Consultation, Notification & Services
London Borough of Merton
We are writing to notify you about the resources and facilities available to any Looked
After Child and Care Leaver who may be placed in the London Borough of Merton by your
authority.
How to contact us
Notifications for Looked After Children Placed in Merton
All notifications of looked after children placed in Merton should be sent to:
LAC & CP Administration at: LAC&CPNotifications@merton.gov.uk , or to the following address using
the attached Notification Form at the end of this document.
LAC & CP Administration
London Borough of Merton
9th Floor Civic Centre
Merton
LONDON
SM4 5DX
Tel: 0208 545 3389, or 0208 545 3627
NB: The above address should also be used for reporting any change of address for the child/young
person and for notifying the London Borough of Merton when child or young person is leaving the
area. The received information will be recorded as a notification on our databases. Please use the
attached form at the end of this document.
Duty to consult
If you are planning to place a child from your local authority within our local authority area and it is a
‘distant’ placement you should consult with us. In the first instance you are asked to make this
request via email, once the appropriate children’s team has received this, you will be contacted by
Please notify us at the above email address if a child is placed in our authority area.
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Education Services
Schools
Details about schools in the Merton area can be found on the following webpages.
http://www.merton.gov.uk/
The website includes pages on schools, term dates and admissions
School Admissions
The Merton Schools Admissions Team is able to offer advice on the admissions process for all
schools in the authority.
Contact details for the School Admissions Team are:
Email: admissions@merton.gov.uk
School Admissions Team
Civic Centre
Morden
SM4 5DX
Virtual School
The Virtual School works closely and in partnership with the schools across Merton to improve
educational outcomes for children who are looked after. It also works collaboratively with colleagues
in other local authorities and other Virtual Schools
The Virtual School Team services can be found at:
http://www.merton.gov.uk/health-social-care/children-family-health-social-care/fosteringadoption/education-support-for-looked-after-children/virtualschool.htm
Education Support for Looked After Children can be viewed at:
http://www.merton.gov.uk/health-social-care/children-family-health-social-care/fosteringadoption/education-support-for-looked-after-children.htm
For further information on strategies for Looked After Children and Care Leavers, see here:
http://www.merton.gov.uk/health-social-care/children-family-health-social-care/fosteringadoption/strategies_for_looked_after_children_and_care_leavers.htm
Service Manager, Permanency, Looked After Children and Care Leavers.
London Borough of Merton
Merton Civic Centre
London Road
Morden SM4 5DX
Tel: 020 8545 4288
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Special Educational Need and Disability (SENDIS)
Information regarding support for children with special educational needs who have a Statement of
SEN or and Education Health and Care (EHC) Plan can be obtained from:
SENDIS Team at http://www.merton.gov.uk/learning/edinclusion/sendis/sen.htm
SENDIS
1st Floor
Merton Civic Centre
London Road
Morden SM4 5DX
Telephone: 020 8545 4810
Email: sen@merton.gov.uk
Multi-agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)
The MASH is a ‘front door’ to manage all safeguarding referrals and which researches information
held on agency databases. The MASH also provides a secure and confidential environment for
professionals to share information and identifies low-level repeat referrals which taken in isolation
may not appear concerning.
The MASH works to prioritise referrals using a BRAG (Blue/Red/Amber/Green) rating (for more
information see the MASH Process webpages below). The service also refers cases to other agencies
and activates a ‘first response’ social work services to provide immediate protection for a child.
Web: http://www.merton.gov.uk/health-social-care/children-family-health-social-care/lscb/multiagency-safeguarding-hub/mash-process.htm
MASH Team
12th Floor, Merton Civic Centre
London Road, Morden
SM4 5DX
Telephone/Email/Fax
020 8545 4226 or
020 8545 4227 or
020 8770 5000 (out of hours)
020 8545 4204 (fax)
mash@merton.gov.uk
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Education Psychology Services
The Educational Psychology Service (EPS) can be commissioned to advise on the educational, social,
emotional and developmental needs of children and young people. The EPS will assist in identifying
the most appropriate provision and monitoring this on behalf of the placing authority
The EPS can be contacted at:
Educational Psychology Service
1st Floor
Merton Civic Centre
London Road
Morden SM4 5DX
Tel: 020 8545 4820
Fax: 020 8545 4703
Email: educational.psychology@merton.gov.uk
Early Help & Parenting
Services to support children and young people becoming vulnerable, or ‘step down’ services for
children and young people who have been looked after, subject to a child protection plan or in
receipt of other specialist provision.
