Social Care

Introduction to Service/Eligibility Criteria

Social Care is part of the Children's Services; we will help children under 16 years and their families, which includes children with physical and learning disabilities, young people 16 and 17 years who experience severe difficulties and also young people, up the age of 21, who have been looked after by a local authority.

Social Care will help you when you are having difficulties looking after your child or children.  Some difficulties may be sorted by assistance and advice from within the family, with friends and neighbours or from advise from the health visitor, nurse and other organisations, such as Sure Start and Connexions.  Some difficulties are more complex and affect your child's behaviour and development, trained staff will offer to explore and assist you to ensure your child and family receive the appropriate support to overcome these difficulties.

You may have a child, who is disabled or you or a member of the household has an illness, injury or disability, which is affecting their ability to care for the child(ren).

We will also give advice if you are considering stepparent adoption. Sometimes, children go to live with another family or adult, unrelated to them, who take on the care responsibility for that child. This is known as 'private fostering' and must be reported to us. Children's Service will help to ensure this arrangement is supported and meets the child's needs.

You may have or someone may express, concerns about the welfare of a child, such injuries, sexual abuse by people in or out of the family and children left alone. You may also be concerned due to someone in the household abusing drugs and/or alcohol while caring for children. You may also be aware of an adult who is a risk to children living in the household or regularly visiting.

Where necessary we are responsible in law for acting to protect the welfare of a child. In a very small number of cases, we may ask a Court to give us the power to do this, which may necessitate the child being placed in local authority care.

You can ask for an appointment with a well-trained staff member who will discuss with you the difficulties and what can help.

They will give advice on:

• What can be done
• What your options are
• Where to get help   

In exploring the difficulties, it may be that to get a better understanding of the issues a short assessment is needed. A staff member will visit you and your child and will explain the assessment process. The assessment will involve gathering information from family members and other professionals who are working with your child and family. This will enable all involved to put together a plan to ensure that you and your child receive the appropriate support. It may mean that we work with you and your child on short-term bases when you are in an emergency situation or longer-term, may need a fuller assessment to help as some families have substantial needs.

The assessment may also identify services within the Children services, which can assist you when there is a serious family breakdown.

If your child needs to be looked after, with foster carers or in the residential home, the following has to have been completed:

• A full assessment of your child's needs and your family's circumstances
• Evidence that you have tried to work with us to support you and your child at home
• Your child's needs have been discussed at a meeting of our local managers.   

Children's Services keep records about our work with you; this information is kept to enable us to arrange services and to carry out our legal duties. The Data protection act 1998 allows you to request to see information in your file.

Social Care is area based and has a key role in assessment and safeguarding of children to ensure that they are able to safely achieve their full potential. This is done in partnership with parents and other services within children's services, schools, health, police and voluntary services.

Professionals who wish to refer children to Children's Social Care should be aware of the Children's Services Social Care Thresholds document. This identifies the threshold criteria for referrals that should be made to Children's Social Care. Professionals who are uncertain whether a referral is appropriate can also seek consultation with a duty social worker by telephoning the relevant office below. Unless there is an immediate risk of harm to a child,(in which case a telephone referral will be accepted pending a written referral which must be sent within 48 hours) all other referrals must be made in writing using the Children's Services Referral Form for Assessment. Professionals will need to have completed a CAF pre-assessment checklist to help identify the child's needs and why they cannot be meet by the agency making the referral. Children Social Care will want to work jointly with the referral agency and other agencies involved with the child to insure that a coordinated service is provided to the child in accordance with Cumbria's procedures for implementation of the Common assessment framework.

Children's Services Social Care Thresholds

Children's Services Referral Form for Assessment

Supporting Information Required

What supporting information is required beyond the CAF Pre-assessment Checklist and the standard Children's Services Single Referral Form?

Please refer to paragraph above about referrals where there is an immediate risk of harm to a child. Children's Social Care does not require any additional information from professionals beyond the completion of the CAF Pre-assessment Checklist and Children's Services Single Referral Form. Members of the public who wish to refer a child should contact the relevant office below direct.

Contact Details

Where should referral forms and any additional information be sent?

Allerdale
Children's Services
New Oxford Street
Workington
CA14 2LW
Telephone: 01900 325325 

workingtonssd@cumbriacc.gov.uk

Barrow
Children's Services
Market Street
Barrow-in-Furness
LA14 2LH
Telephone: 01229 894894

barrowssd@cumbriacc.gov.uk

Carlisle
Children's Services
3 Alfred Street North
Carlisle
CA1 1PX
Telephone: 01228 607002

carlislessd@cumbriacc.gov.uk

Copeland
Children's Services
Somerset House
Duke Street
Whitehaven
CA28 7SQ
Telephone: 01946 852852

whitehavenssd@cumbriacc.gov.uk

Eden
Children's Services
19-24 Friargate
Penrith
CA11 7NX
Telephone: 01768 242242

penrithssd@cumbriacc.gov.uk

South Lakes
Children's Services
County Offices
Kendal
LA9 4RQ
Telephone: 01539 773377

kendalssd@cumbriacc.gov.uk

Out of Hours Services
Telephone: 01228 526690
(Emergencies; outside of office hours, weekends and bank holidays)