Protecting Children who move across Local Authority Borders
August 2024
The effective, timely and robust transfer of information is critical for children who frequently move across local authority boundaries.
At any stage in the process of working with children and their families, the parents and/or the child/children may move from one household to another, on either a permanent or temporary basis. This could result in a change of address, possibly to another local authority area.
Such moves may be planned, and relevant information may be shared in advance with the practitioners working with the family and child/children. In some circumstances, however, the move may take place in haste, or even as a deliberate attempt to avoid the involvement of practitioners and agencies. Where this is the case, the agencies involved with the family must always consider the impact of the move on the child/children, including whether it increases the likelihood of the child
suffering harm.
Children and families who move most frequently between local authorities are families who are homeless, asylum seekers and refugees, families experiencing domestic abuse, traveller families and children who cared for. It is also important to recognise that some families will move between authorities to avoid or divert professional contact where safeguarding or child protection concerns have been identified.
Working Together to Safeguard Children is clear that all practitioners should be particularly alert to the importance of sharing information when a child moves from one local authority into another; due to the risk that knowledge pertinent to keeping a child safe could be lost.
Where children move to a new address - either within the same local authority area or to a new area – and there are concerns about the welfare of the children such that it is considered that a Section 47 Enquiry is required, the local authority for the last known address must make every effort to locate the children and complete the Section 47 enquiry.
A regional protocol has been developed in association with 10 North East Safeguarding Children Partnerships: Darlington; Durham; Hartlepool & Stockton; South Tees (Middlesbrough and Redcar); Newcastle; North Tyneside; Northumberland; South Tyneside; Gateshead; Sunderland.
This guidance focuses specifically on safeguarding responsibilities in relation to children who move across Local Authority boundaries, and where they are Children in Need (including those in need of protection and subject to Child Protection Plans as defined by the Children Act 1989), and Cared for Children; other children receiving an out of authority service where child protection concerns arise
within that service and those children receiving Early Help support and who have an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP).
To access the protocol and guidance click on the link below, there is also a summary document and flowchart.