on advocacy for children and young people from other local authorities.
- Email: cornwalladvocacy@barnardos.org.uk
- Telephone: 01752 256339
Cornwall Council commissions universal youth support services from partner organisations in the voluntary sector.
