On 21 April the Welsh Government issued new guidance on how children’s services should operate during the Covid-19 outbreak.
The Welsh Government says that the guidance is intended for all those:
- promoting the well-being of vulnerable children, including those who already have a care and support plan
- safeguarding children at risk including those who already have a care, support and protection plan
- the assessment and planning of care and support for care experienced children
- those making and reviewing placement decisions for looked after children, care leavers and adopted children
and its aims are to:
- encourage a flexible and pragmatic approach to maintaining support for looked after and vulnerable children during the outbreak of novel coronavirus
- recognise the areas of provision where local authorities will struggle to meet their statutory requirements, and provide guidance on the measures that should be put in place that are in the spirit of the law
- as far as possible, minimise the impact of novel coronavirus on Children’s Services and partners, when resources available to cope with additional burdens are reduced
- promote partnership working across the breadth of services that support families
It came into immediate effect and will remain in place until further notice.
It covers the following subjects:
- Background
- Intended audience
- Principles
- How should local authorities prioritise activity during the emergency?
- Supporting the Children’s Social Care Workforce
- Guidance for maintaining contact
- Care and support plans, pathway plans and reviews
- Fostering
- Children’s residential homes
- Adoption
- Care leavers
- Unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC)
- Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW)
- Support for vulnerable children in education settings