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Children’s Centres
Merton has 11 designated children's centres located in and around the Borough. Children’s Centres
aim to improve outcomes for children aged 0 to 5 and their families, particularly those in greatest
need. They work to make sure all children are well prepared for school, healthy and happy
regardless of background or family circumstances. They also offer support to parents.
Web: http://www.merton.gov.uk/community-living/children-young-peoplefamilies/childrenscentres.htm
Merton's Family Services Directory
10th Floor Civic Centre
London Road
Morden
SM4 5DX
Email: fsd@merton.gov.uk
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Common and Shared Assessment (CASA)
The CASA is a tool designed to help practitioners working with any child or young personwho they
believe may have additional needs that do not require a referral to a specialist service or
professional (e.g. medical professional, Children’s Social Care, CAMHS).
Web: http://www.merton.gov.uk/health-social-care/children-family-health-socialcare/lscb/lscbprof/isa/casa/casa-forms.htm
CASA Central Team, Merton MASH
12th floor, Merton Civic Centre,
London Road, Morden
SM4 5DX
Telephone: 020 8545 3234 / 3993
Email: casa@merton.gov.uk
Early Years
Merton is committed to ensuring young children and families get the best possible start in life and
achieve positive outcomes. The Merton Early Childhood Partnership has strategic responsibility for
ensuring that we deliver high quality, affordable and accessible early childhood services across
Merton.
http://www.merton.gov.uk/community-living/children-young-people-families/childcare.htm
Early Years, Childcare and Children's Centres Service
10th Floor, Civic Centre
London Road
Morden
SM4 5DX
Email: eyf@merton.gov.uk
Transforming Families
Merton’s Transforming Families programme works with vulnerable families. These are families
where adults in the home are out of work and claiming benefits. In addition they are characterised
by children who are involved in youth crime/ASB and/or where educational difficulties, such as poor
school attendance exist.
The Transforming Families team accept referrals from a variety of sources including parents, schools,
GPs and other professional bodies. The interventions can be delivered on their own or in conjunction
with other services. The ethos of the team and the underlying principle is to use a person-centred,
warm and empathic approach with families in order to maximise the quality of the working
relationship and subsequently maximising the likelihood of success.
For more information on Merton's Transforming Families contact Transforming Families, 020 8274
4965.
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Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)
The LADO service manages allegations of abuse against people who work with children.
This process is designed to examine the aspect of an allegation concerning professionals’ conduct
towards children and young people in a neutral, fair and sensitive way. This includes assessing the
immediate and continued risk to children in the work setting, and identifying support for
professionals against whom an allegation has been made. Contact details for the LADO in Merton
are as below.
LADO
London Borough of Merton
Civic Centre, 9th Floor
London Road
Morden
SM4 5DX
Email: lado@merton.gov.uk
Tel: 020 8545 3179
Adoption Services
Adoption is a way of providing a new family for a child who cannot be brought up by their own
parents. Adopting a child means making them a permanent part of your family, offering them the
love and stability of family life. There are babies and children in Merton who need adopting right
now. Merton is part of South West London Adoption, which brings together four London boroughs
to match children with adopters.
Webpages: http://www.merton.gov.uk/health-social-care/children-family-health-socialcare/fostering-adoption/adoption.htm
Contact South West London Adoption
Call 0300 123 8085 or use the South West London Adoption online contact form at
http://www.southwestlondonadoption.org.uk/contact-us/
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Health Services
Health Services for Safeguarding and Looked After Children and Young People
Merton Clinical Commissioning Group (MCCG
Merton Clinical Commissioning Group (MCCG) is fully committed to protecting and safeguarding
children and young people. The CCG works to promote safe practice and protect children and young
people from harm, abuse and exploitation and are fully engaged in the work of the Merton
Safeguarding Children Board.
The health needs of children in need and for looked after children and young people in Merton are
monitored by a designated medical staff who have a strategic role in overseeing the health of all
children in need and those looked after children placed by Merton Council. They work in partnership
with other health and local authority staff.
