Keeping on Track Meetings - Guidance and Procedure
Scope of this chapter
The right to family life is a fundamental right for all children. The primary objective of all staff working with a Child in Care is to ensure that they have a Care Plan which details all of their holistic needs and that this plan is regularly reviewed to ensure that those needs are met in a timely manner. Keeping on Track Meetings are an important part of ensuring professionals supporting children who are in ‘out of home’ care work together to provide the best possible care.
The child's 'Care Team' should take ownership of Keeping on Track Meetings.
A Care Team is defined as the group of people and professionals who jointly care for a child while the child is not residing with their parents or an adult caregiver who holds sole parental responsibility for them.
Keeping on Track Meetings are required for every child in 'out-of-home' care. This includes those children who may be subject of a Care Order but placed with parents, relatives (S38.6) or connected persons (Regulation 24).
The members of the meeting will be the people who need to work together to jointly determine and do the things that parents ordinarily do to provide good care for a specific child who is in out-of-home care.
Meeting members must consult and work closely with mainstream and specialist services including schools, teachers, educational psychologists and tutors, health professionals, mental health professionals, disability professionals, drug and alcohol professionals, therapeutic specialists, specialist health professionals, police, youth justice workers and any other people involved in the child's life in the same way as good parents caring for a vulnerable child with complex needs would do.
A child is not a member of their own Care Team because a Care Team comprises the people who are responsible for the child's good care. However, Children in Care must always have a say and be listened to about the things which affect them. Therefore Keeping on Track Meetings must involve the child or young person in an age appropriate way as part of the processes they use for making decisions about their care.
When a child is in out-of-home care, their parents and extended family members still have a key role in their life. Maintaining or establishing as positive a connection as possible with parents and extended family is clearly important for successful family reunification. An ongoing positive connection to family is also vitally important for the identity, social and emotional development of children in long-term care where it has been determined that they cannot be reunified. We will expect and encourage the child's parents to be part of the Keeping on Track Meetings unless this is not safe or practical.
Keeping on Track Meetings should be held for all Children in Care.
After the initial Looked After Review, there should be monthly Keeping on Track Meetings until the second / 4 month review at which point a Permanence Plan should be agreed wherever possible.
Following the 2 month review, Keeping on Track Meetings should take place in line with (but not replace) the statutory visiting pattern for the child/young person.
A date for the first Keeping on Track meeting should be arranged at the initial Looked After Review and thereafter at each Care Team meeting. Agreed dates should be prioritised however if there is a change required all parties must be notified as soon as possible.
The Keeping on Track Meeting is the interagency forum for achieving the outcomes of a child's Care Plan. It is comprised of the professionals responsible for delivering particular aspects of the plan, and is attended by parents and children, where appropriate.
The most appropriate venue will be determined on a case-by-case basis, meetings can be held in local buildings such as a school, children's centre, community centre, or a Children's Social Care office. They should also be held at the child/ren's placement if the carer and child are in agreement with this.
All meeting members must have access to a copy of the current review recommendations and Care Plan so they are clear about actions, responsibilities and timelines. The aim of the meeting is to review the actions and ensure that these are progressing in a timely manner and that any issues are identified and addressed early including any issues around placement stability.
Should the placement become fragile, a case note should be added to the child's electronic case record (fragile placement) and a Pre-Disruption Meeting should be convened.
The minutes must be recorded on the child's electronic case record selecting the case note 'Keeping on Track Meeting'. The Social Worker chairing the meeting will be responsible for ensuring the notes are recorded on the child's electronic record, however other professionals should also be encouraged to share chairing and minute taking responsibilities. Minutes should be recorded within 2 weeks of the meeting and shared with all parties. See also: Appendix 1: Keeping on Track Minutes Meeting Template.
Overall, the outcome from the meeting should provide a shared responsibility between professionals to support the child's care planning and ensure that the plan is progressing in a timely manner and that all support needs and services are in place.
If members are concerned that there are difficulties implementing the plan because of issues arising amongst professional agencies or team members not carrying out agreed responsibilities, this must be addressed by:
- Firstly, direct discussion with group members and action/next steps agreed with a clear timescale;
- Secondly, referral to the professiona's line management if unresolved through discussion;
If the situation remains unresolved, the matter should be referred to the Independent Reviewing Officer for the Dispute Resolution Process to be implemented.
Last Updated: February 13, 2024
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