A Child’s Plan

A Child’s Plan will include everything relevant to the child’s overall health and wellbeing.

The following statement comes from the Supporting Children’s Learning (2017, p. 94) statutory guidance.

A Child’s Plan will be unique to each child but in agreement with the child and parents will usually include and record:

  • reasons for the plan
  • partners to the plan
  • the views of the child or young person and their parents or carers
  • a summary of the child or young person's needs
  • what is to be done to improve a child or young person's circumstances
  • details of action to be taken
  • resources to be provided
  • timescales for action and for change
  • contingency plans
  • arrangements for reviewing the plan
  • Lead Professional arrangements where they are appropriate
  • details of any compulsory measures if required.

A child may have a coordinated support plan too. This refers to the support they need for their learning, which may include a physio plan, feeding plan or communication tools. When children have complex needs this is likely to be included as part of the Child’s Plan.

Child’s Plans will vary according to the format set out by each local authority. They will all cover the key points set out in legislation. Below are some key titles that appear in them.

  • What do we want to happen?

  • What do we need to do?

  • Who will do it?

  • How often will it be done?

  • Progress so far

  • What is the desired outcome for this child? (The positive changes in wellbeing should go here)

  • What we are going to do? (These are the actions that are needed to achieve the desired outcomes)

  • How will we know? (The evidence that will indicate improvements or deterioration in wellbeing)

  • By when? (The latest acceptable date to achieve positive change)

  • Who is helping me? (Which professional will be responsible?)

In order to coordinate the child’s additional support as laid out in the plan, a Lead Professional will be appointed. In order to assess the effectiveness of the support, child planning meetings are important opportunities for the child, their family and professionals to meet.

Child planning meetings will vary but are likely to be chaired by a health visitor (who may be the Named Person), or an agreed Lead Professional who will coordinate meetings, assess the information shared and ensure agreed action points are followed up. You might find that parents take on the role of leading the meeting since an important part of developing a child’s plan is weighing up potentially conflicting approaches and agreeing a way forward.

While it can be empowering to lead the care and support for their child, it is important that professionals do not assume that parents will take the lead in this way. Professionals need to empower parents to advocate for and with their child without the burden of arranging meetings, negotiating budgets or checking that documents have been shared.

Child planning meetings are intended to streamline communication and planning, reduce the burden on parents having to repeat information to a range of different professionals, and ensure that the child’s best interests are the priority.

5.3  Working with families, parents and professionals

Taking part in a child planning meeting