The designated and named nurses can be contacted as follows:
Designated Paediatrician:
Dr. Benedicta Ogeah (tel: 020 8296 4852, bogeah@nhs.net)
Designated Nurses
NHS Merton Clinical Commissioning Group
Fifth Floor
120 Broadway
Wimbledon
London
SW19 1RH
Safeguarding queries direct line
Tel: 020 8687 4508
Named Nurse Child Protection (Sutton and Merton Community Health Service)
Direct Tel: 020 8687 4667
Designated Nurse for Looked After Children
LAC.Nurse@merton.gov.uk
4th Floor, Civic Centre
London Road
Morden
SM4 5DX
Tel: 0208 545 4246
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Other Health Services
Merton School Nurses
Each school in Merton has a named School Nurse who is a registered nurse with specialist skills
performing a number of functions including liaising with teachers, parents, school doctors, family
doctors and other health professionals. The school nurses train school staff to respond appropriately
to medical problems such as asthma attacks and epilepsy. They also carry out health education and
health promotion in schools, including sexual health and contraception as well as being involved in
sex and relationships education, holding confidential drop-in clinics in most senior schools and
carrying out routine and national immunisations in senior schools. The school health service
promotes health issues at school taking referrals from health professionals, children, parents or
carers
Sutton and Merton CCG
Wilson Hospital
Mitcham
CR4 4TP
Tel: 020 8687 4611
http://www.suttonandmerton.nhs.uk
Community Paediatrics: Epsom St Helier NHS
The community paediatric services team at Epsom St Helier work closely with parents, young people
and other healthcare professionals to provide community services throughout the London Boroughs
of Sutton and Merton.
The team offers specialist medical assessment and support for children and young people with:
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Developmental disorders
Neurodisability
Social communication disorders such as autism
Special educational needs
The team at St Helier also offer support to children and young people in need of protection through
medical assessment of recent physical injuries, as well children and young people who are in the
care of the local authority or who require permanent placement outside their immediate family, eg
adoption.
The team work is strongly supported through close ties with Merton healthcare professionals
including:
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GPs
Child and adolescent mental health services
Health visitors and school nurses
Physiotherapists
Occupational therapists
Speech and language therapists
Epsom Hospital
Dorking Road, Epsom
Surrey, KT18 7EG
Tel: 01372 735735
St Helier Hospital and Queen Mary's Hospital for Children
Wrythe Lane, Carshalton
Surrey, SM5 1AA
Tel: 020 8296 2000
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) South West London
and St George’s NHS
The service is for children and adolescents up to the age of 18 who are experiencing emotional,
behavioural or mental health problems and are registered with a GP in Merton.
Referrals to the service can be made from a variety of professionals, including via a GP, teacher,
school nurse, or any other health or educational professional if they feel help is required.
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
Birches House,
Birches Close,
Cricket Green,
Mitcham, Surrey.
CR4 4LQ
Telephone number: 020 8254 8061
Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)
Child sexual exploitation (CSE) is a type of sexual abuse in which children are sexually exploited for
money, power or status. Children or young people may be tricked into believing they're in a loving,
consensual relationship. They might be invited to parties and given drugs and alcohol. They may also
be groomed online. Some children and young people are trafficked into or within the UK for the
purpose of sexual exploitation. Sexual exploitation can also happen to young people in gangs.
To access further information about referring a child at risk or subject to CSE in Merton go to:
http://www.merton.gov.uk/health-social-care/children-family-health-socialcare/lscb/lscbprof/child_sexual_exploitation_-_cse.htm
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Children’s Participation
Merton Council and its Children's Trust are committed to listening and responding to the views of
children and families to inform service design and delivery. A core value of the Children's Trust is
that children and young people have the right to participate in decisions affecting their lives and
should be listened to and shape the services they receive, and that we should canvas and respond to
the views of parents and carers.
We have four key approaches to user engagement. These are:
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An approach to practice which puts children’s wishes and feelings at the centre of decision
making and planning.
The youth participation promise.
Targeted user feedback.
Complaints and compliments.
Webpages:http://www.merton.gov.uk/council/departments/csf/continuous_improvement/children
s_services_inspections/user_engagement.htm
Service Manager - Policy, Planning and Performance,
London Borough of Merton
10th Floor Civic Centre
London Road
Morden
SM4 5DX
Tel: 020 8545 4090
Children in Care Council
Listening to the views of children in care
In Merton, Looked After Children are represented by the Children in Care Council (CICC) - a formal
group of young people who are regularly consulted on how to improve the services and support that
looked after children and care leavers receive. The CICC meets monthly to discuss key issues and
developments of importance.
Webpages: http://cyp.mertonpartnership.org.uk/novemberdecember-2014/positivecontribution/views-of-our-children-in-care
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Merton Youth Parliament
The Merton Youth Parliament is a forum for young people aged 11 – 19 years and up to 25 years for
Special Needs.
