Whilst it is recognized that admissions are beneficial to all concerned if they are undertaken in a planned way as they can reduce stress for young people, we realize this is not always possible and there will be occasions where an emergency placement is needed.
In these instances, Hope Pathway and the placing authority must take all steps to provide as much information as possible on the relevant risks and needs of the young person.
Placing authorities seeking an emergency placement should send a comprehensive referral to Hope Pathway’s Home manager.
If Hope Pathway confirms that a placement can be offered, then the placement will begin immediately where possible and once all the final costs have been agreed in writing by the placing authority.
As an emergency placement would not have allowed for a pre-admission visit to the home, the young person will be taken on a tour of the home upon arrival and will be introduced to members of staff on shift at that particular time and other young people resident in the home.
During the tour, staff will make the young person aware of the evacuation procedures in the event of a fire, familiarizing them with exit routes and the fire assembly point.
The young person’s information should be retrieved at the earliest opportunity and risk assessments completed no more than one week after the referral.
The placement agreement will be completed on the same day wherever it is possible to do so and certainly the agreement will be completed within 48 hours.
A visit from the placing authority should take place within one week of the placement start date. Additionally, as we are aware of the constraints of emergency placement and the daunting effect on both the young person and the social worker, Hope Pathway offers free 48hrs services to our hosting local authority during emergency placements. We view this gesture as part of our commitment to giving back to our host local authority. However, this gesture is also subject to availability