It ensures that young people in Merton are listened to and consulted on issues to do with young
people. The parliament has a say on making education, leisure, open spaces, transport and Merton a
better place for young people.
There are places available for secondary schools, colleges, uniformed groups and other organisations
within Merton to be represented on Merton Youth Parliament. Members serve on the parliament
for one year, with an option to remain longer.
Meetings are held monthly on a Monday, in the council chamber. An officer of the council assists
with minute taking.
Participation Team
Merton Council
Civic Centre
London Road
Morden SM4 5DX
Tel: 020 8274 4959
Email: youth.participation@merton.gov.uk
Young Merton
Things to do and places to go for young people.
http://www.youngmerton.co.uk/
Youth Justice Service
The Merton Youth Justice Service (YJS) is a partnership of different agencies, which aims to
prevent and reduce youth offending within the Borough. The YJS also seeks to address the
safeguarding / vulnerability issues of the young people (YP) with whom it works as well as their risk of
harm to others. The YJS was set up in 2000 as a result of the Crime & Disorder Act 1998, which
highlighted the importance of partnership working as an effective approach to tackling youth offending
The delivery of services by the YJS is overseen by the Youth Crime Prevention Executive Board
(YCPEB) which meets quarterly. Performance data along with papers relating to relevant issues
affecting the YJS and partners are presented at each Board meeting. The YCPEB takes responsibility
for the management, oversight and strategic direction of the Youth Justice Service
Youth Offender Panel
The majority of young people who enter the court system for the first time are sentenced to a Referral
Order. This is a sentence imposed by the court who have referred the young person to a Referral
Order Panel, who are made up of two trained volunteers from the local community and an adviser
from the Youth Justice Service. It is the responsibility of the Panel, in consultation with the young
person, their carers and the victim (if they wish to be involved) to devise a tailor-made contract which
is designed to both prevent future re-offending and repair some of the harm caused to the victim
either directly or indirectly.
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Webpages: http://www.merton.gov.uk/community-living/children-young-peoplefamilies/youngpeople/yjs.htm
Youth Justice Service
2nd Floor Annex
Civic Centre
London Road
Morden
SM4 5DX
Tel: 020 8274 4949
Fax: 020 8274 4971
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London Borough of Merton
Civic Centre
Morden, Surrey, SM4 5DX
Direct Line - 0208 545 3389
LAC&CPnotifications@merton.gov.u
k.cjsm.net
CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES DEPARTMENT
Yvette Stanley – Director
Dear Colleague(s)
Arrangements for the Placement of Children (General) Regulations 1991
The above regulations require local authorities placing children or young persons in the area of
another Local Authority is required to provide written notification to the Local Authority concerned.
Please accept this letter as notification of a child(ren) or young person placed by London Borough
Merton within the area of your Authority. Please notify the Education and Primary care trust in
your Authority.
Please find attached information relating to a child(ren) or young person and details of their
placements.
For further information please contact the social worker whose contact details are attached to this
notification.
Yours Sincerely
Safeguarding Manager
Children’s Quality Assurance & Practice and Development
London Borough of Merton
9th Floor, Civic Centre, Morden, Surrey, SM4 5DX
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USE FOR PURPOSES OF NOTIFICATION
CONFIDENTIAL
Arrangements for placement of children (General) Regulations 1991 &
Children's Homes and Looked after Children (Miscellaneous Amendments)
(England) Regulations 2013
First name of child/young person
Surname of child/young person
Date of birth
Ethnicity
Gender
Is the child/young person on a
Disability Register?
Child/young person’s Legal Status
Name of allocated Social Worker
Telephone number of placing Social
Worker
Address of placing Social Worker
0208 545 4
Out of hours service contact
0208 770 5000
Name of placement/Foster Carer
Address of placement
Borough/County
Date placement started
Date placement ended (if
appropriate)
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London Borough of Merton
4th Floor Civic Centre
London Road
Morden SM4 5DX
Health information
Name of Looked After Children’s
nurse
LAC Nurse address and telephone
number
Melanie Carter
Looked After Children Team
London Borough of Merton
4th Floor Civic Centre
London Road
Morden SM4 5DX
0208 545 4246
This form has been completed by
Name
Malgosia Pietraszewska
Job title
LAC Business Support
Contact details
Children’s Safeguarding Standards and Training
Team
London Borough of Merton
9th Floor Civic Centre
London Road
Morden SM4 5DX
Tel: 0208 545 3389
Date
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